Revive a Sunnah

In the name of Allah

Revive a Sunnah: Du'a of Forgiveness in Tashahhud

"The Messenger of Allah (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) entered the masjid and there was a man who was finishing his salah and was reciting the tashahhud. (In the tashahhud [and before tasleem]), he recited:

اللَّهمَّ إنِّي أسألُكَ يا اللَّهُ الأحدُ الصَّمدُ الَّذي لم يلِد ولم يولَد ولم يكن لهُ كُفوًا أحدٌ أن تغفرَ لي ذنوبي إنَّكَ أنتَ الغفورُ الرَّحيمُ

"Allahumma inni as'aluka ya Allahu al-Ahadus Samad, Alladhi lam yalid wa lam yulad, wa lamya kunlahu kufuwan ahad, an-taghfirali dhunoobi, innaka antal-Ghafoorur-Raheem"

"O Allah, I ask of You, O Allah, as You are the One, the Only, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who begets not nor was He begotten, and there is None equal or comparable to Him, forgive me my sins, for You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

The Messenger of Allah (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) (upon hearing his du'a) said (thrice), "He has been forgiven, he has been forgiven, has been forgiven."

[Sunan Abi Daw'ud, 985' An-Nasaa'i, 1301 and others. Al-Albani said it was saheeh upon the condition of Imam Muslim (Sifatus-Salah, 3/1015)]

There are numerous du'a that people use in their tashahhud. Here we have a most beautiful du'a, which the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) himself profoundly vouched for (the person he heard reading it). It thus comes highly recommended we do the same, or at least alternate between this and other established du'a we may know.