It is narrated from Sayyiduna Shaddad bin Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The chief of supplications for seeking forgiveness (Sayyid al-Istighfar) is that a person says: O Allah! You are my Lord, there is no deity except You, You created me, I am Your servant, and I am, as much as I am able, steadfast upon Your covenant and promise. I acknowledge Your blessings upon me, and I confess my sins. So forgive me, for surely none forgives sins except You. If a person says these words in the morning with firm belief in his heart and dies that day, he will be among the people of Paradise; and if a person says these words in the evening with firm belief and dies that evening, he will be among the people of Paradise."