Let me walk you through these beautiful practices one by one.
1. The best formula for seeking forgiveness — Sayyid al-Istighfār
The Prophet ﷺ said that the most excellent way to ask Allah's pardon is to say:
> « اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ »
(O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no deity except You. You created me and I am Your servant. I keep Your covenant and my pledge to You as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil I have done. I acknowledge Your favors upon me, and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.)
The Prophet ﷺ added a remarkable promise: whoever says it during the day with certainty and dies before evening will be among the people of Paradise, and whoever says it at night with certainty and dies before morning will be among the people of Paradise. [Sahih Bukhari 6306]
Notice how this supplication beautifully combines everything you asked about: it praises Allah as your Lord, affirms His Oneness, acknowledges His favors, admits your shortcomings, and begs His forgiveness — all in one.
2. Praising Allah and His Prophet ﷺ
Praising Allah (عز وجل) and sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ are among the most beloved acts of worship. The Prophet ﷺ himself used to seek forgiveness for the believers, as Allah commanded him in the Quran: *"And ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women."* [Coran, Sourate Muhammad:19]
When Ibn Sarjis (رضي الله عنه) said to the Prophet ﷺ, "May Allah forgive you," the Prophet ﷺ replied, "And you too," then recited this verse — showing us that seeking forgiveness for others is part of the Prophetic way. [Sahih Muslim 8262]
3. Asking for Jannat al-Firdaws
Asking Allah for the highest level of Paradise — *Jannat al-Firdaws* — is a noble and encouraged supplication. The Prophet ﷺ taught us to be ambitious in our requests from Allah, and he himself used to make comprehensive supplications. In his prostration he would say:
> « اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي كُلَّهُ دِقَّهُ، وَجِلَّهُ، وَأَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ وَعَلَانِيَتَهُ وَسِرَّهُ »
(O Allah, forgive me all my sins — the small and the great, the first and the last, the public and the private.) [Sahih Muslim 483]
This teaches us to be thorough in our asking — don't limit yourself. Ask Allah for forgiveness of every sin, and ask Him for the highest Paradise.
4. Seeking forgiveness constantly, like the Prophet ﷺ
The Prophet ﷺ, despite being forgiven, said: *"By Allah, I seek forgiveness and repent to Allah more than seventy times a day."* [Dua: Seeking forgiveness and repentance] If he did this, how much more do we need to?
5. A beautiful dua for forgiveness and mercy
The Prophet ﷺ also taught us this comprehensive dua for the deceased, which contains beautiful words we can use for ourselves too: *"O Allah, forgive him and have mercy upon him, excuse him and pardon him... admit him into the Garden, and protect him from the punishment of the grave and the torment of the Fire."* [Dua: Supplication for the deceased]
And on the Night of Power, the Prophet ﷺ taught Aisha (رضي الله عنها) to say:
> « اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي »
(O Allah, You are the Most Forgiving, and You love to forgive, so forgive me.) [Dua: Dua of the Night of Power]
Practical advice for your daily life:
- Make *Sayyid al-Istighfār* part of your morning and evening routine — say it with full presence of heart and certainty in its meaning.
- Repeat *"Astaghfirullāh wa atūbu ilayh"* throughout the day, following the example of the Prophet ﷺ.
- When you ask for Jannat al-Firdaws, be specific and sincere — ask Allah by His names *Al-Ghafūr* (The Forgiving) and *Ar-Rahīm* (The Merciful).
- You can find these duas saved in the Invocations section of your Al Muslim Plus app so you can review and memorize them easily.
- Set a daily reminder in the app to pause and seek forgiveness — even a few moments of sincere *istighfār* can transform your day.
May Allah forgive all your sins, accept your repentance, and grant you and all of us Jannat al-Firdaws. Āmīn.