When it is recited
The most complete form — expand to read in full
What it means
Sayyid al-Istighfar means “the master of seeking forgiveness” — sayyid being the chief or foremost of a kind. It is the longest form in the library, an address that begins by affirming Allah as Lord and the one praying as His servant before it asks for anything. Because of its length the app opens it to be read in full rather than kept as a single line.
The full text
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
“O Allah, You are my Lord; there is no deity but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I abide by Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your favour upon me, and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me — for none forgives sins but You.”
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
6306
Sayyid al-Istighfar — narrated by Shaddād ibn Aws
“Whoever says it during the day with firm faith in it and dies that day before evening will be among the people of Paradise; and whoever says it at night with firm faith and dies before morning will be among the people of Paradise.”