How Do I Repent

Prepared By:
1he Educational department of Daar Al-
Watan
1ranslated bv a team of specialists
under the supervision of the publisher
Daar Al-Watan Publishing
House
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All praise is due to Allaah the Forgiver oI sins.
Accepter oI repentance. Severe in punishment.
Opener oI the gates oI acceptance to those who seek
Iorgiveness and the Facilitator oI means Ior those
who repent. May Allaah send salutations and exalt
the mention oI Prophet Muhammad. who was sent as
a mercy to all mankind. his Iamily and companions.
Beloved brother! Most people do not know the
virtue oI repentance or its reality in order Ior them to
appreciate repentance and actually repent; and when
they do know its rank and virtue. they would not
know the way leading to it; and iI they Iind out the
way to it. they would not know how to start.
Beloved brother! Come with me and let us Iind
out the reality oI repentance and the way leading to
it. perhaps we can reach it.
We all make mistakes
Beloved brother! We all sin. we all make
mistakes. We strive to Allaah sometimes. and we
shy away at other times; we are mindIul oI Allaah at
times. and we become heedless other times. We are
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never sin-Iree. and we do make mistakes; we are not
inIallible. as the Prophet () said. "All the sons of
Aadam make mistakes; but the best of those who
make mistakes are those who frequentlv repent."
(Tirmidhi)
Being heedless and having shortcomings is a
part oI human nature. but it is Irom the mercy oI
Allaah that He opened the gate oI repentance Ior
mankind. and commanded us to turn towards Him
with obedience whenever we are overwhelm with
sins. Were it not Ior this. mankind would have been
in a serious situation. and we would have been
unable to draw close to Allaah and would have lost
hope in repentance and Iorgiveness.
Where is the path to salvation?
You might say to me that you are seeking
happiness and salvation and are hoping to be
Iorgiven. but you do not know the way leading to it
nor where to start. You are like a drowning person
who wants someone to take his hand and rescue him.
like a person who lost his way. who awaits aid. You
need to see the light oI hope. but where is the way
leading to happiness and salvation?
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Beloved brother! The way is clear and obvious;
there is only one way. which is the way oI
repentance; that is the way towards salvation and
success; it is a Iacilitated way. and it is open every
second. All you have to do is approach it. and you
will Iind the response. as Allaah says what means.
"And verilv, I am indeed forgiving to him who
repents, believes (in Mv Oneness, and associates
none in worship with Me) and does righteous good
deeds, and then remains constant in doing them
(till his death)." (Taa Haa.82) Allaah called upon
all His slaves. both believers and disbelievers. to
repent. and He inIormed that He Iorgives all sins Ior
those who repent. regardless oI the extent and
greatness oI these sins. Allaah says what means.
"Sav: :O Mv slaves who have transgressed against
themselves (bv committing evil deeds and sins)!
Despair not of the Mercv of Allaah, verilv, Allaah
forgives all sins. 1rulv, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.' " (Az-Zumar.53)
What is repentance?
Repentance turning Irom all that Allaah hates
inwardly and outwardly. to all that Allaah loves
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inwardly and outwardly. It is the highest oI all ranks;
it is the shunning oI sins due to the Iear oI Allaah
and realizing the ugliness oI sins. It is Ieeling
remorse oI sins. and determining not to commit it
again; it is to return to Allaah in what is remaining in
his liIe.
Whv should vou repent?
Beloved brother! You should repent because
repentance is:
A Iorm oI obedience to your Lord. Ior He has
commanded to do so. Allaah says what means.
"O vou who believe! 1urn to Allaah with
sincere repentance." (At-Tahreem.8)
A reason Ior your success in this liIe and the
HereaIter. Allaah says what means. "And all of
vou beg Allaah to forgive vou all, O believers,
that vou mav be successful." (An-Noor.31)
A reason Ior gaining the love oI Allaah. Allaah
says what means. "1rulv, Allaah loves those
who turn unto Him in repentance and loves
those who purifv themselves." (Al-
Baqarah.222) There is no happiness more than
that which occurs by knowing that your Lord
loves you when repent.
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A reason Ior entering Paradise and being saved
Irom Hell. Allaah says what means. "1hen,
there succeeded them those who gave up As-
Salaat (the pravers) [i.e. made their Salaat
(pravers) to be lost, either bv not offering them
or bv not offering them perfectlv or bv not
offering them in their proper fixed timesj and
have followed lusts. So, thev will be thrown in
Hell. Except those who repent and believe (in
the Oneness of Allaah and His Messenger
Muhammad), and work righteousness. Such
will enter Paradise and thev will not be
wronged in the least." (Marvam.59-60) Is there
any other obiective one would seek to achieve
better than entering Paradise?
