Tawbah: repentance in Islam, its conditions and istighfar

التَّوْبَة

Tawbah is the sincere return to Allah after a sin. Allah loves those who repent and forgives all sins to whoever turns back to Him.

Tawbah, repentance in Islam: its conditions, the prayer of repentance and Sayyid al-Istighfar, Muslim Alim
Tawbah: dawn rising over a mosque after a night of rain, the sky clearing
After the night, the dawn: Allah’s forgiveness is always open.

Repentance in the Quran

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا
Qul ya ‘ibadiya alladhina asrafu ‘ala anfusihim la taqnatu min rahmatillah, inna Allaha yaghfirudh-dhunuba jami‘a

“Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.”

Surah Az-Zumar, 39:53

How to repent

  1. Stop the sin immediately.
  2. Regret sincerely: “Regret is repentance” (Ibn Majah, 4252).
  3. Resolve firmly not to do it again.
  4. Make amends: return what was taken, ask the wronged person for forgiveness.
  5. Pray two rak‘ahs and ask forgiveness (Abu Dawud, 1521).
  6. Increase good deeds: “Good deeds remove bad deeds” (Surah Hud, 11:114).
Wooden prayer beads on an open Quran, raindrops on a window
Istighfar on the prayer beads, morning and evening.

Sayyid al-Istighfar, the best request for forgiveness

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَىٰ عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa ant, khalaqtani wa ana ‘abduk, wa ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wa wa‘dika mastata‘t, a‘udhu bika min sharri ma sana‘t, abu’u laka bi ni‘matika ‘alayya, wa abu’u bi dhanbi, faghfir li fa innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa ant

“O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no deity but You. You created me and I am Your servant. I keep Your covenant and promise as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil I have done. I acknowledge Your favours upon me and I acknowledge my sin: forgive me, for none forgives sins but You.”

Sahih al-Bukhari, 6306

Whoever says it in the morning with conviction and dies that day will be among the people of Paradise, and likewise if said in the evening. Short formula: Astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilayh, “I ask Allah’s forgiveness and I repent to Him”. Find more formulas in the dhikr and Hisnul Muslim.

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Frequently asked questions

You may be wondering…

What are the conditions of tawbah?

Scholars name three towards Allah: stopping the sin, sincerely regretting it, and resolving not to return to it. If the sin concerns a person, a fourth is added: restoring their right or obtaining their forgiveness.

Does Allah forgive all sins?

Yes, for whoever repents sincerely: “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins” (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:53).

How is the prayer of repentance performed?

Perform good wudu, pray two rak‘ahs, then ask Allah for forgiveness. “No servant commits a sin, performs wudu well, prays two rak‘ahs and then asks Allah for forgiveness, except that Allah forgives him” (Abu Dawud, 1521).

Until when is repentance accepted?

As long as the soul has not reached the throat at the moment of death (At-Tirmidhi, 3537), and before the sun rises from the west, one of the major signs of the end of times (Sahih Muslim, 2703).

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