A surah for forgiveness
What to recite and what to say when seeking forgiveness, with the established istighfar wording and Surah Nuh on forgiveness of sins.
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Two things are clearly established. The first is not a surah at all: the sayyid al-istighfar, the wording the Prophet ﷺ called the master of seeking forgiveness, which he said should be said morning and evening. The second is Surah Nuh (71), which states directly that asking forgiveness brings rain, wealth, children and gardens (71:10-12).
If you want a surah to sit with, Nuh is the one. It is short — about four to seven minutes — and its subject is that the door does not close.
The practice that matters most is repetition rather than length. A hundred quiet istighfar while walking is the sunnah; a long recitation once a year is not.
What to recite
The wording most often used
<em>Astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilayh</em> — I seek Allah’s forgiveness and turn to Him. This is what the Prophet ﷺ said one hundred times a day, as recorded in Bukhari and Muslim.
The longer sayyid al-istighfar, from Bukhari 6306, includes the line that whoever says it in the day with certainty and dies that day enters Paradise. It is worth learning once, properly, and saying in your own words afterwards.
When the sin is against another person
The scholars are consistent on this point: istighfar covers what is between you and Allah. What is between you and a person requires returning what was taken, or asking their forgiveness. Reciting a surah for forgiveness does not discharge a debt to someone else.
What the sources actually say
Surah Nuh
Nuh (71:10-12): "Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send rain to you in abundance, and give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and rivers."
The master of istighfar
Bukhari 6306 records the sayyid al-istighfar and the statement that whoever says it during the day with certainty and dies that day will be among the people of Paradise.
Questions
What is the best surah to recite for forgiveness?
There is no single prescribed surah. Surah Nuh speaks directly about seeking forgiveness and its effects, and Surah Az-Zumar speaks about not despairing of Allah’s mercy. The established practice is istighfar, repeated, in whatever words you can sustain.
How many times should I say istighfar?
The Prophet ﷺ said it a hundred times a day. There is no required number for validity, and no specific count that must be hit. A hundred is a target to work towards, not a threshold.
Can I make istighfar for someone else?
Yes, and it is encouraged for the living. For the deceased, du’a and seeking forgiveness on their behalf is established.
Does it cover sins against other people?
No. Between you and Allah, istighfar is sufficient if it is sincere. Between you and a person, you must return what was taken or seek their forgiveness. This is not a technicality; it is the part people skip.