Repentance: Its Meaning and Conditions

Question:
Tell us about repentance, what are its conditions, and what is the meaning of sincere repentance?

Answer:
Answer: Repentance is returning from disobedience to obedience. It is obligatory, as Allah says: “And turn to Allah all of you, O you who believe, that you may be successful.” Therefore, it is obligatory for a Muslim, if he commits a sin, to hasten to repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Allah repents for whoever repents, as He says: “And I am indeed the Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does good, then guides himself.” This is from the favor of Allah (Mighty and Majestic); He commanded repentance and promised that He will accept the repentance of whoever repents and forgive his sin. However, repentance is not merely with the tongue. Repentance has conditions that must be fulfilled. These conditions are: The first condition: Abandoning the sin and staying away from it. One should not say he repents to Allah while he has not left the sin and abandoned it. The second condition: Resolving not to return to it a second time. If he repents to Allah, but intends in his heart to return to the sin at another time, then his repentance is temporary, and Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) does not accept it. The third condition: Feeling regret for what has passed. He should visualize this sin and fear it. He should not say, “I have repented, and that is enough.” Let him be afraid of this sin so that he has regret for what occurred from him. These are the conditions of repentance. If they are fulfilled, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) will accept the repentance, as He promised.