The Meaning and Importance of the “Rabbighfir lī…” Supplication
Supplication (dua, supplication) is the servant’s confession of their incapacity before the majesty of Allah (God) and their loving request for help. In its literal sense, supplication means “to call, to ask,” and it expresses a plea made from the lesser to the greater, from below to above. The importance of supplication is emphasized in verses (āya) and hadiths, and it is stated that making supplication with both fear and hope is encouraged. Verses and hadiths such as, “Call upon Him in fear and hope.” (al-Aʿrāf, 7/56) and “There is nothing more noble in the sight of Allah than supplication.” (Tirmidhī, Daʿawāt, 1; Ibn Mājah, Duʿāʾ, 1) demonstrate the virtue of supplication.
Arabic Recitation of the “Rabbighfir lī wa li-wālidayya…” Supplication
Surah Nūḥ, Verse 28
Recitation: “Rabbighfir lī wa li-wālidayya wa li-man dakhala baytīya muʾminan wa lil-muʾminīna wa-l-muʾmināt(muʾmināti) wa lā tazidiẓ-ẓālimīna illā tabārā.”
Meaning: “My Lord! Forgive me, my parents, whoever enters my house as a believer, and the believing men and believing women; and do not increase the wrongdoers except in destruction.”