One who repeats his repentance: is his final repentance accepted? Knowing that all his previous repentances were invalidated except for his final one, please inform us. May Allah reward you.
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The questioner : One who repeats his repentance: is his final repentance accepted? Knowing that all his previous repentances were invalidated except for his final one, please inform us. May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
If a person repents to his Lord with a complete repentance that meets the conditions, then Allah the Exalted accepts his repentance. The conditions of repentance are five. The first condition is that it be sincere for Allah the Exalted and High, such that he is not driven to repent by regard for any of the people, or by seeking their favor, or by fear of their punishment. Rather, he is driven to repent by the desire for the Face of Allah the Mighty and Majestic and by seeking safety from His punishment. This condition is fundamental in all deeds, for Allah does not accept of deeds except what is sincere for His Face.
The second condition is that he feels remorse for the sin he committed, such that sadness and regret for what he did are evident on him.
The third condition is that he abandons the sin if he is currently engaged in it, and that he performs the obligation if it was left off and can still be made up. If a person repents from a sin while persisting in it, his repentance is not accepted. If a person repents from usury or interest (riba) while persisting in it, dealing in usury or interest (riba) either explicitly or through trickery and deception, or if he repents from shaving his beard while persisting in shaving it, or if he repents from smoking while persisting in smoking, or if he repents from cheating while persisting in cheating, or if he repents from neglecting an obligation but does not perform it despite the possibility of making it up, then he and those like him have not repented to Allah with a sincere repentance that is accepted from him. Allah the Mighty and Majestic says:[Ali 'Imran 3:135].
The fourth condition is that he resolves not to return to it in the future, such that he makes a firm resolution that he will not return to this act from which he repented in the future. However, if he feels remorse and abandons it, but his intention is to return to it when the opportunity arises, then this repentance is not accepted, because his intention to return indicates the lack of sincerity in his repentance.
The fifth condition is that the repentance occurs at a time when it is accepted, which is before the sun rises from the west and before the time of death arrives. If the repentance is after the sun rises from the west, it is not accepted, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-An'am 6:158]. Likewise, if a person witnesses death and his time has arrived, his repentance is not accepted, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: [An-Nisa 4:18].
If these five conditions are met in the repentance, it is accepted. Then, if he returns to the sin again, it does not invalidate his previous repentance. If he repents to Allah again, Allah turns to him in mercy. Then, if he repeats it a third time, where his soul overpowers him, and then he repents, Allah turns to him in mercy, and so on.
The important point is that whenever a person repents to Allah with a sincere repentance meeting the conditions we mentioned, his repentance is accepted. Then, if his soul suggests to him to return afterwards and he does return, that does not invalidate his previous repentance.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
If a person repents to his Lord with a complete repentance that meets the conditions, then Allah the Exalted accepts his repentance. The conditions of repentance are five. The first condition is that it be sincere for Allah the Exalted and High, such that he is not driven to repent by regard for any of the people, or by seeking their favor, or by fear of their punishment. Rather, he is driven to repent by the desire for the Face of Allah the Mighty and Majestic and by seeking safety from His punishment. This condition is fundamental in all deeds, for Allah does not accept of deeds except what is sincere for His Face.
The second condition is that he feels remorse for the sin he committed, such that sadness and regret for what he did are evident on him.
The third condition is that he abandons the sin if he is currently engaged in it, and that he performs the obligation if it was left off and can still be made up. If a person repents from a sin while persisting in it, his repentance is not accepted. If a person repents from usury or interest (riba) while persisting in it, dealing in usury or interest (riba) either explicitly or through trickery and deception, or if he repents from shaving his beard while persisting in shaving it, or if he repents from smoking while persisting in smoking, or if he repents from cheating while persisting in cheating, or if he repents from neglecting an obligation but does not perform it despite the possibility of making it up, then he and those like him have not repented to Allah with a sincere repentance that is accepted from him. Allah the Mighty and Majestic says:
And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.
وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَThe fourth condition is that he resolves not to return to it in the future, such that he makes a firm resolution that he will not return to this act from which he repented in the future. However, if he feels remorse and abandons it, but his intention is to return to it when the opportunity arises, then this repentance is not accepted, because his intention to return indicates the lack of sincerity in his repentance.
The fifth condition is that the repentance occurs at a time when it is accepted, which is before the sun rises from the west and before the time of death arrives. If the repentance is after the sun rises from the west, it is not accepted, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
The Day that some of the signs of your Lord will come no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good.
يَوْمَ يَأْتِي بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ لا يَنفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًاBut repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "Indeed, I have repented now," or of those who die while they are disbelievers
وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الآنَ وَلا الَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌIf these five conditions are met in the repentance, it is accepted. Then, if he returns to the sin again, it does not invalidate his previous repentance. If he repents to Allah again, Allah turns to him in mercy. Then, if he repeats it a third time, where his soul overpowers him, and then he repents, Allah turns to him in mercy, and so on.
The important point is that whenever a person repents to Allah with a sincere repentance meeting the conditions we mentioned, his repentance is accepted. Then, if his soul suggests to him to return afterwards and he does return, that does not invalidate his previous repentance.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.