The Conditions of Repentance

The questioner:
In His saying In this saying, what are the conditions of repentance?

The Shaykh:
The conditions of repentance are three.

The presenter:
Yes.

The Shaykh:
The first is abandoning the sin, meaning leaving the sin. One does not repent with his tongue while he is committing the sin and continuing in it; rather, he abandons it and leaves it off permanently. The sincere in his repentance, the wise one who places things in their proper place, and places forgiveness in its proper place. The conditions of repentance are three. Abandoning the sin is the first, meaning that he leaves the sin. It is not that he says, "I repent to Allah," while he remains upon the sin, for that will not benefit him in any way. This is the first.

The presenter:
Yes.

The Shaykh:
Second is the resolve not to return to it. If his repentance is temporary and his intention is that he will return to the sin—for example, he repents in Ramadan, and his intention is that he will return after Ramadan, or he repents during Hajj and his intention is to return to it, or he repents at any time and his intention is that he will return, and he only repents a temporary repentance—this is not accepted. Abandoning the sin is the first thing, and regret for what has passed. He must regret what occurred from him, and feel ashamed before Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). The resolve not to return to it, not to return to it ever. If his intention is, for example, to repent at a certain time, and his intention is that he will return to his sin after that time, then his repentance is not accepted. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you