رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي خَطِيئَتِي وَجَهْلِي وَإِسْرَافِي فِي أَمْرِي كُلِّهِ وَأَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِي مِنْ نَفْسِي وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِنَفْسِي مِنْكَ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ، أَنْتَ إِلَٰهِي لَا إِلَٰهَ لِي غَيْرُكَ
My Lord, forgive me my offense, my ignorance, and my extravagance in my affair, all of it. You know me better than I know myself, and I know myself better than You. O Allah, forgive me for what I have sent forth, and what I have delayed, and what I have concealed, and what I have made public. You are my God; there is no god but You.
Rabbighfirli khaṭī'atī wa jahli, wa isrāfī fī amrī kullih, wa anta a'lamu bi min nafsī, wa anā a'lamu binafsī minka, Allahummaghfir lī mā qaddamtu wa mā akhkhartu, wa mā asrartu wa mā a'lantu, anta ilāhī lā ilāha lī ghayruk
When to Read
This profound dua is suitable for any time you feel regret over wasteful spending or any sin. It's especially potent when said after salah, during the quiet moments of the night, or whenever you feel a strong urge to seek Allah's forgiveness and guidance. Recognize that excessive spending, driven by greed, ego, or societal pressure, is a form of extravagance (israf) that can lead us away from Allah.
How to Read
Recite this dua with sincerity and a heartfelt recognition of your shortcomings. Understand that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, despite his purity, would seek forgiveness extensively. Begin by acknowledging Allah's vast knowledge of your inner self and your own relative ignorance. Utter the words with humility, focusing on the meaning of each part: seeking forgiveness for mistakes, ignorance, and overstepping boundaries, and confessing that Allah is the only deity worthy of worship. It's beneficial to say it once, or multiple times, reflecting on its significance.
Virtues & Benefits
This dua is a comprehensive plea for forgiveness covering various aspects of sin: mistakes, ignorance, and deliberate overstepping. It acknowledges Allah's absolute knowledge and power, fostering humility. By confessing that Allah alone is our God, we reaffirm our Tawhid (Oneness of Allah), which is the foundation of our faith. Seeking forgiveness for both past and future sins, as well as hidden and public ones, is a sign of a sincere believer striving for continuous self-purification. This practice aligns with the Sunnah, as the Prophet ﷺ himself would seek Allah's forgiveness over seventy times a day (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306).
Source & Authentication
Narrated Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah: The Prophet ﷺ used to stand (in prayer) or pray until his feet were swollen. It was said to him: Allah has forgiven you your past and future faults. He said: Should I not be a grateful servant? And one day he performed the prayer and the prayer of the three [Companions] and begged Allah for thirty things and begged Him for intercession on thirty occasions. I said: (O Messenger of Allah!) What will you say in it [in the prayer of intercession]? He said: I will beg Him for this ummah that He may call them to account on the Day of Resurrection for the deeds that they performed while they were in a state of ignorance. I said: (O Messenger of Allah!) What will you say when you beg Him for intercession? He said: I will beg Him to forgive those who have committed polytheism. The narrator then said: The Prophet ﷺ then recited this verse: 'Whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, then verily, he has strayed forth a clear straying' (64:25) and then he said: The polytheists are those who associated others with Allah in His creation. He said: I will beg Him for those who committed major sins amongst the followers of the [Prophet] Muhammad ﷺ, and then he recited this verse: 'Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him in worship, but He forgives anything else, for whom He wills...' (4:48). He then recited this verse: '...and whoever sets up partners with Allah has indeed strayed far, far away' (4:116). He then said: (O Allah!) Grant them intercession, grant them intercession, grant them intercession. And he said: 'I said: Allah, forgive my community, they know not. He said: They know not. And on the Day of Resurrection He will say: 'Muhammad, you know not what they introduced after you.' And then he said: 'I said: Allah, forgive my community, for they know not.' And he said: 'I said: O Allah, forgive me and my community, and forgive the lovers of my community on the Day of Resurrection.' And then he said: 'I said: O Allah, forgive me and my community, and grant intercession for those who loved my community on the Day of Resurrection.' The Prophet ﷺ also used to recite: O Allah, forgive me my wrong, my ignorance, and my extravagance in my affair, and forgive me what You know better than I. O Allah, forgive me what I have done deliberately and what I have done by mistake, and what I have done secretly and what I have done openly. You are my God, and there is no god but You.