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
Rabbenâ zalemnâ enfüsenâ ve in lem tağfirlenâ ve terhamnâ le nekûnenne mine'l-hâsirîn.
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
Lâ taknatû mir rahmetillâh, innallâhe yağfiruz-zünûbe cemîâ.
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
Yâ eyyühellezîne âmenû tûbû ilallâhi tevbeten nasûhâ.
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
Fe kultüstağfirû Rabbeküm innehû kâne ğaffârâ.
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
Va'fu annâ vağfir lenâ verhamnâ.
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.
Sources
- Tanzil Project — Uthmani Mushaf
- QuranEnc — English Translation