Seeking Forgiveness
- Isteghfar-Repentance-

Importance
DUA'A 16 -
rabbi innee z'alamtu nafsee faghfirlee innahoo laa yaghfirud 'd'unooba illa anta
O Lord, I have wronged myself. So forgive me. Verily save You there is no one who can protect from the consequences of sinning.
Third:
DUA'A 17
للَّهُمَّ إنِّيِ اَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِكُلِّ ذَنْبٍ جَرٰى بِهٖ عِلْمُكَ فِىَّ وَ عَلَىَّ اِلٰى اَخِرِ عُمْرِىْ بِجَمِيْعِ ذُنُوْبِىْ لِاَوَّلِهَا وَ اَخِرِهَا وَ عَمَدِهَا وَ خَطَئِهَا وَ قَلِيْلِهَا وَ كَثِيْرِهَا وَ دَقِيْقِيْهَا وَ جَلِيْلِهَا وَ قَدِيْمِهَا وَ حَدِيْثِهَا مَآ اَنَا مُذْنِبُهُ وَ اَتُوْبُ اِلَيْكَ وَ اَسْئَلُكَ اَنْ تُصَلِّىَ عَلىَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ اَلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ اَنْ تُغْفِرْلِىْ جَمِيْعِ مَآ اَحْصَيْتُ مِنْ مَّظَالِمِ الْعِبَادِ قَبَلِىْ فَاِنَّ لِعِبَادِكَ عَلَىَّ حُقُوْقًا وَّ اَنَا مُرْتَهِنٌ بِهَا تُغْفِرْهَا كَيْفَ شِئْتَ وَ اَنَّى شِئْتَ يَا اَرْحَمَ الرَّ احِمِيْنَ.
allahumma innee astaghfiruka likulli d'ambin jaraa bihee i'lmuka fiyya wa a'layya ilaa aakhiri u'mree bi-jamee-i d'unoobee li-awwalihaa wa aakhirihaa wa a'madihaa wa khat a-ihaa wa qaleelihaa wa katheerihaa wa daqeeqihaa wa jaleelihaa wa qadeemihaa wa h'adeethihaa wa sirrihaa wa a'laaniyatihaa wa jamee-i maa anaa mud'nibuhoo wa atoobu ilayka wa as-aluka an tus'alliya a'laa muh'ammadin wa aali muh'ammadin wa an taghfira lee jamee-a, maa ah's'aytu mim maz'aalimil i'baadi qibalee fa-inna li-ibaadika a'layya h'uqooqan wa anaa murtahinum bihaa taghfiruhaa kayfa shi-ta wa annaa shia-ta yaa arh'amar raah'imeen
O Allah, I seek forgiveness for every sin, I committed, about which, of course, You know inside and out, from the beginning to the end of my life, whether committed deliberately or intentionally, few or many, obscure or manifest, old or new, secretly carried out or openly done; and for whatever wrong I have done I turn repentant unto You and beseech You to bless Muhammad and the children of Muhammad and forgive all my unjust acts I did to wrong the people (because they have rights which I have to recognize and fulfill) but You have full authority to forgive those wrongdoings whenever and howsoever You wish, O the most merciful.
Eighth:
DUA'A 23 Imam Jafar bin Muhammad as Sadiq said: 1) He who has intended to do good but could not, is credited with the good in his record of good deeds.
2) He who intends to do good and actually does so will receive tenfold of reward determined for that one good deed.
3) He who intends to do wrong but does not put it into practice will not be asked for any explanation.
(4) He who intends to do evil and actually does so, has an hour at his disposal to turn repentant unto Allah. The angel who records good deeds asks the angel who records evil deeds to wait. May be the sinner does a good deed which wipes out the evil deed done by him.
Verily good deeds take away evil deeds. If he repents and recites the following istighfar his sin will not be recorded.

astaghfirul-laahal lad'ee laa ilaaha illaa huwa a'alimul ghaybi wash shahadaatil a'zeezul h'akeemul ghafoorul rah'eem d'ul jalaali wal ikraami wa atoobu ilayhi.
I seek forgiveness of Allah who is: “There is no god save He, the knower of the unknown and the known, the mighty, the wise, the oft-forgiving, the merciful, the owner of glory and grace”; and I turn repentant unto Him.
Ninth:
According to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib - Ibn Babawayh al-Qummi says the following du-a'a gives strength and assurance of faith to do good and avoid evil. If it is recited three times by the end of evening the whole night till morning becomes a protected period during which no evil comes near the reciter.
سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ
fa-subh'aanallaahi h'eena tumsoona wa h'eena tus'bih'oon.
Glory be to Allah when you enter the night and when you enter the morning.

وَلَهُ ٱلْحَمْدُ فِي ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَٱلارْضِ
wa lahul h'amdu fis samaawaati wal arz'i
Unto Him be praise in the heavens, the earth,

وَعَشِيّاً وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ
wa a'shiyyaw wa h'eena tuz'hiroon
at the sun's decline, and in the noonday.





