Muslims know that Allah is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful. He wants people to repent from their sins and turn to Him for forgiveness. This theme is repeated throughout the Holy Qur'an, including:
"Why don't you return to Allah and ask Him to forgive you? Allah is very Forgiving and Merciful." (Surah Maidah: 74); and "Except those who repent, believe and do good deeds: (for) those Allah will exchange their sins for good deeds. Allah is extremely Forgiving and Merciful." (Surah Furqaan: 70)
Sincere Repentance (Tawbah) in Islam
Turning to Allah for forgiveness is only one aspect of the concept of repentance (tawbah or taubah in Arabic) in Islam. A Muslim's repentance must also be genuine and sincere. In the Qur'an, Allah says: "Oh you who believe! Repent towards Allah with sincere repentance." (Surah Hud: 3)
Sincere or genuine repentance (tawbah nasuh) is distinguished by a Muslim's:
- remorse over committing the sin
- removal of himself from the sin
- resolve not to commit the sin again
- asking Allah for forgiveness every time he remembers the sin
Conditions for the Acceptance of Repentance
In order for true repentance to be accepted, most scholars agree that a Muslim must repent before he is gripped by death. This is based on the verse, "The repentance which Allah accepts is from those commit sins out of ignorance and then repent very quickly. They are the ones to whom Allah returns: Allah is All-Knowing and Wise. (Surah Nisaa: 17) The word "quickly" is interpreted by scholars to be a reference to the imminence of death.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also taught that a person's genuine repentance will be accepted until the moment the soul exits the body. He said: "Allah accepts repentance as long as he does not start choking (at the time of death)." (Ahmed, Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban)
It is best, however, to race towards repentance rather than delay it. Repenting in advance of illness or death allows a person to fulfill other conditions for the acceptance of repentance, including:
- remaining genuinely remorseful and regretful of his sin
- increasing good deeds while decreasing bad deeds
- staying fearful of Allah's anger and sincerely praying for forgiveness
- developing a sense of humility and servitude to Allah
Additionally, a Muslim should repent for all his sins and not only one. He should make every effort not to return to them, and try to increase his faith and acts of worship.
Benefits of Repentance
Although a Muslim is ashamed of his sins in front of Allah, he benefits from repentance by becoming more God-conscious and appreciative of the Mercy of Allah. And, because a sinner recognizes his own weakness, he will become more humble and forgiving of others.
In this sense, sinning followed by sincere repentance is better for a Muslim than not sinning and becoming conceited or complacent in his religion. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "If you do not commit sins, then Allah will dispose of you and replace you with people who commit sins and then ask for forgiveness so that He can forgive them." (Muslim)
Fear and Hope of Allah
Muslims should develop a healthy balance between fear and hope of Allah. A true believer is afraid of Allah's displeasure when he sins, but he repents and hopes for Allah's Mercy as described in the following hadith:
Abu Musa Ash'ari says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Allah extends His Hand at night so that He can forgive the sinner of the day; He extends His Hand in the day so that He can forgive the sinner of the night. He will continue to do this until the sun rises from the West (the Day of Judgment). (Muslim)
For related reading, see Do Muslims Believe in Original Sin? and Major and Minor Sins in Islam.
Source: Sincere Repentance: Imam Abu Hamid Ghazali, Imam Ibn Qayim Jawziya and Imam Ibn Rajab Hanbali; translated by Molana Mohammed Amin Kholwadia; Al-Firdous Ltd., London (1995)
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