REPENT

 IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS AND THE MOST MERCIFUL

I just wanted too ask you if you do something bad. And you want forgiveness. How do you do that? How do you repent?

Repentance is a beautiful thing and any sinner can repent to Allah, and if he repents sincerely to Allah, and satisfies the conditions of repentance, then rest assured by the Mercy of Allah He will be forgiven. And we should never despair of the Mercy of Allah nor make others despair of His mercy.

Sincere repentance has the following conditions:

1. The person must recognize that he or she has committed a sin and truly regret having done so.

2. The person must have a sincere resolve never to commit the sin again.

3. The person must turn to God in humility and ask for forgiveness.

4. If the sin had caused harm to someone else, the person must make every attempt to redress the harm.

If a person repents with true sincerity and conviction, then the reward is Allah’s forgiveness. Repentance is a form of worship. Allah loves when His servants turn to Him alone for forgiveness.

If you sin again, then just perform the 4 conditions described above again. You can do this as many times as you like for there is no limit in asking Allah for forgiveness and the gate of repentance and seeking forgiveness is always open, unless we are on the deathbed and our soul is departing or the day of judgment has arrived.

There is also a general type of repentance, which is simply the act of asking Allah for forgiveness. It includes saying “Astaghfirullah”. It is a supplication and a remembrance of Allah that can be engaged in at any time. It does not have to be said only after knowingly committing a sin.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Verily I ask Allah for forgiveness more than seventy times a day.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

There are numerous verses in the Qur’an regarding this practice. Allah says: “But ask forgiveness of your Lord, and turn unto him (in repentance): for my Lord is indeed full of mercy and loving-kindness.” [Surah Hud: 90]

Allah also says: “If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come unto thee and asked Allah’s forgiveness and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed oft-returning, most merciful.” [Surah al-Nisa’: 64]

The evidence from the Sunnah indicates that performing wudu’ and offering prayer are reasons for our sins to be forgiven.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When a Muslim worshipper performs wudu’ and washes his face, then every sin that he incurred by what his eyes fell upon comes out from his face with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, every sin that he incurred by way of his grasp comes out form his hands with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet, every sin that he incurred by way of his walking comes out from his feet with the last drop of water. Ultimately, he comes forth free of sin.” [Sahih al-Bukhari (360)]

There is also a hadith related about prayer washing away our sins like water.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The five daily prayers are like a running river at the door of someone’s house. He washes himself in it every day five times”.

Al-Hasan then said, rhetorically: “Would that leave any dirt?” [Sahih Muslim (1072)]

As for the prayer of repentance, it is preferred for a person who commits a sin to pray two units of prayer and make true repentance to Allah. This is called the repentance prayer.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whenever a servant commits a sin, then makes a proper wudu’ and prays two units of prayer and repents to Allah from that sin, Allah will accept his repentance.” [Musnad Ahmad with authentic line of transmission].

And Allah knows best!