To err is human, and we certainly realise that. We are imperfect, and we continue to transgress and make errors. However, we have been given guidance on how to respond to our transgressions and our missteps and then successfully attain Allah’s mercy. 

 وَيَـٰقَوْمِ ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ يُرْسِلِ ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًۭا وَيَزِدْكُمْ قُوَّةً إِلَىٰ قُوَّتِكُمْ وَلَا تَتَوَلَّوْا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ ٥٢

“And O my people, ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in showers and increase you in strength [added] to your strength. And do not turn away, [being] criminals."

(Surah Hud: 41)

The belief that we can ask for forgiveness and then be pardoned by Allah brings a deep sense of comfort and solace. It grants believers the strength to carry on with renewed enthusiasm and hope.

We have been taught countless duas for forgiveness through the Quran and hadith that offer us a chance to repent and heal our souls. These profound supplications connect us to Allah and act as timeless guides towards forgiveness, helping us cleanse our hearts. 

In this article, we have discussed many such powerful duas from the Quran and sunnah that can help us seek Divine forgiveness. 

Duas For Forgiveness From the Quran

1. The first dua we are sharing here is not just a dua for forgiveness but also a beautiful lesson in humility and submission to Allah.

   
   

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ اَنْفُسَنَا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخٰسِرِينَ

“Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves, and if you do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be amongst the losers”. (Al-A'raf:23)

This beautiful and heart-touching dua from the Quran is one that Prophet Adam (AS) and his wife Hawwa recited when they realised their mistake in Jannah and immediately asked Allah for forgiveness. 

2. This next dua from the Quran is a true reflection of how a Mo’min should react in times of deep despair and hopelessness. Instead of giving up, we should seek Allah’s help by asking for His forgiveness and staying steadfast and resilient.
   
   
   

   

لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers”. (Surah Anbiya:87)

Prophet Younus (AS), when surrounded by absolute darkness and trapped within the stomach of a whale, recited this dua repeatedly, acknowledging his own weakness and seeking Allah’s mercy.

3. The third dua we are sharing with you is one that was recited by Prophet Nuh at an overwhelming time when the entire world had been wiped out and he was to make a fresh start. In the face of such a formidable task, he sought Allah’s help through the following supplication.

   
   

رَبِّ اِنِّىْٓ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ اَنْ اَسْـــَٔـلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِيْ بِهٖ عِلْمٌ ۭ وَاِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِيْ وَتَرْحَمْنِيْٓ اَكُنْ مِّنَ الْخٰسِرِيْنَ

“O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have Mercy on me, I would indeed be one of the losers”. (Surah Hud:47)

This dua was an apology rendered by Prophet Nuh(AS) once his ark had settled on top of Mount Judi. It was after the Prophet had asked Allah about his son, who was a disbeliever. The words of this dua are steeped in humility and reflect the prophet’s complete surrender to the will of Allah and his absolute submission to the Divine Wisdom.

4. This next dua shows us the path we should follow to succeed in this world and the next.

رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِىٓ أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ١٤٧

“Our Lord! Forgive our sins and excesses, make our steps firm, and grant us victory over the disbelieving people.” (Al-Imran:147)

This ayat talks about the men of Allah who used to fight alongside the previous prophets, and while doing so, they would make this dua. This supplication was their way of seeking forgiveness from the Rabb and asking Him to keep them steadfast on their deen. This beautiful dua from the Quran also teaches us a way of asking for forgiveness for our misdeeds.

Duas For Forgiveness from the Ahadith

The words of the Prophet (SAW) carry a wealth of wisdom and guidance for us. There are countless ahadiths that teach us duas to make in order to seek forgiveness from Allah. 

1. Shaddad bin Aus (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The best supplication for seeking forgiveness is to say:

اللّٰهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِيْ وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِيْ، فَاغْفِرْ لِيْ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّاأَنْتَ۔

(O Allah! You are my Rubb. There is no true god except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I hold to Your Covenant as far as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge the favours that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess my sins. Pardon me, for none but You has the power to pardon)”.

(Sahih Bukhari; Riyad-us-Salihin 1875)

This is known as the Syed-ul-Istaghfar. 

2. Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

   
   

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who says:

أسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ الَّذِي لا إلَهَ إلا هُوَ الحَيُّ القَيُومُ وَأتُوبُ إلَيهِ

(I seek the forgiveness of Allah, there is no true god except Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self- Subsisting, and I turn to Him in repentance),

' his sins will be forgiven even if he should have run away from the battlefield (while he was engaged in fighting for the Cause of Allah)." (Riyad-us-Salihin 1874)

“He who supplicates in these terms during the day with a firm belief in it and dies on the same day, he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah; and if anyone supplicates in these terms during the night with a firm belief in it and dies before the morning, he will be one of the dwellers of Jannah."

3. Thauban (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Whenever the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his Salat (prayer), he would beg forgiveness three times

أسْتَغْفِرُ ٱللَّٰهَ 

“ I seek forgiveness from Allah.”

(and then he would say: O Allah! You are the Bestower of security, and security comes from You; Blessed are You. O Possessor of glory and honour).(Riyad-us-Salihin 1876)

4. Narrated Abu Bakr As-Siddiq:

   
   

I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to teach me an invocation so that I may invoke Allah with it in my prayer. He told me to say,

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، وَارْحَمْنِي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

 (O Allah! I have done great injustice to myself and none except You forgives sins, so bestow on me a forgiveness from You, and Have Mercy on me, You are the Forgiver, the Merciful). (Sahih Bukhari :834)

5. Abu Hurairah said:

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say when prostrating himself:

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي كُلَّهُ دِقَّهُ وَجِلَّهُ وَأَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَه ‏"‏

 “O Allah. Forgive me all my sins, small and great, first and last. “ the narrator Ibn al-sarh added: “open and secret.” (Sunan Abi Dawud 878)

Final Thoughts

The duas we have discussed above serve as a profound lesson to us, and they remind us of the importance of being humble and repenting after having transgressed. They encourage us to submit ourselves completely to Allah with a humble heart and to seek His forgiveness.

These duas do not only act as ways of seeking forgiveness but are bright beacons of hope. They give us the strength to carry on and not give in to despair after making a mistake. They show us that we are never beyond hope and that Allah’s forgiveness is always attainable.

May these duas bring us hope from despair and inspire us to become better versions of ourselves. May they help us live in accordance with the Divine teachings and seek Allah’s pleasure. 

Vocabulary List

Ibadah: Worship

Ayats: Verses

Fard: Compulsory

Dua: Supplication