Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum: Dua for Forgiveness

August 28, 2026

Explanation

This is a short and moving dua for forgiveness. It asks for pardon by relying on Allah being the One who gives without expecting anything in return.

Dua Text

يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ، اَللَّهُمَّ خَلَقْتَنِي مَجَّانًا وَرَزَقْتَنِي مَجَّانًا فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَجَّانًا

Transliteration

Ya Hayyu ya Qayyumu bi-rahmatika astaghith. Allahumma khalaqtani majjanan wa razaqtani majjanan faghfir li majjanan.

Meaning

O Allah, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all! I seek Your help through Your mercy. O Allah, You created me freely, without anything in return, and You provided for me freely; so forgive me freely, too.

What Is Asked in This Dua

In this dua, the servant calls upon Allah with two names: al-Hayy, the Ever-Living, and al-Qayyum, the One who sustains everything. With these names the servant acknowledges that their own existence and everything else depend on Him, and they ask for help through Allah’s mercy. Help is asked not because of the servant’s own strength, but because of His compassion.

The second sentence is the most striking part of this dua. The servant reminds themselves before Allah: You created me freely and provided for me freely. I paid no price either for existing or for my provision. So let my forgiveness also be free. The servant claims no right here; on the contrary, seeing that Allah has always given freely until now, they hope for forgiveness from that same generosity. It is a short but profound plea for pardon.

When and How to Recite

No specific time or number of recitations is mentioned for this dua in the source. Based on its description, it can be recited at any time when you wish to ask for forgiveness or feel the weight of your sins; since it is short, it is easy to memorise and repeat often.

Being in a state of wudu is preferable. It should be recited with a sincere heart, reflecting on Allah being the One who creates and provides without anything in return. Someone who finds the Arabic difficult can also offer the same plea for pardon to Allah using its meaning in their own language.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum dua recited?

No specific time is mentioned in the source; it can be recited at any time when you wish to ask for forgiveness.

How many times is the Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum dua recited? Is there a set number?

No specific number is mentioned in the source. Since it is a short dua, it can be repeated as often as you wish.

What does the Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum dua mean?

It asks Allah, the Ever-Living and the Sustainer of all, for help through His mercy, and says: You created me and provided for me freely, so forgive me freely, too.

Source

Majmu'at al-Ahzab, vol. 1, p. 566.

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