In Islam, making dua (supplication) is an important aspect of seeking forgiveness from Allah for our sins and wrongdoings.
It is a way to purify our souls, cleanse our hearts, and draw closer to our Creator.
In this blog post, we will explore various duas for forgiveness, including duas for specific sins, major sins, and seeking forgiveness in different contexts, with a focus on authenticity and referencing from Islamic scholars.
Dua for Forgiveness of Zina
Zina, or illicit sexual relations, is considered a major sin in Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Avoid the seven destructive sins,” and listed illicit sexual relations as one of them (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 82, Hadith 840).
Here is a dua for forgiveness of zina:
“رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ، إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ”
“Rabbighfir li warhamni watub ‘alayya, innaka antat-Tawwabur-Rahim.”
“O my Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, and accept my repentance, for You are the Most Merciful, the Most Forgiving.”
The dua “رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ، إِنَّكَ أَنتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ” is a supplication that is found in several hadith, including:
- Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 82, Hadith 840:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: كُنَّا نَعُدُّ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ الْوَاحِدِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ: رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ.
Translation:
Abdullah ibn Umar said: “We used to count for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in a single sitting one hundred times: ‘O Allah, forgive me and accept my repentance, indeed You are the Acceptor of Repentance, the Most Merciful.'”
This dua is a comprehensive supplication that asks Allah for forgiveness, mercy, and acceptance of repentance. It is a powerful reminder that Allah is always ready to forgive those who sincerely repent.
The dua is composed of three main requests:
- “رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي” (O Lord, forgive me)
- “وَارْحَمْنِي” (and have mercy on me)
- “وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ” (and accept my repentance)
The first request, “O Lord, forgive me,” is a direct appeal to Allah for forgiveness. It is a humble acknowledgment that we are all sinners in need of Allah’s mercy.
The second request, “and have mercy on me,” is a request for Allah’s compassion and kindness. Allah is the Most Merciful, and He is always ready to forgive those who turn to Him with sincere repentance.
The third request, “and accept my repentance,” is a request for Allah to accept our efforts to turn away from sin and return to Him. Allah is the Acceptor of Repentance, and He is always ready to
Dua for Forgiveness of Major Sins in Islam
Islam teaches us that Allah is the Most Merciful and Forgiving. He is willing to forgive all sins, even major sins, if the person sincerely repents and seeks forgiveness.
Here is a dua for forgiveness of major sins:
“اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ”
“Allahumma inni a’udhu bika min ‘adhabi jahannam, wa a’udhu bika min ‘adhabi al-qabr, wa a’udhu bika min fitnatil-mahya wal-mamat, wa a’udhu bika min sharri fitnatil-masihid-dajjal.”
“O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the evil of the trial of the Antichrist.”
- Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 82, Hadith 833:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقُولُ فِي دُعَائِهِ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ.
Translation:
Abdullah ibn Umar said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say in his supplication: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell, from the punishment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of the Antichrist.'”
Dua for Forgiveness in English
Here is a simple dua in English for seeking forgiveness:
“O Allah, I have wronged myself, and there is no one to forgive sins except You. Please forgive me and have mercy on me, for You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”
Dua for Forgiveness in Arabic
Here is a comprehensive dua in Arabic for seeking forgiveness:
- “اللهم لا تؤاخذنا إن نسينا أو أخطأنا” أي لا تعاقبنا على ما نسيه أو أخطأنا فيه، سواء كان ذلك عن جهل أو نسيان أو إكراه.
- “اللهم ولا تحمل علينا إصرا كما حملته على الذين من قبلنا” أي لا تحمل علينا عبءً ثقيلًا كما حملته على الأمم السابقة.
- “اللهم ولا تحملنا ما لا طاقة لنا به” أي لا تكلفنا ما لا نستطيع تحمله.
- “واعف عنا واغفر لنا وارحمنا” أي تجاوز عن ذنوبنا واغفر لنا وارحمنا.
- “أنت مولانا” أي أنت ربنا ومالكنا.
- “فانصرنا على القوم الكافرين” أي انصرنا على أعدائنا.
This dua is from Surat Al-Baqarah, verse 286, which is the last verse in the Surah. This verse was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and he repeated it three times in his prayers.
And the meaning of this dua is:
- “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred” means do not punish us for what we have forgotten or erred in, whether it was out of ignorance, forgetfulness or coercion.
- “Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us” means do not burden us with a heavy burden as You have burdened the previous nations.
- “Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear” means do not burden us with what we cannot bear.
- “And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us” means overlook our sins, forgive us and have mercy on us.
- “You are our protector” means You are our Lord and our Master.
- “So give us victory over the disbelieving people” means give us victory over our enemies.