A reason Ior receiving rain. increase oI
strength and gaining children and wealth. Allaah
says what means. " :And O mv people! Ask
forgiveness of vour Lord and then repent to
Him, He will send vou (from the skv) abundant
rain, and add strength to vour strength, so do
not turn awav as criminals or disbelievers in
the Oneness of Allaah' " (Hood.25) He also
said. "I said (to them): "Ask forgiveness from
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vour Lord, verilv, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will
send rain to vou in abundance, And give vou
increase in wealth and children, and bestow on
vou gardens and bestow on vou rivers."
(Nooh.10-12)
A reason Ior Iorgiving sins and replacing them
into reward. Allaah says what means. "Except
those who repent and believe (in Islaamic
Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for
those, Allaah will change their sins into good
deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful." (Al-Furqaan.70)
Beloved brother! Don`t you think that these
virtues as well as many others which we did not
mention are worth repenting Ior? Why are you
stingy with yourselI in an issue which results in your
happiness? Why do you oppress yourselI and
deprive yourselI Irom gaining the pleasure and
acceptance oI Allaah?
How do I repent?
Beloved brother! I Ieel you want to say. 'I want
to return to my Lord; I want to repent; I realize that
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happiness is not in Iollowing my desires and lusts or
committing sins. On the other hand. I Ieel you
might not know the way to repentance. or how to
start.
Allow me to tell you that when Allaah wills
good Ior one oI His slaves. He Iacilitates Ior him the
means that would help achieve it The Iollowing are
some things which would help you to repent.
Being sincere in your intention and truthIul in
your repentance. Ior Allaah would then help you
and keep away Irom you obstacles which might
hinder you Irom repenting. Allaah says what
means. "1hus it was, that We might turn awav
from him evil and illegal sexual intercourse.
Surelv, he was one of Our chosen (guided)
slaves." (Yoosuf.24)
Holding yourselI accountable Ior what you do.
Ior selI-reproach encourages you to do good.
helps you reIrain Irom evil and helps you make
up Ior what has passed.
Reminding yourselI. admonishing your soul.
terriIying it Irom the punishment. and saying to
it. 'Repent beIore you die Ior death comes
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suddenly. reminding yourselI with the death oI
acquaintances. and remembering that you will
meet death regardless what you do. The grave
will be your abode. dust will be your mattress.
and worms will be your company. Don`t you
Iear that the angel oI death would come to you
while you are committing a sin? Will regret do
you any good then? Will crying and sorrow be oI
any beneIit?
Keeping yourselI away Irom the places oI
sinning. Ior staying away Irom the places in
which you used to commit sins helps you repent.
Staying away Irom bad company. because you
will be aIIected by their habits. and know that
they will not leave you alone. Ior Satan is aIter
them to lead them. and perhaps push them to do
evil. Change your telephone number. your
residence iI possible. and the roads you use to
Irequently travel upon.
Remembering the evil consequence oI sinning.
because this will help you shun sins initially. and
then repent Irom them.
Showing your selI Paradise. by reminding it with
the greatness oI Paradise and what Allaah Has in
it Ior the pious who Ieared; reminding yourselI
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with Hell and what Allaah Has prepared in it Ior
those who disobey Him.
Keeping yourselI busy with what beneIits you
and avoiding sitting Iree. Ior iI you do not keep
yourselI busy with what is virtuous. it will lead
you to become busy doing what is evil. An
addition to that. idle leads to seeking company
even iI they were evil.
Going against your desires. Ior desires are the
most dangerous thing. and that is why Allaah
says what means. "Have vou (O Muhammad )
seen him who has taken as his ilaah (god) his
own vain desire." (Al-Furqaan.43)
What are the conditions for a sincere
repentance?
1. Sinceritv to Allaah: The reason behind
repentance should be the love oI Allaah.
gloriIying Him. hoping Ior His reward and
Iorgiveness. Iear Irom His punishment;
repentance should not be Ior the sake oI coming
close to a person and seeking a worldly gain
behind it. Allaah says what means. "Except
those who repent (from hvpocrisv), do righteous
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good deeds, hold fast to Allaah, and purifv their
religion for Allaah (bv worshipping none but
Allaah, and do good for Allaah's sake onlv, not
to show off), then thev will be with the
believers." (An-Nisaa.146)
2. Refrain from sinning: Repentance will not be
true and accepted iI a person continues to
commit sins while in the process oI repentance.
On the other hand. committing the same sin aIter
sincere repentance would not void the Iirst
repentance. but he will need to repent again.
3. Admitting to the sin: No one can repent Irom
something he does not consider as a sin.
4. Regretting the sins: Repentance is sincere when
a person regrets it and Ieels sorrow because oI it;
and it would not be accepted Irom the one who
brags about his sins. and that is why the Prophet
(). said. "Regretting is repenting." (Ahmad &
ibn Maaiah)
5. Determination not to return to the sin again:
Repentance would not be accepted Irom
someone who intends to return to the same sin
aIter his repentance; rather he should intend
never to commit the sin again in the Iuture.
