Narrated Zayd, the client of the Prophet: The Prophet ﷺ said: If anyone says: "I ask pardon of Allah than Whom there is no deity, the Living, the eternal, and I turn to Him in repentance, " he will be pardoned, even if he has fled in time of battle.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
1517. Commentary: The commonly recited words of seeking forgiveness (Astaghfirullaha Rabbi min kulli dhambin wa atubu ilayh), although correct in meaning, are not the words spoken by the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Adopting the words spoken by the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is what constitutes the Sunnah and is an expression of love for him (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 1517