One of the prerequisites of correct repentance is a special dejection of the heart — something incomparable to anything else. It occurs only to the sinner. It is not produced by hunger, nor by spiritual exercises, nor by mere love. Rather, it is something beyond all these matters. It cleaves the heart completely before the Lord Almighty, surrounding it from every side and casting the servant before his Lord — broken, humiliated, and submissive.

All of these conditions produce humility, diffidence, and self-abasement, which are immensely beneficial to the servant. They are among the greatest sources of strength and the surest means of drawing him closer to his Master.

True repentance is very difficult in reality, yet very easy upon the tongue and in mere pretension. A sincere person does not experience anything more difficult than genuine and truthful repentance.

لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ
Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh
There is no power and no strength except with Allah.

Most people who avoid obvious major sins are nevertheless involved in sins similar to them — or even greater or lesser than them — without realizing that what they do are sins requiring repentance. They despise those who commit major sins and feel proud of their own good deeds. They display happiness in their behavior and expect people to praise them for their piety. Yet the consequences of their actions may be more hateful to Allah than the major sins of those they look down upon.

If Allah Almighty causes one of them to fall into a major sin in order to humble him and remove the arrogance of self-righteous deeds from his heart, then it is a mercy for him. This is similar to His mercy toward those who commit major sins and then turn to Him in sincere repentance with submissive hearts. It is a mercy for both. Otherwise, both are in danger.

End quote.

Allah’s help is sought.

— Adapted from the book Tawbah: Turning to Allah in Repentance by Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (رحمه الله).