Astaghfirullah
I seek forgiveness from Allah.
Last updated: September 16, 2026
What it means
Astaghfirullah — أَسْتَغْفِرُ ٱللَّٰهَ — is one short Arabic sentence meaning I seek forgiveness from Allah. It is among the most repeated phrases in a Muslim’s day, said quietly and often, and it asks for two things at once: to be forgiven, and to have the wrong covered over rather than exposed.
The root it comes from carries the sense of covering and shielding. That is worth knowing, because it explains why seeking forgiveness is spoken of in the Qur’an as a kindness rather than a punishment — it is being hidden, not being held up.
Astaghfirullah or Istighfar?
They are not two words for the same thing. Astaghfirullah is the sentence you say. Istighfar is the practice of saying it — the habit of returning. You perform istighfar by saying astaghfirullah.
The shorter dua
Beyond the phrase itself, two short supplications of seeking forgiveness are well established. The first is brief enough to be said anywhere:
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ
My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance. Indeed, You are the Accepter of Repentance, the Most Merciful.
The longer dua
The second names Allah before asking, and is the one many people learn after the first:
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ
I seek the forgiveness of Allah, besides whom there is no god, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining, and I turn to Him in repentance.
How often
The Prophet ﷺ described his own practice in numbers, which is unusual and worth reading in his own words rather than summarised — that is on its own page, along with what the hundred actually refers to.
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Common questions
What does Astaghfirullah mean?
It means "I seek forgiveness from Allah". It is a single Arabic phrase — أَسْتَغْفِرُ ٱللَّٰهَ — in which the speaker asks Allah to forgive and to cover over what they have done.
How do you write Astaghfirullah in Arabic?
أَسْتَغْفِرُ ٱللَّٰهَ. It is often written in English as Astaghfirullah, Astaghfiru Allah, or Astagfirullah; all are attempts at the same sound.
What is the difference between Astaghfirullah and Istighfar?
Astaghfirullah is the phrase you say. Istighfar is the practice of saying it — the act of seeking forgiveness itself. One is the sentence, the other is the habit.
When should you say Astaghfirullah?
There is no wrong time. It is said after a wrong, after prayer, in distress, in gratitude, and simply through an ordinary day. It asks nothing of anybody else and needs no particular place.