Astaghfirullah, I seek Allah's forgiveness.

Astaghfirullah (أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ) means "I seek Allah's forgiveness". Saying it is called istighfar. It is not only for big sins: the Prophet ﷺ, who was forgiven, still said it many times every day.

How often the Prophet ﷺ said it

He said: "By Allah, I seek Allah's forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6307). In another narration: "O people, turn to Allah in repentance, for I turn to Him a hundred times a day" (Sahih Muslim 2702).

When to say Astaghfirullah

• After every fard prayer: three times, then "Allahumma antas-salamu wa minkas-salam, tabarakta ya dhal-jalali wal-ikram" (Sahih Muslim 591).
• After a mistake or sin: say it with regret and the intention not to return to it.
• Before Fajr: Allah praises "those who seek forgiveness before dawn" (Quran 3:17).
• When you hear or see something wrong, many Muslims say it as a quiet reminder to themselves.

Nuh told his people: "Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver" (Quran 71:10), and promised rain, wealth and children in the ayat after it.

Longer forms

The best form is Sayyid al-Istighfar, the master dua of forgiveness (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306). A common longer phrase, "astaghfirullaha rabbi min kulli dhanbin wa atubu ilayh" ("I seek forgiveness from Allah, my Lord, for every sin, and turn to Him"), is a good dua in meaning, though that exact wording is not a fixed hadith text. The fifth of the 6 kalimas, Kalima Istighfar, is built around it.

Spellings

Astaghfirullah, astagfirullah, astaghfirullah hal azeem and estaghfirullah are all used. Gh is a soft sound from the back of the throat, like a French r.

1. Sahih al-Bukhari 6307.
2. Sahih Muslim 2702.
3. Sahih Muslim 591.
4. Quran 3:17; Quran 71:10, translation by Sahih International.
5. Sahih al-Bukhari 6306.