SUPPLICATIONS OF REPENTANCE AND SEEKING FORGIVENESS
Repentance (tawbah) is recognizing a mistake, feeling remorse for it, abandoning it, and seeking God's forgiveness with a resolve never to repeat it. The Quran contains many supplications expressing this return. This page does not present repentance as a loophole where "whatever you do, you're automatically forgiven" — it frames it around remorse, return, abandonment, and seeking forgiveness. Hope is never broken, but responsibility is never erased either.
Duas and Verses
The Repentance of Adam and Eve
رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ
Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.
Can be recalled the moment a mistake is recognized and remorse is felt.
Not Despairing of God's Mercy
لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا
Do not despair of the mercy of God, for God forgives all sins.
Can be recalled when feeling hopeless over past mistakes — the verse does not remove responsibility, but reminds that the door of repentance stays open.
Sincere Repentance (Tawbatan Nasuha)
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوْبَةًۭ نَّصُوحًا
O you who believe, turn to God in sincere repentance.
Can be recalled when seeking not a surface-level regret, but a firm and sincere return to God.
Prophet Nuh's Call to Seek Forgiveness
فَقُلْتُ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارًۭا
And I said: Seek forgiveness from your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver.
This verse, which presents seeking forgiveness as a call not only for pardon but also for ease and blessing in life, can be recalled when building a habit of regular istighfar.
Supplication for Pardon and Mercy
وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ
Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy upon us.
Can be recalled as a general request for forgiveness, closing a moment of repentance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does repentance automatically erase past mistakes?
Repentance requires feeling remorse, abandoning the mistake, and resolving not to repeat it. It does not mean "whatever you do, you're automatically forgiven" — forgiveness rests with God's mercy, though the Quran counsels never to despair of that mercy.
Are istighfar and tawbah (repentance) the same thing?
Istighfar is seeking forgiveness, and it is part of repentance. Tawbah is the broader return that combines remorse, abandonment of the sin, and seeking forgiveness together.
What is Sayyid al-Istighfar?
This supplication, whose name means "the master of seeking forgiveness", is reported by Shaddad ibn Aws in Sahih al-Bukhari (Supplications, no. 6306). It begins "Allahumma anta rabbi, la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa ana abduk..." and has the person affirm that they are God's servant, that they keep their covenant as far as they are able, and that they acknowledge both His blessing and their own sin, before asking for forgiveness. According to the hadith, whoever says it with conviction during the day and dies before evening, or at night and dies before morning, is among the people of Paradise.
How many times a day did the Prophet seek forgiveness?
In the report of Abu Hurayra the Prophet says that he seeks forgiveness and repents more than seventy times a day (Bukhari, Supplications, no. 6307). In the report of al-Agharr al-Muzani he says: "O people, repent to God; I repent to Him a hundred times a day" (Muslim, Remembrance, no. 2702). These numbers are not an obligation; they show that seeking forgiveness was a constant part of daily life.
What are the conditions of repentance?
In the chapter on repentance in Riyad as-Salihin, an-Nawawi summarises the scholars' view as follows. If a sin concerns only the relationship between God and the servant, repentance has three conditions: giving up the sin, regretting what was done, and firmly resolving never to return to it. If the sin involves another person's right, there is a fourth condition: the right is returned to its owner, or the owner's pardon is sought.
Until when is repentance accepted?
According to the report of Ibn Umar, the Prophet said: "God accepts the repentance of a servant as long as the death rattle has not reached his throat" (Tirmidhi, Supplications, no. 3537; Tirmidhi graded it hasan). Az-Zumar 39:53 likewise tells those who have gone to excess in sin not to despair of God's mercy. Read together, the two texts are a reason never to think "it is too late", not a reason to postpone repentance.
Sources
- Tanzil Project — Uthmani Mushaf
- QuranEnc — English Translation
- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Sahih Muslim
- Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Sünen
- Nevevî, Riyâzü’s-sâlihîn