The Reality of Seeking Forgiveness in the Tashahhud Supplication
Source: Fatāwā Ameenpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
❖ Question:
In the following supplication taught for Tashahhud, it is mentioned: "مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ" (forgiveness from You). Since forgiveness can only come from Allah ﷻ, what is the meaning of this phrase?
❖ Answer:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رضي الله عنه the following supplication to recite in Tashahhud:
اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، وَارْحَمْنِي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
“O Allah! Indeed, I have wronged myself greatly, and none forgives sins except You. So forgive me with a forgiveness from Yourself, and have mercy upon me. Surely, You alone are the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 834, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2705)
Undoubtedly, the authority of granting forgiveness lies only with Allah ﷻ; no created being possesses such power.
Here, in this supplication, the phrase “مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ” expresses utmost humility, brokenness, and acknowledgment of guilt — meaning:
“O Allah! My deeds are not sufficient to earn forgiveness; rather, I seek a forgiveness that comes purely from Your special grace and mercy.”
