Astaghfirullah Meaning In English, Arabic, and Benefits

Istighfar also known as Astaghfirullah is the act of seeking forgiveness from Allah. In this post, we will learn the meaning in English, how to write it in Arabic benefits from Quran and Sunnah, how to pronounce it, power of Istighfar and many more.

Astaghfirullah Meaning In English

Al-Istighfaar means seeking for forgiveness. Astaghfirullah means I seek forgiveness from Allah. No one is free from sins, but the cure is seeking forgiveness, praise be to Allah.

Astaghfirullah in Arabic Text

Here is how to write Astaghfirulllah in Arabic text:

أَسْتَغْفِرُ ٱللَّٰه

No one is free from sins as stated by the Prophet SAW:

“All the children of Adam commit sin and the best of them are those who repent.”

The sin committed by the children of Adam may be falling short of an obligation or carrying out a prohibition. No one is free from sins, but the cure is seeking forgiveness, praise be to Allah.

It is reported that Satan said: “I ruin the son of Adam with sins and they also destroy me with La-ilaha-illa- Allah and Istighfaar.

Astaghfirullah Benefits

There are lots of Astaghfirullah benefits among them are:

• It safeguards the supplicant against the evil consequences of their sins.
• It increases the blessings of Allah (both material and spiritual).
• It is one of the ways of finding inner peace and tranquillity.
• It purifies ones from the physiological results of sins.
• Astaghfirullah turns evil deeds to good deeds.
• Allah forgives those who sincerely seek forgiveness unconditionally.
• Whoever makes Istighfar frequently, Allah will provide a way for him out of every distress and provide for him from sources he could never expect.
• Astaghfirullah opens the door of sustenance.
• It opens the door of mercy.
• Istighfar opens the door of knowledge.
• It is also gateway of productivity.
• Istighfaar is the means of attaining forgiveness; hence, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, commanded seeking forgiveness in numerous verses of the Qur’an.

Benefits of Seeking Forgiveness

• Seeking forgiveness brings abundant rain for those seeking it and grants them gardens and rivers.
• It is a means for Allah’s blessings, providing sustenance in wealth and children for those seeking forgiveness.
• Facilitation of acts of obedience, increased supplication, and ease in sustenance. Removal of the barrier between humans and Allah, dispelling loneliness.
• The one seeking forgiveness sees the world as insignificant in their heart.
• Repelling the devils of humans and jinn. Experiencing the sweetness of faith and obedience.
• Gaining Allah’s love.
• Increase in wisdom and faith. Facilitation of sustenance, removal of worries, grief, and sadness.
• Allah turning towards the one seeking forgiveness and rejoicing in their repentance.
• Angels conveying glad tidings from their Lord upon the death of the one seeking forgiveness.
• On the Day of Judgment, while people are in heat and sweat, the one seeking forgiveness is in the shade of the throne.
• When people leave the gathering, the one seeking forgiveness is among the righteous on the right side of Allah’s allies.
• Achieving purity for the individual and society from evil deeds. Invocation by the bearers of the throne of our generous Lord for the one seeking forgiveness.

Ways To Say Astaghfirullah

أسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ الَّذِي لا إلَهَ إلا هُوَ الحَيُّ القَيُومُ وَأتُوبُ إلَيهِ

Transliteration

Astaghfirullah-alladhi la ilaha illa Huwal-Haiyul-Qayyumu, wa atubu ilaihi.

Meaning

I seek the forgiveness of Allah, there is no true god except Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, and I turn to Him in repentance.

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ

Transliteration

Astaghfirullah wa’atubu ilaih

Meaning

I seek forgiveness to Allah and repent towards Him.

Astaghfirullah in Quran

Allah SAW has emphasized the virtue and significance of seeking forgiveness in many places in His noble book, including:

1- Allah has commanded His servants to seek forgiveness:

One of the virtues of seeking forgiveness is that Allah has commanded His servants to do so in many verses of the Quran, among them, His statement:

وَاسْتَغْفِرُواْ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

and ask forgiveness of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.

Surah Baqara 199

Seeking forgiveness involves asking Allah for forgiveness verbally while repenting in the heart.

Indeed, seeking forgiveness with words alone, without repentance in the heart, is not beneficial. In such cases, seeking forgiveness is for any shortcomings in performing duties and avoiding prohibitions.

The apparent understanding is that it is not specifically seeking forgiveness for a particular sin but seeking forgiveness for sins in general.

