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Sharḥ Bāb at-Tawbah

Commentary on the Chapters of Repentance from Riyāḍ as-Ṣāliḥīn by Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn (رحمه الله)

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The scholars say:
It is necessary to repent from every sin. If the offence involves the right of Allah and not a human, then there are three conditions that must be met in order for that repentance to be accepted by Allah:

1. To desist from committing the sin.
2. To feel sorry for committing it.
3. To decide not to recommit it.

Any repentance that fails to meet any of these three conditions would not be sound. However, if the sin involves a person’s right, it requires a fourth condition — namely, to absolve oneself from the owner’s right. If it concerns property, he should return it to its rightful owner. If it involves slander or backbiting, he should seek pardon from the offended person.

One should also repent from all sins. If he repents from some, his repentance would still be sound according to the people of sound knowledge. He should, however, repent from the rest as well. Scriptural proofs from the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the scholars support the obligation of repentance.

Allah, the Exalted says in the Qur’an:

وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“And all of you beg Allah to forgive you, O believers, that you may be successful.” (An-Nūr, 24:31)

Also, Allah, the Exalted says:

وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ

“Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance.” (Hūd, 11:3)

The Exalted also says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا

“O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance.” (At-Taḥrīm, 66:8)

The Meaning of Tawbah (Repentance)

Linguistically, Tawbah (repentance) means to renounce or turn away from a certain matter. In the Shariah, it refers to returning from the disobedience of Allah, the Exalted to His obedience.

The greatest and most obligatory form of repentance is that which is from kufr (disbelief in Allah) to īmān (belief and faith in Allah), as Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an:

قُلْ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَنْتَهُوا يُغْفَرْ لَهُمْ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَ

“Say to those who disbelieve, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven.” (Al-Anfāl, 8:38)

The third type of repentance is from minor sins.

Thus, seeking repentance is deemed obligatory for every sin committed. For an individual’s repentance to be accepted, there are three conditions as mentioned by the author; however, upon closer review, there are in fact five conditions:

The First Condition

That an individual repents sincerely and wholeheartedly to Allah alone. If this is done, Allah, the Exalted, will surely turn to him in forgiveness. Repentance should not be done to show off, to please people in order to gain their favour, or to prevent harm from befalling one through the ruler or those in authority. Rather, it must be done solely for the pleasure of Allah and in hope of reward in the Hereafter. If repentance is done in this manner, Allah will overlook the servant’s faults.

The Second Condition

The individual must feel genuine regret for committing the sinful act, which is a clear indication that his (or her) repentance is truthful. This means that the person is saddened and grieved by the wrongdoing, recognizing that he has fallen short in his duty. He will not be freed from that sin until he sincerely repents to Allah, the Exalted.

The Third Condition

The individual must discontinue the act of disobedience, and this is the most important of all the conditions.

For example:

• If someone has neglected an obligatory act, such as paying Zakaat, and now wishes to repent to Allah, he must pay the Zakaat owed, including what he previously neglected.
• If he has fallen short in his duties or shown poor treatment towards his parents, he must begin treating them kindly and correctly.
• If he has cut ties with his parents, he must mend that relationship and maintain family ties.

Likewise, if a person has committed a forbidden act, he must immediately abstain from it. If his sin involved lying, cheating, or breaching trust, he must abandon those acts. If he has acquired wealth unlawfully, he is obligated to return that wealth to its rightful owner in order to be absolved of wrongdoing.

If the sin involved backbiting or reviling another, then the individual must completely abandon that act. If one claims to repent yet continues the sin, his repentance bears little fruit and is not accepted. Such repentance is, in fact, a mockery of Allah ﷻ. How can one claim to have repented to Allah while persisting in the very wrongdoing he claims to have abandoned?

To illustrate:
If you wronged someone and said,

“I am very sorry and feel great remorse for my behaviour! Please forgive me; I will not wrong you again,”

yet in your heart you intend to wrong him again, you are merely mocking that person. If this is mockery toward a fellow human, then what would it be when done toward Allah, the Lord of the worlds?

In truth, the repentant one is he who gives up the sin he is engaged in.

It is astonishing what some people do:
They claim to hate riba (interest), yet they eagerly pursue it — we seek refuge with Allah from this!
Another may condemn backbiting, yet he is among the worst backbiters.
Others claim to detest lying and betrayal, yet they are among the most deceitful and untrustworthy.

In short, if a Muslim wishes to turn toward Allah in repentance, he must first abandon the sin he is repenting from. Continuing the sin while claiming repentance is false and rejected by Allah, the Exalted.

