The phrase and its pronunciation
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَAstaghfirullāh
I seek forgiveness from God
Meaning
Asking for forgiveness: God’s covering and overlooking of sin.
When to say it
- After a sin or lapse.
- Three times after finishing prayer.
- Before dawn, on waking and at any time.
How to reply
No special reply.
The evidence
فَقُلۡتُ ٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارٗاAnd said, 'Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver.
وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ فِي الْيَوْمِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةًBy God, I seek God’s forgiveness and repent to Him more than seventy times a day.
Frequently asked questions
Texts and translations are under scholarly review.