I used to do deeds in my youth that did not please Allah, and now I have repented. What should I do to earn Allah's pleasure, and what are the conditions of sincere repentance?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I used to do deeds in my youth that Allah did not approve of, and now I have repented. What should I do to earn Allah's pleasure, and what are the conditions of sincere repentance? Please advise us, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Since you mentioned that you have repented from these deeds you used to do in your youth, which did not please Allah and His Messenger, I say: Since you have repented from these deeds you mentioned, be glad, for repentance wipes out what came before it. Allah the Exalted said:[Az-Zumar 39:53], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
And sincere repentance is that which gathers five conditions. The first condition: that it be pure for Allah, such that a person does not carry with it showing off, seeking reputation, or dealing with anyone in a deceptive manner, nor compromising in the religion of Allah. Rather, he repents to Allah the Exalted alone, pure from his heart. If this condition is absent, the repentance is not accepted, because a fundamental condition of all righteous deeds is that they be pure for Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
The second condition: that he regrets what has passed of his actions, such that he feels sorry and grieves for what happened from him. If this is the case, it is proof of the validity of his repentance and the breaking of his heart before Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and that he has truly returned to Allah.
The third condition: that he abandons his sin if he is still engaged in it. If his repentance is from a right belonging to a human being, he must deliver this right to its owner. For example, if he wronged someone by taking their money through theft, deception, or otherwise, his repentance is not valid until he delivers that right to its owner. Likewise, if he wronged him through backbiting, by speaking about his honor in front of people, his repentance is not valid until he seeks forgiveness from him for that backbiting. However, if the person did not know that he had been backbiting, some scholars say in this case: he does not need to seek forgiveness from him, but rather he should speak well of him in the places where he used to backbite him, with the praiseworthy qualities he is known for, and seek forgiveness from Allah for him. This suffices in place of seeking his forgiveness. And if the repentance is from a right belonging to Allah, such as an obligatory duty to Allah the Exalted, like zakah or expiation, then repentance from that is to hasten to perform that thing which became obligatory for him for the sake of Allah.
The fourth condition: that he resolves not to return to it in the future. If he repents but intends that if the opportunity arises, he will return to the sin, then the repentance here is not valid, because it is not a true return to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
The fifth condition: that the repentance be in its proper time, meaning in the time in which it is accepted. If it is not in its proper time, it is not accepted. The time in which repentance is cut off and not accepted is of two types: a general time and a specific time. The general time is the rising of the sun from the west. If the sun rises from the west, the repentance of a repentant person is not accepted, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-An'am 6:158]. The meaning of some verses here is the rising of the sun from the west, for there is no repentance after that.
As for the specific time, it is the arrival of the term of death. If a person’s term of death arrives, his repentance is not accepted, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:18]. So if a person does not repent until he witnesses death and is gasping for his last breath, his repentance is not accepted.
If these five conditions are fulfilled, the repentance becomes sincere and accepted. And if Allah, Mighty and Majestic, accepts it, it encompasses every sin from which he repented.
The scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, differed: Is repentance from a sin valid while persisting in another? Some of them said: Repentance from a sin is not valid while persisting in another. For example, if a person repents from smoking, for instance, but persists in shaving his beard, some scholars said: His repentance from smoking is not accepted, because he is persisting in the disobedience of Allah in shaving his beard.
And some scholars said: Repentance from a sin is valid while persisting in another. This is the stronger position. However, one who repents from a sin while persisting in another does not deserve the absolute description of a repentant person. He does not enter into the category of the repentant with an absolute repentance, nor does he deserve the praise with which the repentant are praised. Rather, he is praised with a specific praise qualified by his repentance from this specific sin.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Since you mentioned that you have repented from these deeds you used to do in your youth, which did not please Allah and His Messenger, I say: Since you have repented from these deeds you mentioned, be glad, for repentance wipes out what came before it. Allah the Exalted said:
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُRepentance demolishes what came before it
التوبة تهدم ما قبلهاAnd sincere repentance is that which gathers five conditions. The first condition: that it be pure for Allah, such that a person does not carry with it showing off, seeking reputation, or dealing with anyone in a deceptive manner, nor compromising in the religion of Allah. Rather, he repents to Allah the Exalted alone, pure from his heart. If this condition is absent, the repentance is not accepted, because a fundamental condition of all righteous deeds is that they be pure for Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
The second condition: that he regrets what has passed of his actions, such that he feels sorry and grieves for what happened from him. If this is the case, it is proof of the validity of his repentance and the breaking of his heart before Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and that he has truly returned to Allah.
The third condition: that he abandons his sin if he is still engaged in it. If his repentance is from a right belonging to a human being, he must deliver this right to its owner. For example, if he wronged someone by taking their money through theft, deception, or otherwise, his repentance is not valid until he delivers that right to its owner. Likewise, if he wronged him through backbiting, by speaking about his honor in front of people, his repentance is not valid until he seeks forgiveness from him for that backbiting. However, if the person did not know that he had been backbiting, some scholars say in this case: he does not need to seek forgiveness from him, but rather he should speak well of him in the places where he used to backbite him, with the praiseworthy qualities he is known for, and seek forgiveness from Allah for him. This suffices in place of seeking his forgiveness. And if the repentance is from a right belonging to Allah, such as an obligatory duty to Allah the Exalted, like zakah or expiation, then repentance from that is to hasten to perform that thing which became obligatory for him for the sake of Allah.
The fourth condition: that he resolves not to return to it in the future. If he repents but intends that if the opportunity arises, he will return to the sin, then the repentance here is not valid, because it is not a true return to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He.
The fifth condition: that the repentance be in its proper time, meaning in the time in which it is accepted. If it is not in its proper time, it is not accepted. The time in which repentance is cut off and not accepted is of two types: a general time and a specific time. The general time is the rising of the sun from the west. If the sun rises from the west, the repentance of a repentant person is not accepted, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Do they [then] wait for anything except that the angels should come to them or your Lord should come or that there come some of the signs of your Lord? 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
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ رَبُّكَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِي بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ لا يَنفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًاAs for the specific time, it is the arrival of the term of death. If a person’s term of death arrives, his repentance is not accepted, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
But 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 fulfilled, the repentance becomes sincere and accepted. And if Allah, Mighty and Majestic, accepts it, it encompasses every sin from which he repented.
The scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, differed: Is repentance from a sin valid while persisting in another? Some of them said: Repentance from a sin is not valid while persisting in another. For example, if a person repents from smoking, for instance, but persists in shaving his beard, some scholars said: His repentance from smoking is not accepted, because he is persisting in the disobedience of Allah in shaving his beard.
And some scholars said: Repentance from a sin is valid while persisting in another. This is the stronger position. However, one who repents from a sin while persisting in another does not deserve the absolute description of a repentant person. He does not enter into the category of the repentant with an absolute repentance, nor does he deserve the praise with which the repentant are praised. Rather, he is praised with a specific praise qualified by his repentance from this specific sin.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.