What is the ruling on one who repents several times from committing sins and remains between repentance and then sin? We ask the honorable Shaykh to answer?
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The questioner : What is the ruling on one who repents several times from committing sins and remains between repentance and then sin? We ask the honorable Shaykh to answer?
The Shaykh : Repentance is returning to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by leaving His disobedience for His obedience. Repentance is not sincere unless five conditions are gathered in it. The first condition: that it be pure for Allah, such that the repentant person does not seek by it to curry favor with a creation, nor to attain worldly gain, nor prestige among people, but rather he seeks by the repentance the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and the Hereafter.
The second condition: that he regrets what he did of the sin, such that he is sad and sorry for what occurred from him, and the effect of that appears in his heart.
The third condition: that he ceases from doing the sin from which he repented. If the sin from which he repented was leaving an obligatory act, he must perform the obligatory act if it is possible to make up for it. If it was doing a forbidden act, he must remove it and leave it. Attached to this condition is that if the repentance is from doing something that concerns a person, he must settle the right of that person. If it was an obligation owed to him, he returns it to him. If it was an encroachment on his honor, he seeks his pardon. The important thing is that if the right belongs to a creation, it is necessary that he be free from this right to that creation.
The fourth condition: that he resolves not to return to it in the future, such that there is a firm resolve in his heart not to return to this sin. Because if he repents and his intention is to return if an opportunity presents itself, he is not truly repentant, but this is a temporary repentance. Repentance must be absolute, not restricted by anything. Pay attention to this condition, for we say: the resolve not to return, and we do not say: that he not return. It is not a condition of repentance that he not return to the sin, but rather it is a condition of it that he resolves not to return. So if he returns to it after resolving not to return, his first repentance is not invalidated, but he must repent a second time.
The fifth condition: that the repentance be in the time in which it is accepted, such that it is not after the arrival of the term or after the sun rises from the west. If it is after the arrival of the term, it will not benefit, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:18] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3537Hasan (Darussalam) meaning until his soul reaches his throat.
Likewise, 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] And what is meant by some of the verses is the rising of the sun from the west. And migration does not cease until repentance ceases, and repentance does not cease until the sun comes out from the west. Based on this, the answer to the question asked by the questioner becomes clear, where he was repenting from the sin and then returning, then repenting and then returning. We say: every repentance in which the previous conditions are met, the previous sin is erased by it. If he returns to the sin again, let him repent from it with a new repentance. Yes.
The questioner : The listener says: Your sister in Islam, A' A' from Libya, peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : She says: I greet the program "Light on the Path" which illuminated for us the way to knowledge and faith. I also offer my thanks to the honorable scholars for their kindness in answering the listeners. I have some questions, and I ask the honorable Shaykh to answer them.
The Shaykh : Repentance is returning to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by leaving His disobedience for His obedience. Repentance is not sincere unless five conditions are gathered in it. The first condition: that it be pure for Allah, such that the repentant person does not seek by it to curry favor with a creation, nor to attain worldly gain, nor prestige among people, but rather he seeks by the repentance the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and the Hereafter.
The second condition: that he regrets what he did of the sin, such that he is sad and sorry for what occurred from him, and the effect of that appears in his heart.
The third condition: that he ceases from doing the sin from which he repented. If the sin from which he repented was leaving an obligatory act, he must perform the obligatory act if it is possible to make up for it. If it was doing a forbidden act, he must remove it and leave it. Attached to this condition is that if the repentance is from doing something that concerns a person, he must settle the right of that person. If it was an obligation owed to him, he returns it to him. If it was an encroachment on his honor, he seeks his pardon. The important thing is that if the right belongs to a creation, it is necessary that he be free from this right to that creation.
The fourth condition: that he resolves not to return to it in the future, such that there is a firm resolve in his heart not to return to this sin. Because if he repents and his intention is to return if an opportunity presents itself, he is not truly repentant, but this is a temporary repentance. Repentance must be absolute, not restricted by anything. Pay attention to this condition, for we say: the resolve not to return, and we do not say: that he not return. It is not a condition of repentance that he not return to the sin, but rather it is a condition of it that he resolves not to return. So if he returns to it after resolving not to return, his first repentance is not invalidated, but he must repent a second time.
The fifth condition: that the repentance be in the time in which it is accepted, such that it is not after the arrival of the term or after the sun rises from the west. If it is after the arrival of the term, it will not benefit, 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,"
وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الأنَIndeed Allah accepts the repentance of a slave as long as (his soul does not reach his throat).
إن الله يقبل توبة العبد ما لم يغرغرLikewise, 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 ءايَاتِ رَبِّكَ لا يَنفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ ءامَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًاThe questioner : The listener says: Your sister in Islam, A' A' from Libya, peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : She says: I greet the program "Light on the Path" which illuminated for us the way to knowledge and faith. I also offer my thanks to the honorable scholars for their kindness in answering the listeners. I have some questions, and I ask the honorable Shaykh to answer them.