116 - The Best Supplication for Forgiveness

عن شَدَّادِ بْن أَوْسٍ: عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ: «سَيِّدُ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ أَنْ تَقُولَ: اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي؛ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ " قَالَ: «وَمَنْ قَالَهَا مِنَ النَّهَارِ مُوقِنًا بِهَا، فَمَاتَ مِنْ يَوْمِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُمْسِيَ، فَهُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الجَنَّةِ، وَمَنْ قَالَهَا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُوَ مُوقِنٌ بِهَا، فَمَاتَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصْبِحَ، فَهُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الجَنَّةِ».

Shaddād ibn Aws narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 

1. The best formula for seeking forgiveness is to say: Oh God, You are my Lord. There is no deity other than You. You have created me and I am Your servant.  

2. I honour my covenant with You and my promise to You as much as I can.  

3. I seek refuge with You from the evil of what I have committed.  

4. I acknowledge Your Grace and I confess to my sinful actions,  

5. so forgive me. Only You forgive sinful actions.  

6. He said: ‘If a person says this during the day then dies before he gets to the evening, he is one of the people of Heaven; and if he says it at night and dies before he gets to the morning, he is one of the people of Heaven’.

Summary of Meaning

The Prophet (peace be upon him) tells his community this formula of seeking God’s forgiveness. It guarantees that a person who says it and dies believing in it shall be admitted into Heaven.

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