Taubatan Nasūḥa

Lit. “Sincere Repentance.”

📘 Exegesis of Repentance: Understanding Taubatan Nasūḥa Through the Lens of the Mufassirīn

Surah At-Tahrīm (66:8)

يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا تُوۡبُوۡۤا اِلَى اللّٰهِ تَوۡبَةً نَّصُوۡحًا ؕ عَسٰى رَبُّكُمۡ اَنۡ يُّكَفِّرَ عَنۡكُمۡ سَيِّاٰتِكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلَـكُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ ۙ يَوۡمَ لَا يُخۡزِى اللّٰهُ النَّبِىَّ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَهٗ ۚ نُوۡرُهُمۡ يَسۡعٰى بَيۡنَ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَبِاَيۡمَانِهِمۡ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ رَبَّنَاۤ اَ تۡمِمۡ لَـنَا نُوۡرَنَا وَاغۡفِرۡ لَـنَا ۚ اِنَّكَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ‏

66:8. O you who believe, turn to Allah in sincere repentance; it may be that your Lord will absolve you of your bad deeds and admit you to gardens through which rivers flow, on a day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their light will stream ahead of them and on their right, and they will say: Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us; verily You have power over all things.

Commentary

تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّـهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا
(“…Turn to Allah with a faithful repentance…” — 66:8)

The word taubah literally means “to turn” or “to return,” in the sense of turning away from or withdrawing from sins. In the terminology of the Qur’an and Sunnah, it signifies “to regret committing sins in the past and to firmly resolve to abstain from them in the future.”

Tawbah is described in the verse by the term نصوح (nasūḥ). If understood as derived from naṣaḥa / naṣīḥah, it conveys the meaning of purity and sincerity. Alternatively, if derived from naṣaḥa in the sense of mending a garment, it signifies repairing clothes by sewing, implying the rectification of what has been torn or damaged.

In terms of the first meaning, the expression nasūḥ signifies sincere or faithful repentance — repentance free from pretence and hypocrisy. In this interpretation, a sinner is required to regret the sins he has committed and to give them up purely for the pleasure of Allah and out of fear of Divine chastisement.

In terms of the second meaning, nasūḥ would signify that “the sinner is required to repair the torn clothes of righteous deeds.”

Sayyidnā Ḥasan al-Baṣrī (رحمه الله) says that taubatan nasūḥa signifies that a person should regret his past evil actions and make a firm resolve never to repeat them.

Kalbī says the phrase taubatan nasūḥa signifies that a person should pray for pardon with his tongue, feel regret in his heart, and prevent the limbs of his body from committing sins in the future.

Sayyidnā ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) was asked about the meaning of taubah, and he replied that it consists of six elements:

To regret one’s past evil deeds;
To fulfill the Divine duties that were neglected;
To restore the rights that were usurped;
To seek forgiveness from the person who was wronged, whether physically or verbally;
To make a firm resolve to avoid the sin in the future; and
To dedicate oneself to the obedience of Allah with the same zeal with which one previously indulged in His disobedience.
(Mazhari)

In fact, all the conditions of taubah mentioned by Sayyidnā ʿAlī (رضي الله عنه) are recognized by the scholars. However, some have described them concisely, while others have elaborated on them in greater detail.

عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ
(“It is hoped from your Lord that He will write off your faults…” — 66:8)

The verb ‘asā means “it is hoped.” In this context, however, it conveys the meaning of a promise. The expression of “hope” is used to indicate that taubah (repentance), or any other righteous deeds, are not the just or equal price for attaining Paradise or Divine forgiveness.

In fact, part of the recompense for a person’s good deeds has already been granted in this world in the form of worldly blessings. Therefore, according to the principle of equality, it is not necessary that one be further rewarded with Jannah. Salvation and entry into Paradise depend entirely on Divine grace and favour.

This is supported by a ḥadīth in which the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Your actions alone cannot salvage you.”

The Companions inquired, “O Messenger of Allah, not even you?”
He replied:

“No, not even me — unless the Divine grace and mercy of Allah cover me.”
(Bukhārī and Muslim, as quoted in Mazhari)

— Ma‘āriful Qur’ān, Vol. 8, p. 192

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًا
O you who believe!
Turn to Allah with sincere repentance — a true and firm repentance that erases the evil deeds that preceded it and mends the shortcomings of the repenting person, encouraging and directing him to abandon the evil he used to commit.

Allah said:
عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ
It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins and admit you into Gardens beneath which rivers flow.

And when Allah says “it may be,” it means He shall — for His promise is certain.

يَوْمَ لَا يُخْزِي اللَّهُ النَّبِيَّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ
The Day that Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believe with him.
Meaning: on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not disgrace those who believed in the Prophet.

نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَى بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَانِهِمْ
Their light will run forward before them and in their right hands,
as explained in Surah Al-Hadid.

They will say:
يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things.”

Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, and others said:
“This is the statement that the believers will say on the Day of Resurrection when they witness the light of the hypocrites being extinguished.”

Imam Ahmad recorded that a man from the tribe of Banu Kinanah said:
“I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during the year of the Conquest (of Makkah) and heard him say:

اللَّهُمَّ لَا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
‘O Allah! Do not disgrace me on the Day of Resurrection.’”

— Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, explanation of Surah At-Tahrīm (66:8)

In the present world, man has been placed under trial, and as such, he is liable to commit errors. In compensation for this, he must turn towards God in repentance.

True repentance arises from a sense of shame. If a person fully realizes his mistake, he will feel ashamed, and this sense of shame will compel him not to repeat the same action in the future. This is why a ḥadīth states:

“Being ashamed is repentance.”

A Companion of the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“True repentance is a person turning towards God and then refraining from repeating that action.”

Repentance must be demonstrated through actions; it is not merely the repetition of words. Once, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) saw an individual who, after committing a mistake, was simply repeating the words “tawbah, tawbah.” ʿAlī said that this was the repentance of liars.

True Tawbah is the light of the Hereafter, while false Tawbah is the darkness of the Hereafter.

— Tazkirul Qur’an, commentary on Tawbah

Furthermore, in this verse, Allah enjoins sincere repentance, and promises in return expiation of bad deeds, admittance to paradise, triumph and success, when the believers on the Day of Resurrection will walk in the light of their faith, and will enjoy its comfort and reassurance.

They will feel apprehensive when the lights that were given to the hypocrites are extinguished, and they will ask Allah to perfect their light for them. Allah will answer their prayer, and what they have of light and certainty will enable them to reach the gardens of bliss and nearness to the Most Generous Lord. All of this will be the outcome of sincere repentance.

What is meant is repentance that includes all sins—repentance with which a person turns to Allah seeking nothing but His pleasure and nearness to Him, and he persists in that repentance in all situations.

— Tafsīr As-Sa‘dī, commentary on Surah At-Tahrīm (66:8)

End quote.

May Allah ﷻ make us among those who repent with Taubatan Nasūḥa.

Aameen!