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Is the following formula for seeking forgiveness (Istighfar) permissible in Sharia: "I seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty, filling the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, all of this by the number of what Allah Almighty knows of numbers in every femtosecond in the age of the dominion (Malakut) from the beginning of creation until the Day of Judgment, for every sin I and every believer have committed in every time and place and of every kind," along with supplicating with it during morning and evening adhkar and during prostration?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

There is no religious impediment to seeking forgiveness with the formula: "Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi adada khalqihi, wa rida nafsihi, wa zinata arshihi, wa midada kalimatihi" (Glorified is Allah and praised is He, the number of His creation, the pleasure of His Self, the weight of His Throne, and the ink of His Words); this is based on the Hadith of Juwayriyyah (may Allah be pleased with her). The intent of this formula is to signify an abundance of remembrance.

However, it is not permissible to commit to this specific formula for seeking forgiveness morning and evening as part of the morning and evening remembrances (adhkar); this is because it was not narrated in the Sunnah of the Prophet, and the best guidance is the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who guided us to the "master of seeking forgiveness" (sayyid al-istighfar) and used to seek forgiveness one hundred times every morning.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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