Salat of Isteghfar
First:Salat of Isteghfar
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said:
If your sustenance reduces and you have difficulties in your affairs you must remove them by asking your needs from the Almighty with the help of Namaz and Isteghfar. Namaz-e-Isteghfar is two rakats. In each rakat after Surah Hamd recite Surah Qadr once and then say Astaghfirullaah 15 times. Then go into the ruku and after the recitation of the ruku say Astaghfirullaah 10 times. Rise up from the ruku and again say it 10 times. Go into the first Sajdah and after the recitation of the Sajdah say Astaghfirullaah 10 times. Arise from the first Sajdah and again say Astaghfirullaah 10 times. Go into the second Sajdah and repeat like the first Sajdah. Get up from the second Sajdah and say Astaghfirullaah 10 times. In the similar manner complete the second rakat and conclude the prayer. Insha Allah everything would be all right.
Namaz-e-Isteghfar - 2
 This is four rakat prayer. In the first rakat after Surah Hamd recite Ayatul Kursi once. In the second rakat after Surah Hamd recite Surah Tawheed once. In the third rakat after Surah Hamd recite Surah Falaq once. In the fourth rakat after Surah Hamd recite Surah Naas once. After concluding the prayer recite the Isteghfar ten times.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said:
If one recites this prayer on Saturday before noon the Almighty Allah forgives all his sins.
Namaz-e-Isteghfar - 3
 The easiest Namaz-e-Isteghfar is two rakats. In each rakat after Surah Hamd recite Surah Tawheed sixty times. Insha Allah the sins would be forgiven.

Namaz-e-Isteghfar - 4
 The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said:
If one desires that his sins are forgiven he should pray two rakat Namaz on Tuesday eve. In the first rakat after Surah Hamd recite Surah Qadr once and in the second rakat after Surah Hamd recite Surah Tawheed seven times. After concluding the prayer recite Isteghfar. Insha Allah the Almighty Allah would forgive the sins.
Namaz-e-Isteghfar - 5
 The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said:
If one recites 10 rakats prayer on Tuesday in the following way that in every rakat after Surah Hamd he recites Ayatul Kursi once and Surah Tawheed seven times; the Almighty Allah shall forgive the sins of all his life.
Namaz-e-Isteghfar - 6
 Recite two rakats prayer. In the first rakat after Surah Hamd recite Surah Qadr thrice and in the second rakat after Surah Hamd recite Surah Zilzaal thrice. After concluding the prayer recite 100 times: Astaghfirullaah Rabbi wa atoobo ilaihe.
Namaz-e-Tawbah
 The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) emerged from his house on Sunday the 2nd of Zilqad and said:
O people! Who among you intends to perform Tawbah?
The people replied: All of us would like to do Tawbah.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said:
Perform the Ghusl (bath) and Wuzu (ablution) and recite four rakats prayer. In each rakat after Surah Hamd recite Surah Tawheed thrice and Surah Falaq and Surah Naas once each and after the prayer do Isteghfar and then say: Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa billaahil a'liyyil a'zeem. Then say: Yaa A'zeezo yaa ghaffooro ighfirli zunoobi wa zunooba Jamee'il mo-mineena wal mo-minaate. Fa innahu laa yaghfiro illa ant.
And the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:
No servant of my Ummat performs this prayer that a caller does not calls out from the sky: O slave of Allah! This deed has been elevated and your repentance (Tawbah) has been accepted and your sins are forgiven.
An angel will call out beneath the heavens: O slave of Allah! Congratulations to you and your family members.
An angel would call out: Your enemy would be satisfied with you on the day of Judgment. Another angel would call out: O slave of Allah! You would leave this world with faith. You would not be arrested. Your grave shall be expansive and illuminated.
Another angel would call out: O slave of Allah! Your parents are happy with you though they were dissatisfied with you before. Your parents and your descendants shall get salvation and there shall be increase in the livelihood in the world and the hereafter.
Hazrat Jibraeel (a.s.) would call out: At the time of death I would come with the Angel of death and would be kind to you and you shall not have any problem. Your body would not be pained at the time the soul is taken out.
The people asked: O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.), how should one perform this if one desires to perform it in any other month? The Prophet (s.a.) replied:
In the same way with the merits.
And said: Jibraeel has taught me these words on the night of ascension (Shab-e-Me'raj).
Prayer for Pardon -Mafatih
This prayer consists of two units in each of which Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-Qadr are recited once each. After the recitation of these Surahs, the following supplicatory prayer is repeated fifteen times:
رَبِّ عَفْوَكَ عَفْوَكَ
rabbi `afwaka `afwaka
O Lord, [I beseech for] Your pardon. [I beseech for] Your pardon.

The same supplicatory prayer is repeated, yet ten times, in the genuflection of the prayer. Then, the prayer is accomplished just like the famous prayer of Ja`far. It is worth mentioning that the prayer for forgiveness is offered as same as this prayer for pardon, except that its supplicatory prayer should be as follows:
رَبِّ عَفْوَكَ اسْتَغْفِرُ ٱللَّهَ
rabbi `afwaka astaghfiru allaha
O Lord, [I beseech for] Your pardon. I implore Allah’s forgiveness.

This prayer is also useful for beseeching for expansive sustenance, Allah willing.