This supplication appears in Sahih al-Bukhari- Book:80;Hadith:3. HADITH No. 6306 wherein Shaddad bin Aus is said to have quoted the Prophet Allah as saying:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ بُشَيْرِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ الْعَدَوِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي شَدَّادُ بْنُ أَوْسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " سَيِّدُ الاِسْتِغْفَارِ أَنْ تَقُولَ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ ". قَالَ " وَمَنْ قَالَهَا مِنَ النَّهَارِ مُوقِنًا بِهَا، فَمَاتَ مِنْ يَوْمِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُمْسِيَ، فَهُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَمَنْ قَالَهَا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَهْوَ مُوقِنٌ بِهَا، فَمَاتَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصْبِحَ، فَهْوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ".
The Prophet (ﷺ) said "The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is: 'Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, Khalaqtani wa ana `Abduka, wa ana `ala `ahdika wa wa`dika mastata`tu, A`udhu bika min Sharri ma sana`tu, abu'u Laka bini`matika `alaiya, wa abu'u laka bidhanbi faghfir lee fa innahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa anta."
Translation:
‘O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no deity except You. You created me, and I am Your servant, and I uphold Your covenant and promise as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your favor upon me, and I confess my sin. So forgive me, for indeed none forgives sins except You.’”
The Prophet (ﷺ) added. "If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise."
How (Practically) It Helps Muslims Seek Repentance
- A complete framework for duʿā of repentance: This invocation covers belief, humility, confession, gratitude, and plea for forgiveness. It gives a full model that a believer can follow in turning back to Allah.
- Cultivates sincerity (ikhlāṣ) and humility: Repeating this in one’s heart reminds the person that they are weak, sinful, and in need of Allah’s mercy. It helps reduce arrogance, self-deception, or ignoring one’s sins.
- Encourages consistency & hope: The hadith promises that if someone says it with firm faith and dies that same day (or night), they will be among the people of Paradise. That promise gives hope, encouraging regular recitation and not despairing.
- Transforms relationship with past sins: Instead of trying to hide or deny mistakes, one openly acknowledges them before Allah. This spiritual honesty is a turning point in repentance.
- Strengthens one’s bond & covenant with Allah: By affirming one’s intention to uphold Allah’s covenant “as much as one can,” the believer renews commitment to live in conformity with divine guidance.
- Draws upon Allah’s mercy and forgiveness: The duʿā ends by recognizing that only Allah can forgive sins. This shifts reliance away from self or intermediaries, toward direct appeal to the Most Merciful.
Best Practices & Conditions to Benefit from This Hadith
- Firm belief (īmān) when saying it - The hadith stresses saying it with conviction (i.e. the heart must believe what is being uttered).
- Recite in morning and/or evening" Many scholars recommend reciting it in the early morning hours or evening as part of daily remembrance.
- Accompany with righteous action: Duʿā alone is not sufficient; one must resolve to abandon the sin, rectify any harm, and do good deeds.
- Don’t delay repentance: If one dies before evening (or before morning, for the night version), the hadith gives the promise of Paradise — so delay is dangerous.
- Use it as a starting point: Even if one has many sins, one can begin by reciting this duʿā sincerely, then gradually improve in character, worship, and abstaining from sins.
This invocation is called Sayyid al-Istighfar (the chief of seeking forgiveness) because the Prophet ﷺ described it as the best (most superior) way to ask Allah for forgiveness. Repentance even otherwise be a part of a believer's life and an endeavour be made to continuously repent one's sins and wrong doings and seek forgiveness of Allah, for one does not know when the call to grave comes - then there will be no time to repent.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible to make you accept it forcibly, And if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, You will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with Non Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook
Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.
