Islamic words for kids · Plans and mistakes

What does Astaghfirullah mean?

“Astaghfirullah” means “I ask Allah to forgive me”. We say it when we make a mistake — and we also say sorry to anyone we upset and fix what we can.

Ages 2–8AudioWord by word

Teacher review under way.

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ

Astaghfirullah

“I ask Allah to forgive me”

Word by word

What each part of Astaghfirullah means

أَسْتَغْفِرُastaghfiruI ask forgiveness from
اللَّهَAllahAllah

Read the boxes from right to left, just like the Arabic.

For little ones

What it means

“Allah, I'm sorry — please forgive me.”

Did you know? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said he asked Allah for forgiveness more than seventy times every day — it's a habit for everyone, not a punishment.

The moments

When we say it

After we make a mistake
After saying something unkind (and saying sorry to the person too)
After salah
Any time — it's always good to say

Teach it

How to teach Astaghfirullah in 3 steps

Step 1: Model it calmly when you make a mistake: “Oops — astaghfirullah. Let me fix it.”
Step 2: Teach the three steps: say sorry to the person, say Astaghfirullah, fix what you can.
Step 3: Keep it warm — Allah loves people who come back to Him. Mistakes are how we learn.

PlayWhat do we say?Hear a little story and choose what we say — is it Astaghfirullah? A playful check after practising.Play free →More wordsAll Islamic wordsBismillah, InshaAllah, MashaAllah and more — with audio.See them all →

Questions parents ask

Should children say it for accidents, like spilling milk?

Accidents aren't sins, so there's nothing to feel bad about. It's still a lovely habit to say it and help clean up — keep it light and kind.

How do I avoid making it feel like a punishment?

Never use it as a telling-off. Say it yourself, often, with a smile — so it feels like turning back to a loving Lord.

Sources: Sahih al-Bukhari 6307 · Sahih Muslim 591

Qur'an references are checked on quran.com and hadith on sunnah.com; a teacher review is under way. Families and madhhabs differ on some details — ask your teacher.

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