لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي ذُنُوبِي، إِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
"None has the right to be worshipped except You, Glorified are You. O Allah, I have wronged my soul, so forgive me my sins. Indeed, no one forgives sins except You."
La ilaha illa Anta, Subhanaka. Allahumma inni zalamtu nafsi, faghfir li dhunubi, innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa Anta.
When to Read
This is the dua the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught to be recited when one falls into committing a sin, especially a major one. It's a profound supplication that acknowledges our wrongdoing and turns us back to Allah's infinite mercy. Whenever you realize you've committed a sin, big or small, this is the perfect time to turn to Allah with sincerity and recite this dua.
How to Read
Recite this dua with heartfelt sincerity and a genuine sense of remorse. Recognize that you have wronged yourself by disobeying Allah. Understand that the only one who can truly forgive your sins is Allah Himself. This dua embodies humility and reliance on His boundless mercy. Make it a habit to seek forgiveness immediately after any transgression, turning your heart towards Allah.
Virtues & Benefits
This dua is incredibly powerful because it encapsulates the core principles of seeking forgiveness. It affirms Allah's oneness and perfection ('La ilaha illa Anta, Subhanaka'), acknowledges our personal failing ('inni zalamtu nafsi'), and directly asks for His forgiveness while recognizing His unique ability to grant it ('faghfir li dhunubi, innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa Anta'). This very act of turning back to Allah and seeking His pardon is a source of immense reward and washes away sins, as Allah says in the Quran, 'And whoever does evil or wrongs himself, then seeks forgiveness from Allah, will find Allah Forgiving and Merciful' (An-Nisa 4:110).
Source & Authentication
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 'When any of you performs Salat (prayer) and after finishing it, he has not committed anything wrong, all his past sins will be forgiven, and his interval between two prayers will be a period of the same kind. And the same will be the case regarding the prayer of the night and the day.' A man asked: 'O Allah's Messenger! What about the one who commits a major sin?' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'This is the dua that the one who has committed a major sin (after performing prayer) will say: None has the right to be worshipped except You (O Allah), Glorified are You! I have wronged my soul, so forgive me. Surely none can forgive sins except You.' Then the Prophet ﷺ added: 'Allah will forgive him.'