Duas for forgiveness and guidance

The duas

1. Seeking Allah's forgiveness

   أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ

   Astaghfiru Llâha l-'Azhîma l-ladhî lâ ilâha illâ huwa l-Hayyu l-Qayyûmu wa atûbu ilayh

   I seek the forgiveness of Allah the Magnificent, besides whom there is no deity, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer, and I turn to Him in repentance.

2. Asking for guidance

   اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي وَسَدِّدْنِي

   Allâhumma-hdinî wa saddidnî

   O Allah, guide me and keep me on the straight path.

3. Confessing one's sins to Allah

   O Allah, I have greatly wronged myself, and no one forgives sins except You. So grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me. Truly, You are the Forgiving, the Merciful.

4. The finest way of asking forgiveness, morning and evening

   اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا 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 لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

   Allâhumma anta Rabbî lâ ilâha illâ ant, khalaqtanî wa anâ 'abduk, wa anâ 'alâ 'ahdika wa wa'dika mâ-stata't, a'ûdhu bika min sharri mâ sana't, abû'u laka bi-ni'matika 'alayya wa abû'u laka bi-dhanbî, fa-ghfir lî fa-innahu lâ yaghfiru dh-dhunûba illâ ant

   O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no deity except You. You created me and I am Your servant. I hold to Your covenant and Your promise as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge before You Your favour upon me, and I acknowledge before You my sin. So forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.

5. To repeat through the day, more than seventy times

   I seek the forgiveness of Allah, and I turn to Him in repentance.

6. So that nothing is left unforgiven

   O Allah, forgive me my sin, my ignorance and my excess in my affairs, and what You know of me better than I do. O Allah, forgive me what I did in jest and in earnest, my mistakes and what I did deliberately, and all of that is from me.

7. A complete request: guidance, piety, chastity, sufficiency

   اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى

   Allâhumma innî as'aluka l-hudâ wa t-tuqâ wa l-'afâfa wa l-ghinâ

   O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity and freedom from need.

8. When you feel your heart wavering

   يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ

   Yâ Muqalliba l-qulûbi thabbit qalbî 'alâ dînik

   O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion.

When to say them

Sayyid al-istighfar is said morning and evening; the morning adhkar page places it in the list.

The other requests for forgiveness and guidance are said at any time, and especially in prostration.