The benefits of Istighfar (the act of seeking forgiveness from Allah) Istighfar is such a great act of worship and even if you have not done anything wrong just by mere virtue of asking Allah’s forgiveness your status is being elevated; it's being elevated you get closer to Allah. People often forget the importance of the simple yet powerful dua -- Istighfar saying "Astaghfirullah" . Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to recite this at least 100 times a day!