This dua is one of the most important duas in Islam, and it expresses submission to God Almighty, seeking forgiveness from Him, and asking Him for pardon, forgiveness and mercy.
Best Dua for Forgiveness of Sins
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to seek forgiveness from Allah with the following dua, which is considered one of the best duas for forgiveness of sins:
“أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ الْعَظِيمَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ”
“Astaghfirullaha al-‘Azim wa atubu ilayh.”
- “I seek forgiveness from Allah, the Great, and I repent to Him.”
This dua is reported in various hadith collections, including Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
Dua for Forgiveness in Ramadan
Ramadan is a special time for seeking forgiveness, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Hadith 125).
Here is a dua for forgiveness in Ramadan:
“اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي”
“Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul-‘afwa fa’fu ‘anni.”
“O Allah, You are the Pardoner and You love to pardon, so pardon me.”
Dua for Forgiveness of Parents
Islam places great emphasis on respecting and being kind to our parents. Here is a dua for seeking forgiveness for our parents:
“رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا”
“Rabbi irhamhuma kama rabbayani saghiran.”
“My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.”
Dua for Forgiveness in Quran
There are numerous duas for forgiveness mentioned in the Quran. Here is one example:
“رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ”
“Rabbana zalamna anfusana wa in lam taghfir lana wa tarhamna lanakoonanna minal-khasireen.”
“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.”
Dua for Forgiveness of All Sins
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to say the following dua for forgiveness of all sins:
“اللهم اغفر لي خطيئتي وجهلي وإسرافي في أمري وما أنت أعلم به مني”
“Allahumma ghfir li khati’ati wa jahli wa israfi fi amri wa ma anta a’lamu bihi minni.”
“O Allah, forgive me my sins, my ignorance, my excessiveness in my affairs, and that which You are more knowledgeable of than me.”
Dua for Health
“اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَافِيَةَ”
“Allahumma inni as’aluka al-‘afiyah.”
“O Allah, I ask You for good health.”
Dua for Rizq (Provision)
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا وَرِزْقًا طَيِّبًا وَعَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً
Allahumma inni as’aluka ‘ilman naafi’an, wa rizqan tayyiban, wa ‘amalan mutaqabbalan.
Translation: O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, goodly provision, and acceptable deeds.
A Hadith regarding this Dua can be seen in the book Sunan Ibn Majah 925.
It was narrated from Umm Salamah that when the Prophet (ﷺ) performed the Subh (morning prayer), while he said the Salam, he would say: ‘Allahumma inni as’aluka ‘ilman nafi’an, wa rizqan tayyiban, wa ‘amalan mutaqabbalan (O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, goodly provision, and acceptable deeds).’
Dua for Exams
“رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا”
“Rabbi zidni ‘ilma.”
“My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
Powerful Dua for Forgiveness
The most powerful dua for forgiveness is the one that is said with a sincere heart, humility, and a strong desire to turn back to Allah. The dua mentioned above, “Astaghfirullaha al-‘Azim wa atubu ilayh,” is one of the most powerful duas for forgiveness.
Dua That Removes All Sins
Narated By Abu Huraira : The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The one who says ‘SubhanAllah wa bihamdihi’ a hundred times, his sins will be forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea” (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Hadith 414).
“سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ”
“SubhanAllahi wa bihamdihi.”
“Glory be to Allah and all praise is due to Him.”
Dua for Forgiveness and Mercy
“رَبَّنَا لَا تُوَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا، رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ، وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا”
“Rabbana la tu’akhidhna in-nasina aw akhtana, rabbana wa la tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bih, wa’fu ‘anna waghfir lana warhamna.”
“Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have erred or erred. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us.”
The dua is a powerful expression of seeking forgiveness and mercy from Allah SWT. It is a reminder of our human frailty and our constant need for Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. By reciting this dua, we are asking Allah to forgive us for our sins, both intentional and unintentional, and to grant us His mercy and compassion.
The dua is divided into three parts:
- The first part, “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have erred or erred,” is a plea for Allah to forgive us for our sins, whether they were committed out of ignorance, forgetfulness, or intentional wrongdoing.
- The second part, “Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear,” is a request for Allah to not burden us with more than we can handle.
- The third part, “And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us,” is a comprehensive supplication for forgiveness, mercy, and compassion.
Conclusion
In conclusion, seeking forgiveness from Allah through dua is an essential part of our spiritual journey in Islam.
By sincerely turning to Allah and asking for His forgiveness and mercy, we can purify our souls, draw closer to our Creator, and live a life that is pleasing to Him. May Allah forgive our sins, grant us mercy, and guide us to the straight path.