Seeking Forgiveness

Istighfar is the seeking of God's forgiveness, most often through the formula astaghfirullah, I ask forgiveness of God, recited after the prayers, at the close of gatherings, and as a constant devotional practice. The Quran repeatedly commends the seeking of forgiveness and holds out God's readiness to forgive those who turn to him, and the tradition presents the frequent asking of pardon as a mark of the devout, following the example attributed to the Prophet, who is reported to have sought forgiveness many times a day though held to be without sin.

As dhikr it keeps the worshipper mindful of their dependence on God's mercy and of the need continually to return to him, and in Sufi practice it forms part of the litanies of repentance. To make istighfar is to acknowledge one's shortcomings and to trust in a forgiveness the tradition presents as always available to the one who sincerely asks.