Duas from the QuranRabbi inni zalamtu nafsi faghfir li
A prayer from the Quran: 28:16. The Arabic, the transliteration, the English meaning and a note on the context.
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى فَٱغْفِرْ لِى فَغَفَرَ لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Qala rabbi innee thalamtu nafsee faighfir lee faghafara lahu innahu huwa alghafooru alrraheemu
He said: My Lord! Lo! I have wronged my soul, so forgive me. Then He forgave him. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Context
The verse gives the words of Musa after he had struck a man, which led to his death, in Egypt.
Explanation
Musa says that he has wronged himself and asks for forgiveness; the verse then says "He forgave him". It is used as a prayer after a mistake, and as a reminder that forgiveness is promised to the one who admits and asks.
How to use this page
Read the Arabic if you can, and use the letters beneath it to follow the sounds. The sentence under the transliteration is the English of Pickthall, in the English of 1930; the explanation above is ours. A dua does not need a special time or place, and you can make it in any language as well. What is a dua?
Related prayers
- Rabbana ighfir lana dhunubana
- Rabbana ma khalaqta hadha batilan
- Rabbana zalamna anfusana
- Rabbi j'alni muqimas-salati
- La ilaha illa anta subhanaka
Questions people ask
Where is this prayer in the Quran?
It is in Al-Qasas 28:16.
Do I have to say it in Arabic?
Many Muslims recite the Arabic of the Quran as it is revealed and also pray in their own language. A dua can be made in any language, in your own words, at any time.
The notes on this page are in our own words and are not a ruling or a commentary (tafsir). For questions of practice, please ask a trusted scholar or your local imam.