Repentance (Tawbah)

Tawba (Arabic: توبة‎ alternatively spelled: tevbe or tawbah, Turkish: tövbe) is the Islamic concept of repenting to God due to performing any sins and misdeeds. It is a direct matter between a person and God, so there is no intercession. There is no original sin in Islam.

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Forgiveness . Sin . Repentance (Tawbah)

I have been unable to pray for a long time. I have been sinning and, although I repented a lot, but I keep doing them again to a point where I am too ashamed to ask for forgiveness. Is there a way out?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 month ago

Forgiveness Gate is open for all the believers in Allah who committed sinful acts as far as they did not reach to dying situation. Allah (SWT) loves those who repent and sincerely decide not to continue sinning and seek forgiveness. The Hadeeth Qudsi reported the Allah says: I love those who repent their sins and leave and my love is more to the young person who sincerely repents his sins and decides not to commit is again.

There is no question of feeling ashamed as far as you are really repenting and sincerely doing your best to make up what you have missed.

Do your best to fulfill the obligatory worship and trust the Allah is The Most Merciful and The Best Forgiver.

Those who are not sure and don't care for leaving the sinful acts and making up the missed worship should feel ashamed.

May Allah (SWT) protect all of us from any sinful act.

'Wassalam.

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Zina . Forgiveness . Future . Spouse . Sin . Repentance (Tawbah)

I have committed Zina in the past and have repented and asked for forgiveness. Is there anything else I can do to ensure I am forgiven? Am I also required to tell my future spouse about my sin?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 1 month ago

Bishimi ta'ala

I will not lecture you about God's comparison and mercy, as you must be well aware of how the Almighty forgives all sins, and cleans our slates once we turn to Him with sincere repentance.

It is forgetting the past that you must be focusing on, and how you are able to develop a level of piety that you will enter into a new phase in your life, based on religious devotion and spiritual growth. That will not just ensure you've been forgiven, but also keep you on the straight path.

Your sin is between you and Allah ta'ala, and you must not reveal it to anybody. From a shar'i perspective, you do not need to tell your future spouse your previous sin.

Once you have changed your ways and sincerely forgiven, and became more religiously active and aware, then you live your life normally, and think positively for the future, not allowing the past to define who you are.

With prayers for your success.

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Shirk . Intention . Salah (Prayers) . Repentance (Tawbah)

While I was praying I realized that there was a picture before me depicting people. I immediately placed it elsewhere and repented to Allah. Did I commit Shirk for unintentionally bowing to the picture even though my intention was to bow only to Allah?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 2 months ago

Insofar as you are not intentionally worshipping or praying to the picture or the people and just had it there by accident, it is not shirk. However it is better not to pray in front of the picture (and you fixed that anyway so that is not a problem). Accidents happen!

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Sin . Children . Repentance (Tawbah)

I had a child out of wedlock but I have repented and I feel like I am closer to God than I was before and I try to do good. Will I still be questioned about my sin?

Bismihi ta'ala

If you have repented a sincere repentance, then of course the Almighty would have forgiven you. Allah ta'ala has described Himself as the All-compassionate, the All-merciful, and also al-Ghafur, or the All-forgiving.

You should also strive towards obtaining higher levels of spirituality and perform righteous deeds to keep yourself on the right path, and also be a positive role model for the child as well. Try to nurture him/her in a noble way, introducing them to Islamic principles and the teachings of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

With prayers for your success.

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Adultery . Marriage . Repentance (Tawbah)

If a wife cheats on her husband by committing adultery with another man, would their marriage become invalid? If so, can they remarry after she repents?

Bismihi ta'ala

As we know, marital betrayal of this kind is a serious problem and a grave sin. Froma fiqhi perspective, she is still married to her husband, and although she committed zina, her marriage to her husband is still valid. She does need to repent, but she does not need to remarry her husband.

And Allah knows best.

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Sin . Fear . Punishment . Repentance (Tawbah) . God (Allah)

Is it okay that, when I sin, I repent out of fear of punishment from Allah rather than out of feelings of remorse?

Repentance needs real feeling of sorrow on committing the sinful act and firm decision not to do it again. If you just fear the punishment but do not sincerely feel sorry for committing the sin or you did not decide to refrain from doing it again, then there is no question of forgiveness.

Wassalam.

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Repentance (Tawbah) . Theft

I went to a school exchange in Germany and I've stolen a lipstick from the girl of the host family who were non-Muslims. I've repented, but unable to return it, because I don't have any contact with her nor will I ever see her again. What should I do?

Muslim must be honest and truthful when dealing with any human being, Muslims and non Muslims. Steeling is a major sin. You must try your best to reach to the host family and return the item to the owner. You should ask every one who may be able to guide you to the owner.

