Question: Which Dua is referred to as Sayyidul Istighfar and what is the benefit of reciting it?

Answer: Shaddad ibn Aws Radiyallahu Anhu relates that the Messenger Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said: "Sayyidul Istighfar (The most superior way of asking forgiveness from Allah) is to say:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي , لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَعَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، وَأَبُوءُ بنعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي، إِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلا أَنْتَ.

Oh Allah, You are my Rabb, there is no deity other than You. You have created me and I am your slave and I am trying to fulfill your pledge and covenant to the best of my ability. I seek refuge in You from the evil that I have committed. I acknowledge Your blessing upon me and I confess my sin; thus, forgive me. Verily no one forgives sins other than You.

If somebody recites this Dua during the day, with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if a person recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise." [sahih al-Bukhari; 8,75,318, at-Tirmidhi; 3393, an-Nasa'i; 5522, Ahmad; 16662]

AND ALLAH KNOWS BEST

Yusuf Moosagie

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