2. Allah praised them

وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالَاسْحَارِ

and those who seek forgiveness before dawn.

Surah Al Imran verse 17

3. Istighfar is among the qualities of the righteous

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُواْ فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُواْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُواْ اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّواْ عَلَى مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allāh and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allāh? – and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.

Al Imran 135

4. Allah forgives those who seek forgiveness

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself but then seeks forgiveness of Allāh will find Allāh Forgiving and Merciful.

Surah An Nisaa 110

5. Istighfar brings blessings and goodness and wards off calamities.

فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا (10) يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاء عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا (11) وَيُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَل لَّكُمْ أَنْهَارًا (12) مَّا لَكُمْ لا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا (13) وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا (14)

And said, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver (10) He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers (11) And give you increase in wealth and children and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers (12) What is [the matter] with you that you do not attribute to Allāh [due] grandeur (13) While He has created you in stages? (14)

Surah Nuh verse 10-14

6. Istighfar brings Allah’s mercy

لَوْلا تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

He said, “O my people, why are you impatient for evil before [i.e., instead of] good? Why do you not seek forgiveness of Allāh that you may receive mercy?”

Surah Naml 46

8. Istighfar is among the means to ward off punishment.

وَما كانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

But Allāh would not punish them while you, [O Muḥammad], are among them, and Allāh would not punish them while they seek forgiveness.

Surah Anfal 33

9. Istighfar brings strength and goodness.

وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُمْ مَتاعاً حَسَناً إِلى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِي فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُ

And [saying], “Seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will let you enjoy a good provision for a specified term and give every doer of favor his favor [i.e., reward]. But if you turn away, then indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a great Day.

Surah Hud 3

Astaghfirullah in Sunnah

Al-Aghar Al-Muzannee (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from the Prophet SAW, whose future and past sins have been forgiven. He SAW said:

“Sometimes I perceive a veil over my heart,” that is, a cover, fog or similar thing “and I supplicate Allah for forgiveness a hundred times in a day.” He would say: Astaghfirullah hundred times in a day.

If the Prophet SAW, whose past and future sins have been forgiven, would do this, what about us?

But our hearts are dead. There is no veil over our hearts but we fail to pay attention to our actions because of the numerous sins.

Hence, you will see a person who is heedless of this matter seeks forgiveness a little.

In addition, the Prophet SAW stated that among the blessings of Allah on His servants is that whenever they are afflicted with sins and ask Allah for forgiveness, He will forgive them.

The Prophet SAW reported that: “If you do not commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allah, and Allah will certainly forgive them”.

This is an exhortation that one should ask forgiveness from His Lord a lot in order to attain the level of those who constantly seek forgiveness from Allah.

Similarly, he stated that as reported by Abu Dawud (may Allah shower blessings on him):

“If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.”

“If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah),” that is, stick to it and ask a lot of it, Allah will provide deliverance for him from every constraint; relief from every suffering and provide for him from sources he never expected.

The hadeeths regarding the virtues of seeking forgiveness, commendation of those who do it and exhortation towards it are many.

Therefore, O my brother, you should seek forgiveness a lot. Let your most frequently spoken word be: “O Allah forgive me”, “O Allah have mercy on me”, “I ask Allah for forgiveness and I turn to Him in repentance” and other similar words.

Perchance, it may coincide with the time Allah accepts supplications and you will be forgiven of your sins.

The excellence of Istighfaar is reflected in the statement of Allah: “If your sins should pile up to the sky and should you beg pardon of Me, I would forgive you.”

Thus, if a person’s sins were to reach the upper part of the sky then he asks for Allah’s Forgiveness – the Mighty and Sublime – Allah will forgive him.

Allah has said whoever does evil or cheats his soul then seeks forgiveness from Allah, he will meet Allah as the Most-Forgiving Most-Merciful.

That is, no matter what the sin you might commit O man, then if you seek Allah’s Forgiveness, He – the Mighty and Sublime – will forgive you.

Also, the Prophet SAW instructed the women to give lots of charity and be diligent in seeking forgiveness from Allah.

This is because he SAW saw that the majority of the dwellers of Hell are women. This shows that seeking forgiveness is one of the barriers to entering Hell.

Therefore, my brother, you should seek forgiveness frequently by saying: Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah), Allahummagh- firlee war-hamnee (O Allah! Forgive me and have mercy on me).

These words will not harm you and are not difficult for you, but easy words. Allah alone grants success.