Repentance Prayer (Salatul Tawbah) & Tawbah Dua: The Definitive Guide

Repentance Prayer salatul tawbah

How to pray repentance and tawbah dua?

This is a simple guide to perform the repentance prayer (Salatul Tawbah) in Islam.

You will be guided step by step until it is completed, and this guide is summarized for easy understanding.

What is interesting:

This guide on how to pray repentance is also assisted with English transliteration and an Audio to help anyone who has difficulty reading Arabic writing.

Introduction

The repentance prayer (Salatul Tawbah) is an obligatory prayer performed when a person commits a sin or feels that he has sinned and wants to repent to Allah.

We, as ordinary human beings, are inseparable from making mistakes and sins.

And the best of wrongdoers and sinners are those who immediately repent.

Repenting here means sincerely regretting the sin committed and determined in the heart not to repeat the act and asking for forgiveness from God.

Conditions of Repentance

This sunnah prayer of repentance is performed after a person realizes his own mistakes and then asks for Allah’s forgiveness.

Among the conditions of repentance are:

  • Regrets for past actions or sins
  • Abandoning the act that led to the sin
  • Aspiring never to commit that sin again

But when we commit sins against human beings such as stealing, cursing, beating, and so on, one more condition must be added: to return the stolen goods and notify the offense committed.

Repentance Prayer Time

The time to perform the circumcision prayer of repentance is any time except when prayer is forbidden (Tahrim’s time).

However, this prayer is more afdhal performed after midnight during Qiamullai (waking up on 2/3 of the night to worship Allah) alongside the Tahajjud Prayer.

Only when we feel guilty and want to return to God will it be better to return, starting with the practice immediately.

And the best deed for humankind is none other than prayer.

Number of Rakats

There is no specific description of the prayer of repentance in detail.

According to most scholars’ views, the prayer of repentance can be done for two, four, and six rak’ahs.

The implementation of this method of prayer of repentance is the same as other sunnah prayers.

The Niyyah (Intentions) of Repentance Prayer 

The niyyah of the intention of the Tawbah prayer is as follows:

repentance prayer niyyat

  Usolli Sunnata Taubati Rak’ataini Lillahi Taala 

Meaning:

I pray the sunnah of tawbah for two rak’ahs because of Allah Ta’ala

How To Pray Repentance Prayer 

How to perform repentace Prayer?

Perform these two rak’ahs of prayer in the same way and order as the other sunnah prayers.

Note:

You can recite any Surahs you’d like after Fatiha in each rakah as there are no Surahs specified by The Prophet ﷺ.

Below are the suggested surahs that can be recited:

First Rakats

In the first rak’ah, recite surah Al-Fatihah and followed by surah Al-Ikhlas or other surahs as desired:

repentance prayer surah

Qul huwallahu ahad. Allahus-samad. Lam yalid wa lam Yuulad. Wa lam Yakul Lahuu Kufuwan Ahad.

Meaning:

Say, “He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent.”


Second Rakats

In the second rak’ah, recite surah Al-Fatihah and followed by surah Al-Nas or other surahs as desired:

repentance prayer

Qul a’uzu birabbin-nas. Malikin-nas. Ilahin-nas. Min syarril-waswasil-khannas. Allazii Yuwaswisu fi Sudurin-nas. Minal jinnati wan-nas.

Meaning:

Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, The Sovereign of mankind. The God of mankind, From the evil of the retreating whisperer – Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind -From among the jinn and mankind.”

Reading In Final Sujood

During the final sujood (before getting up for attahiyat), say the following 40 times:

repentance prayer tasbih

  Laa ilaaha illa Anta subhanaka Inni Kuntu Minazzolimin 

Meaning:

There is no god but You, O God! Glory be to You! I am of those who do wrong.

Recitation After Salam

After the salutation (salam), multiply istighfar and ask for forgiveness from Allah (while regretting the sins committed)

So say istighfar repeatedly:

  Astagfirullah Hal ‘Azim Allazi Laa ilaaha illa Huwalhayyu-qoyyum Wa Atu Bu ilaih. 

Meaning:

I ask forgiveness from Allah, the Almighty God. There is no God but Allah. He lives, stands by Himself, and I ask His forgiveness.

This practice is in accordance with the word of God:

And when they commit an abomination or wrong themselves, then they remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins. And who can forgive sins but Allah? And they do not persist in what they have done in a state they know.

– Surah Ali Imraan: 135

Istighfar can be done by saying the word “Astaghfirullah,” or istighfar in other words, to repent to Allah SWT.

That is, a person truly regrets the sins committed, stops doing them, and is determined not to repeat them forever.

Tawbah Dua

Finally, Dua.

Dua according to the expression of the heart hoping for God’s forgiveness and pleasure.

However, if you are stuck, you can read the special tawbah dua below to ask for God’s forgiveness.

Dua For Repentance

tawbah dua

  Allahumma inni Zholamtu Nafsi Zull-man Kasiran Walaa Yagh-firu Zunuuba illa Anta, Fagh-firli Min indika Magfirotan innaka Antal Rgho-fuu Rur-rahim. 

Meaning:

O Allah, indeed I have wronged myself with great injustice. And no one can forgive my sins except You. So forgive me with great forgiveness from Your side. You are indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.


Sayyidul Istighfar

After praying, then sujood by reciting the Sayyidul istighfar:

tawbah dua sayyidul istighfar

 Allaahumma Anta Rabbii Laa ilaaha illaa Annta Kholaq-tanii Wa Anaa ‘Abduka Wa Anaa ‘Ala ‘Ahdika Wawa’ Dika Maas-tatha-tu ‘Auudzu-bika Min Syarrimaa Shana-tu AbuuU-laka Bini’matika Alayya Wa AbuuU Bidzanmmbi Fagh-fir-lii Fa-innahu Laa Yagh-firudz-Dzunuuba Illaa Annta. 

Meaning:

O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no God but You, You have created me, and I am Your servant. I will indeed obey Your provisions, Your promises according to my ability. I ask for Your protection from the evils of all my deeds, and I acknowledge all the favors You have given and acknowledged the existence of the sins I have committed. No one forgives sins except you.

In the hadith of Bukhari, The Prophet (ﷺ) is reported as saying that Sayyidul Istighfar is the best supplication or the most superior way for a believer to seek forgiveness from Allah. 

The Prophet (ﷺ) added:

If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.”

— Sahih al-Bukhari 6306

Closing: Allah is the Most Acceptor of Repentance

Be assured that Allah is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful.

Hopefully, this guide can help us in doing repentance prayers as best as possible.

May Allah SWT accept our repentance and cleanse our souls from the darkness of sin and vice.

God willing.

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments section below.

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Muhamad Naim

Bertugas sebagai pendidik dibawah Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia (KPM). Telah menubuhkan dan menulis di web akuislam.com semenjak tahun 2010. Saya berharap laman web ini memberi manfaat kepada anda semua. Semoga Allah redha.

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Zubair
Zubair
2 bulan yang lalu

Allah forgive my sin and i am returning to you with the salah tauba. I and will never do this again in my life.

Davud
Davud
1 tahun yang lalu

inshallah

annon
annon
2 tahun yang lalu

explaination yg simple and senang faham thank you.