عبادة بن الصامت، قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: من استغفر للمؤمنين والمؤمنات كتب الله له بكل مؤمن ومؤمنة حسنة.

Ubadah ibn Saamit radiallahu anhu said that he heard the Messenger sallahu alayhi wa salam say: 

“Whoever seeks forgiveness for every male and female believer, Allah will record a good deed for him for every male and female believer”

[Reported by Tabarani and graded Hasan by al-Albani in Saheeh Jami no. 6026]

Imam al-Munaawi rahimahullah said in explanation:

بأي صفة كانت ، وورد في ذلك صيغ بألفاظ متقاربة (كتب الله له) أي أمر الله الحفظة أن تكتب له في صحيفته

“Whoever seeks forgiveness for every male and female believer: with any form of supplication [he wants]. A form of supplication was reported with similar wording. Allah will record that is: Allah will order the Angels who record to write it for him in his scroll of good deeds. a good deed for him for every male and female believer

[Fayd ul-Qaadir]

It is often mentioned in some books of dua that a person should supplicate based on the above Hadith in this form:

للهم اغفر للمؤمنين والمؤمنات الأحياء منهم والأموات

Oh Allah I seek forgiveness for every male or female believer those living among them and those dead

However, this wording is not authentic in the Books of Sunnah. Therefore, you can do it this way if you wish or any other way as long as you ask Allah to forgive the believers male and female.

So let us practice this rewarding Hadith.

And Allah knows Best

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan