What is the authenticity of the hadith: “The one who repents from a sin is like one who has no sin”?
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The questioner : He has this question, O honorable Shaykh. He asks: What is the authenticity of the hadith “The one who repents from a sin is like one who has no sin”?
The Shaykh : I do not know of its authenticity in this exact wording. However, there is no doubt that if a person repents from a sin with sincere repentance, then that sin does not affect him. Rather, he may increase in faith and righteous deeds after repentance, and he may be in a better state after repentance than he was before it.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : Do you not see the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Furqan 25:68] All of these are among the great major sins: shirk, killing a soul intentionally without right, and committing zina. In them is transgression against the right of Allah, against the right of the creation regarding the soul, and against the right of the creation regarding honor. And yet, He says, the Exalted says: [Al-Furqan 25:68-70] Do you not also see Adam, where what happened to him occurred by eating the tree which Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, had forbidden him to eat? Allah the Exalted said: [Taha 20:121-122] So he was chosen, and he repented, and he was guided.
Repentance from sins is obligatory, and it is obligatory to hasten with it so that a person’s term of life does not arrive and repentance does not benefit him.
It is good for us to mention the conditions of sincere repentance. We say that sincere repentance has five conditions. The first condition is sincerity to Allah the Exalted in it, such that fear of people, showing off to people, or attaining a position or the like does not drive him to repent. Rather, his repentance is for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, fleeing from His punishment and hoping for His reward.
The second is regret for the sin that occurred from him, such that he feels in himself sorrow and grief for what happened to him, until his heart breaks for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and his self submits to Allah and humbles itself to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, with his regret for what came from him.
The third condition is ceasing from the sin. There is no repentance with persistence in the sin. Rather, repentance with persistence in the sin is a type of mockery. If a person, for example, wants to repent from riba (usury or interest) but he continues to practice riba, then his claim of repentance from it is a lie, and it is closer to mocking Allah than to honoring Allah. If a person wants to repent from drinking khamr (intoxicants) but he continues to drink khamr, then his repentance is not valid, because how can he be sincere in his repentance while he is committing the sin? If he wants to repent from backbiting people but he backbites them, then the repentance is not valid, because he must cease from the sin.
If he wants to repent from usurping people’s wealth, and the people’s wealth is with him and he has not returned it to them, how can his repentance be valid?
The fourth condition is the resolve not to return to it in the future, meaning that his heart contains the intention that he will never return to this sin. If he says that he is repentant, but his intention is that whenever the opportunity arises, he will commit this sin, then he is not a repentant person. Rather, he must resolve not to return to it in the future. If he returns to it in the future after resolving not to return, then his first repentance is not invalidated, but he must renew the repentance.
The fifth condition is that it be before the arrival of the term of life. If a person persists in disobedience until his term of life arrives and he repents, then it is not accepted from him, due to the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[An-Nisa 4:18] Likewise, repentance is not valid after the sun rises from the west, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Abi Dawud 2479Sahih (Al-Albani).
These five conditions are the conditions for repentance to be sincere and acceptable to Allah. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : I do not know of its authenticity in this exact wording. However, there is no doubt that if a person repents from a sin with sincere repentance, then that sin does not affect him. Rather, he may increase in faith and righteous deeds after repentance, and he may be in a better state after repentance than he was before it.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : Do you not see the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse
وَالَّذينَ لا يَدعونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلهًا ءاخَرَ وَلا يَقتُلونَ النَّفسَ الَّتي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلّا بِالحَقِّ وَلا يَزنونَAnd whoever should do that will meet a penalty. (69) Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated - (70) Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
وَمَن يَفعَل ذلِكَ يَلقَ أَثامًا * يُضاعَف لَهُ العَذابُ يَومَ القِيامَةِ وَيَخلُد فيهِ مُهانًا * إِلّا مَن تابَ وَءامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صالِحًا فَأُولئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِم حَسَناتٍ وَكانَ اللَّهُ غَفورًا رَحيمًاAnd Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred. (122) Then his Lord chose him and turned to him in forgiveness and guided [him].
وَعَصى ءادَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوى * ثُمَّ اجتَباهُ رَبُّهُ فَتابَ عَلَيهِ وَهَدىRepentance from sins is obligatory, and it is obligatory to hasten with it so that a person’s term of life does not arrive and repentance does not benefit him.
It is good for us to mention the conditions of sincere repentance. We say that sincere repentance has five conditions. The first condition is sincerity to Allah the Exalted in it, such that fear of people, showing off to people, or attaining a position or the like does not drive him to repent. Rather, his repentance is for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, fleeing from His punishment and hoping for His reward.
The second is regret for the sin that occurred from him, such that he feels in himself sorrow and grief for what happened to him, until his heart breaks for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and his self submits to Allah and humbles itself to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, with his regret for what came from him.
The third condition is ceasing from the sin. There is no repentance with persistence in the sin. Rather, repentance with persistence in the sin is a type of mockery. If a person, for example, wants to repent from riba (usury or interest) but he continues to practice riba, then his claim of repentance from it is a lie, and it is closer to mocking Allah than to honoring Allah. If a person wants to repent from drinking khamr (intoxicants) but he continues to drink khamr, then his repentance is not valid, because how can he be sincere in his repentance while he is committing the sin? If he wants to repent from backbiting people but he backbites them, then the repentance is not valid, because he must cease from the sin.
If he wants to repent from usurping people’s wealth, and the people’s wealth is with him and he has not returned it to them, how can his repentance be valid?
The fourth condition is the resolve not to return to it in the future, meaning that his heart contains the intention that he will never return to this sin. If he says that he is repentant, but his intention is that whenever the opportunity arises, he will commit this sin, then he is not a repentant person. Rather, he must resolve not to return to it in the future. If he returns to it in the future after resolving not to return, then his first repentance is not invalidated, but he must renew the repentance.
The fifth condition is that it be before the arrival of the term of life. If a person persists in disobedience until his term of life arrives and he repents, then it is not accepted from him, due to the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
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,"
وَلَيسَتِ التَّوبَةُ لِلَّذينَ يَعمَلونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتّى إِذا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ المَوتُ قالَ إِنّي تُبتُ الآنَMigration will not end until repentance ends, and repentance will not end until the sun rises in the west.
لا تنقطع الهجرة حتى تنقطع التوبة ولا تنقطع التوبة حتى تطلع الشمس من مغربهاThese five conditions are the conditions for repentance to be sincere and acceptable to Allah. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.