Seeking forgiveness, repentance, and making amends.
مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يُذنِبُ ذَنْباً فَيُحْسِنُ الطُّهُورَ، ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ إِلاَّ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ
Any servant who commits a sin and as a result, performs ablution, prays two units of prayer i.e. two rakʿas and then seeks Allah’s forgiveness, Allah would forgive him.
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ
Subḥānaka llāhumma wa bi-ḥamdika, ashhadu an lā ilāha illā anta, astaghfiruka wa atūbu ilayk
How perfect You are O Allah, and I praise You. I bear witness that None has the right to be worshipped except You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لاَ أَعْلَمُ
Allāhumma innī aʿūdhu bika an ushrika bika wa anā aʿlamu, wa astaghfiruka limā lā aʿlam
O Allah, I take refuge in You lest I should commit shirk with You knowingly and I seek Your forgiveness for what I do unknowingly.
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم:
The Prophet PBUH said:
اللَّهُمَّ فَأَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ سَبَبْتُهُ فَاجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ قُرْبَةً إِلَيْكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
Allāhumma fa ayyumā muʾminin sababtuhu fa ijʿal dhālika lahu qurbatan ilayka yawma l-qiyāmah
O Allah, to any believer whom I have insulted, let that be cause to draw him near to You on the Day of Resurrection.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم:
The Messenger of Allah said:
وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَسْتَغفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ فِي الْيَوْمِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةٍ
‘By Allah, I seek forgiveness and repent to Allah, more than seventy times a day.
وَقَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم:
He also said:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ فَإِنِّي أَتُوبُ فِي الْيَوْمِ إِلَيْهِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ
‘O People, Repent! Verily I repent to Allah, a hundred times a day.
وَقَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم: مَنْ قَالَ
He also said: ‘Whoever says:
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ الْعَظيمَ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ القَيّوُمُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيهِ
Astaghfiru llāha l-ʿaẓyma alladhī lā ilāha illā huwa l-ḥayyu l-qayywumu wa atūbu ilayh
I seek Allah’s forgiveness, besides whom, none has the right to be worshipped except He, The Ever Living, The Self-Subsisting and Supporter of all, and I turn to Him in repentance.
غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ فَرَّ مِنَ الزَّحْفِ
Allah would forgive him even if he was one who fled during the advance of an army.
وَقَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم:
He said:
أَقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ الرَّبُّ مِنَ الْعَبْدِ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ الآخِرِ فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَكُونَ مِمَّنْ يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ فِي تِلْكَ السَّاعَةِ فَكُنْ
‘The nearest the Lord comes to His servant is in the middle of the night, so if you are able to be of those who remember Allah at that time, then be so.
وَقَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم:
He also said:
أَقْرَبُ مَا يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَهُوَ سَاجِدٌ فَأَكثِرُوا الدُّعَاءَ
‘The nearest a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so supplicate much therein.
وَقَالَ صلى الله عليه وسلم:
He also said:
إِنَّهُ لَيُغَانُ عَلَى قَلْبِي وَإِنِّي لأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ فِي الْيَوْمِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ
‘verily my heart becomes preoccupied, and verily I seek Allah’s forgiveness a hundred times a day.
