Sayyid al-Istighfar (Dua for Protection from Kufr)

August 28, 2026

Seyyidü’l-İstiğfar Duası Okunuşu, Anlamı ve Fazileti

Explanation

This is the dua known in the hadith sources as “Sayyid al-Istighfar”, the master of all prayers for forgiveness. It is also recited for protection from falling into disbelief (kufr).

Dua Text

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ، اَللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

Transliteration

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. 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 bi-dhanbi faghfir li 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. I keep to the promise I made to You as far as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your blessing upon me, and I acknowledge my sin. So forgive me; for none forgives sins but You.

What Is Asked in This Dua

In Sayyid al-Istighfar, the servant first confesses who they are and whose servant they are: “You are my Lord; there is no god but You; You created me and I am Your servant.” Then they say that they try to keep to the promise they made to Allah as far as they are able; this is an honest statement that also admits the servant’s weakness. After that, they seek refuge in Allah from the evil of what they themselves have done.

In the second part, two confessions stand side by side: they acknowledge the blessing upon them, and they acknowledge their sin. Remembering the blessing is gratitude; remembering the sin is repentance. Finally they say “forgive me” and add the reason: none forgives sins but Allah. This is a dua for forgiveness in which the servant fully accepts their position before their Lord, their debt and their shortcomings, and for this reason it is regarded as the master of all prayers for forgiveness.

When and How to Recite

According to the source, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that whoever recites this dua in the morning and dies that day, or recites it in the evening and dies that night, will enter Paradise. For this reason it is recited regularly in the morning and in the evening. The book also states that it is recited for protection from falling into disbelief. No specific number of recitations is mentioned.

Being in a state of wudu is preferable. The sentences acknowledging the blessing and the sin should be said sincerely, while reflecting on their meaning. Someone who finds the Arabic difficult can also ask Allah for forgiveness using its meaning in their own language.

Virtue

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that whoever recites this dua in the morning and dies that day, or recites it in the evening and dies that night, will enter Paradise.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should Sayyid al-Istighfar be recited?

According to the source, it is recited in the morning and in the evening. The book mentions the glad tidings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about reciting it in the morning and in the evening.

What is the virtue of Sayyid al-Istighfar?

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that whoever recites this dua in the morning and dies that day, or recites it in the evening and dies that night, will enter Paradise.

Can Sayyid al-Istighfar be recited in English?

Yes. It is good to recite it in the original Arabic; but someone who finds the Arabic difficult can offer the same confession and plea for forgiveness to Allah using its meaning in their own language.

Source

Bukhari, Da'awat 2. Majmu'at al-Ahzab, vol. 1, p. 564.

The text on this page was prepared by Dua Kitaplığı based on the work cited above. The Arabic text has been transcribed from the original with its vowel marks, and the transliteration in Latin letters and the English meaning are given separately. No virtue or number that does not appear in the source is added to this page. How do we prepare our content?

Published: 28 August 2026 · Last updated: 9 October 2026