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6. Returning people's rights to them: II the sin
was related to other people`s rights. then one
must return these rights to those whom he took
them Irom iI he wants his repentance to be
correct and accepted. The Prophet (). said "He
who took someone's rights, then let him free
himself from it todav before the dav will come
when no benefit will be from gold and silver. If
the person has rewards it will be taken from his
rewards as much as what he oppressed and
took from others, and if he has no rewards,
then their sins will be added to him."
(Bukhaari)
7. Repenting during the time when it is accepted:
Repentance is accepted beIore the moment oI
death and beIore the sun rises Irom the west. The
Prophet (). said. "Allaah spreads His Hand
during the night (in a wav which befits His
Maiestv) so that the sinners of the dav would
repent, and spreads His Hand during the dav,
so that the sinners of the night would repent,
until the sun rises from the west." (Muslim) and
he (). also said. "Ao repentance is accepted at
the moment of death." (Ahmad & Tirmidhi)
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What are the signs for the acceptance of
repentance?
Becoming better than the condition you were in
beIore repentance.
Continuously Iearing retuning to the same sin.
Ior no one should Ieel saIe while he does not
know what Allaah Has decreed Ior him; Iear
should accompany you until you hear the angels
say. as Allaah says what means. "Fear not, nor
grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise
which vou have been promised." (Fussilat.30)
Only then Iear and worry would disappear.
Feeling the greatness oI what he committed.
even iI he has already repented. Ibn Masood
() said. 'As a result of his sin. a believer feels
as though he is sitting under a mountain which
he fears will fall on his head. On the other hand.
a sinner feels that his sins are iust like a flv
which landed on his nose and that he can simplv
drive it awav bv a simple move of his hand.`
Feeling humbleness and humility in your heart
with your Lord; there is nothing dearer to Allaah
than seeing His slave humbling and humiliating
himselI with Him. regretting and repenting.
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continuously mentioning Allaah.
Being aware oI the actions oI the limbs. You
should guard your tongue Irom lying. backbiting.
and tale-carrying. you should keep yourselI busy
with remembering and mentioning Allaah and
reciting the Qur`aan. You should guard your
stomach Irom eating ill-gotten provision. You
should guard your sight and not to look at
prohibited things. You should guard your
hearing and not to listen to music. lying or
backbiting. You he should guard your hands and
legs and not to use them in anything prohibited.
You should guard your heart and not envy or
hate anyone. You should guard your obedience
and make it sincere and stay away Irom show
oII.
Beware of delaving
Beloved brother! No one knows when he will
die or how much is leIt Irom his time; it is sad to see
some people delaying repentance saying. it is not
time Ior it yet. let us enioy our lives and when we
become old we will repent. This is Irom Satan and
Iollowing the desires oI this vanishing liIe. Satan
promises man while he has no power to grant man
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anything. ThereIore. you should rush immediately to
repentance. and beware oI heedlessness. delaying.
and Ieeling that you still have a long liIe to live.
Beloved brother! Rush to repentance and beware
oI delaying repentance. because delaying. itselI. is a
sin that needs repentance. Immediate repentance
Irom sins is mandatory. so repent beIore death;
repent beIore the time will come and regret will not
beneIit you. You do not know when your time will
Iinish. Repent beIore the darkness overwhelms your
heart and sins become a habit. Repent beIore you
become sick and then die without getting the chance
to repent.
Do not be deceived bv the favours of
Allaah
Beloved brother! Some people excessively sin
and disobey. and when you try to talk to them about
repentance they say. there are many people who
openly disobey Allaah day and night and their sins
Iilled the globe. yet they are very rich and the
Iavours upon them are abundant. Those who say
such words Iorget that Allaah grants these worldly
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gains to Whom He loves and Whom He does not
love. and that this could be a way oI gradually
punishing them. and that He delays them. but when
He does punish them it is severe. The Prophet ()
said. "If vou see that Allaah Has bestowed favours
upon someone although he is sinning, then know
that it is a wav of graduallv punishing him." He
() then recited the verse in which Allaah savs
what means, :So, when thev forgot (the warning)
with which thev had been reminded, We opened for
them the gates of everv (pleasant) thing, until in
the midst of their enjovment in that which thev
were given, all of a sudden, We took them (in
punishment), and lo! 1hev were plunged into
destruction with deep regrets and sorrows. So the
root of the people who did wrong was cut off. And
all the praises and thanks are to Allaah, the Lord
of the 'Aalameen (mankind, jinn, and all that
exists).' " (Al-Anaam.44-45) (Ahmad)