If your search does not lead you to the owner, and you lose hope in reaching to them, then you should pay the original value of the item to poor and needy as a Sadaqa on behalf of the owner.

Wassalam.

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Apostasy (Irtidad) . Repentance (Tawbah) . Forgiveness

Can a Fitri apostate repent and turn to Allah and be forgiven by Him?

Allah forgives those who sincerely repent and return to Him. He knows the intention of every one.

Wassalam.

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Repentance (Tawbah)

What is the best form of Tawba?

From Ameerul Momineen (AS):
Seeking forgiveness is the degree of highest level believers. It is a name that has six components :
First: Regret for the past.
Second: Determination to never do it again.
Third: to give back the creatures their rights so that you return to God Almighty with out carry that burden.
Fourth: To intend to perform every obligation that you have missed.
Fifth: to deliberate on the flesh that grew from Haraam to dissolve it with sadness until the skin is affixed to the bone and new flesh arises between them.
Sixth: Make your body taste the pain of obedience, as the sweetness of disobedience inflicted on it.

Wassalam.

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Repentance (Tawbah) . Qiyama

If a Muslim repents for the wrong deeds he performed in the past, will he be questioned about them on the Day of Judgement?

The narrated Hadeeth says: The person who sincerely repents his sins is like a person who has no sins. التائب من الذنب كمن لا ذنب له

It depends on the degree of the sincerity in the repentance and the firm decision not to commit that sin again.

Some very sincere believers who committed sinful acts in their past, then repented and became very pious, not only get forgiveness, but their sins are transferred into good deeds, as we read in Quran (Exceot those who repent and believe and do good, those whose sinful deeds will be changed by Allah into good deeds, verily Allah forging and merciful) (Al-Forqan:70).

Narrated Hadeeth says: When a believer sincerely repents and become pious, Allah makes people and angels who witnessed his previous sins, gorges his sins.

'Wassalam.

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Sin . Repentance (Tawbah) . Forgiveness

If someone committed one of the major sins knowingly time after time but then stops it and repents sincerely and promises God not to do it again, will he be forgiven?

Abbas Di Palma, Shaykh Abbas Di Palma holds a BA and an MA degree in Islamic Studies, and certifications from the Language Institute of Damascus University. He has also studied traditional Islamic sciences in... Answered 10 months ago

as salam alaikum

Indeed Allah is the Doer of whatever He wills (11:107). At the same time He has taken upon Himself mercy (6:12). If repentance is done sincerely and with remorse, and the promise to God not to sin again is accompanied with true resolution, Allah is the All-Forgiver.

However if some duty has been missed (like prayer or fasting) or if the rights of some people has been violated (like in the case of stealing or backbiting), the person should also make-up for those errors and/or adjust what has been violated.

With prayers for your success.

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Sin . Repentance (Tawbah)

If someone commits a sin, and right after committing that sin he repents to Allah with Tobah, will that person be forgiven if this process happens repeatedly?

Sayyed Muhammad Husaini Ragheb, Sayyed Muhammad Husaini Ragheb has a BA in Law from Guilan University, Iran and has also undertaken Hawzah studies in Qom. He is a Cultural Affairs director of Ethics Group of Al-Mustafa Open... Answered 10 months ago

Assalamu Alaikum
Allah (swt) states in the Holy Quran that He will forgive all the sins:
Surah Zumar(39) verse (59)
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say [that Allah declares,] ‘O My servants who have committed excesses against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed Allah will forgive all sins. Indeed, He is the All-forgiving, the All-merciful.

But we have to bear in mind that repentance has some conditions:

Tawbah is not accepted from one who merely declares, “I repent.” There are a number of conditions that must be fulfilled before the acceptance of Tawbah. These are mentioned below in the following hadith:

• It is narrated that someone said: Astaghfirullah (I seek God's forgiveness) before Imam ‘Ali (a). He said to him. "May your mother mourn for you! Do you know what istighfar is? Verily istighfar is a degree of the 'illiyyun (people of high station) and it is a word that means six things. First is remorse over the past. Second, the resolution not to return to it ever. Third, to return to creatures their (formerly usurped) rights so that you meet God Almighty in a state of purity in which no one has any claim against you. Fourth, that you fulfil every duty that you neglected in order to satisfy your obligation in respect to it. Fifth, that you attend to the flesh of your body that has grown on unlawful nourishment so that it melts away as a result of grief and mourning and your skin adheres to your bones, after which new flesh grows in its place. Sixth, that you make your body taste the pain of obedience in the same way as it earlier tasted the pleasure of sins. When you have done these things then say Astaghfirullah! [Nahj al‑Balagha, saying # 417]

This noble tradition mentions two prerequisites for Tawbah (remorse and resolution), two important conditions for its acceptance (returning the rights of creatures and of the Creator), and finally two points for the perfection of repentance.