One of the most beloved duas for forgiveness is the one Allah taught Adam himself after his mistake — a few honest words admitting the wrong and throwing yourself entirely on Allah's mercy.
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَآ أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْخَٰسِرِينَQaalaa Rabbanaa zalamnaaa anfusanaa wa illam taghfir lanaa wa tarhamnaa lanakoonanna minal khaasireen“They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."”Qur'an 7:23 · Surah Al-A'raaf (Saheeh International)
These are the words of Adam (peace be upon him) after his mistake — the Qur'an's model for how to return to Allah: admit the wrong plainly, and ask for mercy without despairing.
Say it in sujood and after each salah, and follow it with a sincere resolve to change — that pairing is what makes istighfar real.
Ask Noor can give you this dua in Arabic and transliteration, plus more of the Prophet’s duas for forgiveness.
Ask Noor answers any question about Islam with the exact cited verse — and brings prayer times, the full Qur'an, qibla and duas together in one calm app.
Ask Noor — free on the App Store