Nine wordings of return — Sayyidul Istighfar, the prayers of Adam and Ibrahim, and the angels' own istighfar.
Istighfar is the believer's reset. Adam and Hawwa reached for it after the fall; Ibrahim asked it for himself, his parents, and the believers; the Prophet ﷺ — already forgiven — still sought forgiveness dozens of times a day. This page gathers supplications for pardon from the Quran and sunna, beginning with Sayyidul Istighfar, which the Prophet ﷺ called the master of all seeking-forgiveness. Some are for set times, like the evening istighfar; others fit any moment a sin comes to mind. The Arabic below is copied byte-for-byte from Niyat's reviewed dua library, and each card links to the full page with its exact source, transliteration, and audio where available.
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَىٰ عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Transliteration. 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 bi ni'matika 'alayya, wa abu'u laka bidhanbi, faghfir lee, fa innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa anta
Meaning. O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I abide by Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your favour upon me, and I acknowledge my sin. So forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.
The master of istighfar: praise of Allah joined to the confession of sin, the promise of reform, and refuge from its return.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6306 — read the full dua page
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ
Transliteration. Astaghfirullahal-'azeemal-ladhi la ilaha illa huwal-hayyul-qayyumu wa atubu ilayh
Meaning. I seek forgiveness from Allah the Almighty, besides whom there is no god, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer, and I repent to Him.
The evening istighfar, reported with the promise of forgiveness 'even if he fled from the battle-line.'
Source: Abu Dawud 1517 — read the full dua page
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَ
Transliteration. qālā rabbanā ẓalamnā anfusanā wa-in lam taghfir lanā watarḥamnā lanakūnanna mina l-khāsirīna
Meaning. They said, "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
The first pardon-dua of the human story: Adam and Hawwa owning their wrong and asking their Lord for mercy.
Source: Quran 7:23 — read the full dua page
رَبَّنَا وَٱجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِنَآ أُمَّةًۭ مُّسْلِمَةًۭ لَّكَ وَأَرِنَا مَنَاسِكَنَا وَتُبْ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Transliteration. rabbanā wa-ij'ʿalnā mus'limayni laka wamin dhurriyyatinā ummatan mus'limatan laka wa-arinā manāsikanā watub ʿalaynā innaka anta l-tawābu l-raḥīmu
Meaning. Our Lord, and make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to You. And show us our rites and accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful
Ibrahim and Ismail asking their Lord to accept their repentance — the builders of the Kaaba still asking for tawbah.
Source: Quran 2:128 — read the full dua page
رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلْحِسَابُ
Transliteration. rabbi ij'ʿalnī muqīma l-ṣalati wamin dhurriyyatī rabbanā wataqabbal duʿāi rabbanā igh'fir lī waliwālidayya walil'mu'minīna yawma yaqūmu l-ḥisābu
Meaning. My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and [many] from my descendants. Our Lord, and accept my supplication Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established
Ibrahim's dua for a praying lineage, closing with pardon for himself, his parents, and every believer until the Day of Account.
Source: Quran 14:40-41 — read the full dua page
ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ
Transliteration. alladhīna yaqūlūna rabbanā innanā āmannā fa-igh'fir lanā dhunūbanā waqinā ʿadhāba l-nāri
Meaning. Those who say, "Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire
Those whose hearts tremble ask for two things in this order: forgiveness first, then protection from the Fire.
Source: Quran 3:16 — read the full dua page
وَٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو مِنۢ بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَٰنِنَا ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِٱلْإِيمَٰنِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِى قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّۭا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ
Transliteration. wa-alladhīna jāū min baʿdihim yaqūlūna rabbanā igh'fir lanā wali-ikh'wāninā alladhīna sabaqūnā bil-īmāni walā tajʿal fī qulūbinā ghillan lilladhīna āmanū rabbanā innaka raūfun raḥīmun
Meaning. And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful
The dua of the generation after the companions — forgiveness for themselves and for believers they never met.
Source: Quran 59:10 — read the full dua page
ٱلَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ ٱلْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُۥ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۢ رَّحْمَةًۭ وَعِلْمًۭا فَٱغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
Transliteration. alladhīna yaḥmilūna l-ʿarsha waman ḥawlahu yusabbiḥūna biḥamdi rabbihim wayu'minūna bihi wayastaghfirūna lilladhīna āmanū rabbanā wasiʿ'ta kulla shayin raḥmatan waʿil'man fa-igh'fir lilladhīna tābū wa-ittabaʿū sabīlaka waqihim ʿadhāba l-jaḥīmi
Meaning. Those [angels] who carry the Throne and those around it exalt [Allah] with praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who have believed, [saying], "Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire
The angels who carry the Throne pray for the believers: forgiveness for those who turn back to Allah and follow His path.
Source: Quran 40:7 — read the full dua page
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوْبَةًۭ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ يَوْمَ لَا يُخْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ ۖ نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَىٰ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَٰنِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
Transliteration. yāayyuhā alladhīna āmanū tūbū ilā l-lahi tawbatan naṣūḥan ʿasā rabbukum an yukaffira ʿankum sayyiātikum wayud'khilakum jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā l-anhāru yawma lā yukh'zī l-lahu l-nabiya wa-alladhīna āmanū maʿahu nūruhum yasʿā bayna aydīhim wabi-aymānihim yaqūlūna rabbanā atmim lanā nūranā wa-igh'fir lanā innaka ʿalā kulli shayin qadīrun
Meaning. O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent
The dua of sincere repentance for the Day the believers' light runs ahead of them: 'perfect our light and forgive us.'
Source: Quran 66:8 — read the full dua page
Each collection gathers duas for one theme; the full dua library holds all 84 duas with Arabic, transliteration, meaning, and audio.
Sayyidul Istighfar (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306). The Prophet ﷺ said whoever says it by day with conviction and dies before evening — or says it by night and dies before dawn — enters Paradise. It appears in full in the first card above.
In one narration he sought forgiveness more than seventy times a day, and in another one hundred times (Sahih al-Bukhari 6307, Sahih Muslim 2702).
Rabbana zalamna anfusana wa illam taghfir lana wa tarhamna lanakunanna minal-khasirin — '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' (Quran 7:23).
Niyat carries the full reviewed dua library — Arabic, transliteration, meaning, and audio.
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