Regret for what has passed. (Continuation of the explanation of the conditions of repentance).
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The Shaykh : Be cautious with yourself; practice caution. You are only obligated to do the minimum, but if you pay the maximum, that is the most cautious approach. For example, if someone says, "I do not know if it is one hundred or one thousand," what is he obligated to pay? One hundred, because that is the confirmed amount. But if he exercises caution and pays one thousand, that is better. Now, this is the first condition: sincerity. The second condition is abandoning the sin. Is there a third condition?
The student: Regret for what has passed.
The Shaykh : How does one regret what has passed? What does it mean to regret?
The student: He regrets the sins he has committed.
The Shaykh : That is, he is affected and sad; it is not all the same to him. So regret is necessary. Well done, rest now. Because regret is the proof that he is a repentant person. As for a man who says, "I seek Allah's forgiveness and I repent to Him," for example, one who deals in riba (usury or interest) says, "I seek Allah's forgiveness and I repent to Him," but he does not regret what has passed, he has not repented. Regret, sadness, and remorse are necessary.
The student: Regret for what has passed.
The Shaykh : How does one regret what has passed? What does it mean to regret?
The student: He regrets the sins he has committed.
The Shaykh : That is, he is affected and sad; it is not all the same to him. So regret is necessary. Well done, rest now. Because regret is the proof that he is a repentant person. As for a man who says, "I seek Allah's forgiveness and I repent to Him," for example, one who deals in riba (usury or interest) says, "I seek Allah's forgiveness and I repent to Him," but he does not regret what has passed, he has not repented. Regret, sadness, and remorse are necessary.