If the wrongdoing is solely between the servant and Allah, it is sufficient for the servant to give up the sin and repent to Allah. Moreover, one is forbidden to speak of past sins after repentance, regardless of what they were, since Allah, the Exalted, has concealed them. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

كل أمتي معافى إلا المجاهرين
“Every one of my followers will be forgiven except those who expose (openly) their wrongdoings.”

In another narration, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

أن يفعل الذنب ثم يصبح مجاهرًا به يقول يا فلان عملت البارحة كذا وكذا
“A servant commits a sin, then in the morning he says to the people, ‘I committed such-and-such sin.’”

Some scholars have mentioned exceptions to this rule. If a person commits a wrongdoing that entails a ḥadd (prescribed punishment), it is permissible for him to present himself to the authorities for the punishment, if he sincerely wishes to purify himself. However, it is generally better not to do so, but to conceal one’s sin, as Allah, the Exalted, has concealed it.

This applies even to major sins such as zinā (fornication). One should not expose such acts to others. Surely Allah, the Exalted, forgives the repentant and overlooks their faults.

However, if the wrongdoing was against another person, such as regarding wealth or property, then Allah, the Exalted, will not accept one’s repentance until the right is restored to its rightful owner.

If that is not possible — for example, if the person wronged cannot be found — then the wrongdoer should give the equivalent amount in charity, seeking to absolve himself of the wrongdoing. Allah ﷻ knows the whereabouts of that person and will restore their due.

If possible, the wrongdoer should personally go to the one he wronged and seek forgiveness. For instance, if you struck someone unjustly, you should allow him to strike you back equally, as Allah, the Exalted, says in the Qur’an:

وَجَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ سَيِّئَةٌۭ مِّثْلُهَا

“The recompense for an evil is an evil like thereof.” (Ash-Shūrā, 42:40)

And He, the Exalted, also says:

فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ

“Then whoever transgresses against you, transgress likewise against him.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:194)

If the wrongdoing involved verbal abuse, reviling, or cursing, the wrongdoer must go to the person, seek his forgiveness, and, if requested, compensate him reasonably.

Regarding backbiting, scholars have differed on how to repent from it:

• Some say one must go to the person who was backbitten and admit,“O so-and-so, I said such-and-such about you; please forgive me.”
• Others say this requires clarification:
  • If the person knows you spoke ill of him, you must seek his forgiveness.
  • But if he does not know, it is better not to inform him. Instead, ask Allah to forgive him and speak well of him in the same gatherings where you spoke ill — for good deeds erase bad ones.

The latter view is considered the stronger and more correct. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“The expiation for backbiting an individual is seeking forgiveness for him (or her).”

In summary, for a person’s repentance to be accepted, he must return the rights of those he has wronged.

The Fourth Condition

The individual must resolve never to return to the act. However, if a person intends that — should they have the chance in the future to commit that sin again — they will do so, then such repentance is not accepted.

For example, consider an individual who uses his wealth to commit wrongdoing, such as purchasing alcohol or travelling to another country to commit zinā (fornication) — and we seek refuge with Allah from this. Suppose this person then becomes afflicted with poverty, and due to hardship, says:

“O Allah, I ask You to forgive me!”

In this case, the individual utters words of repentance, yet he is lying, for within his heart he intends that if he were to become wealthy again, he would commit the very same sin he claims to repent from. Such repentance is invalid, for what prevents him from sinning is not sincere remorse, but rather his financial difficulty.

Many people fall into this situation: when they are afflicted with poverty, they say, “I have given up such-and-such sin,” yet in their hearts they still desire and plan to return to it at the next opportunity.

The Fifth Condition

Repentance must be made at a time when it is accepted, for if a person repents when repentance is no longer accepted, it will be rejected. This is based on two reasons:

1. The Specific Case

This pertains to an individual’s own life — that is, repentance must occur before death overtakes him. Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an:

وَلَيْسَتِ التَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّي تُبْتُ الْآنَ

“And no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: ‘Now I repent.’” (An-Nisā’, 4:18)

So there is no repentance for such an individual. Allah, the Exalted, also says:

فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ وَكَفَرْنَا بِمَا كُنَّا بِهِ مُشْرِكِينَ
فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنفَعُهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا سُنَّتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ فِي عِبَادِهِ وَخَسِرَ هُنَالِكَ الْكَافِرُونَ

“So when they saw Our punishment, they said: ‘We believe in Allah alone and reject all that we used to associate with Him as partners.’
But their faith could not benefit them when they saw Our punishment. This has been the way of Allah in dealing with His servants, and there the disbelievers were utterly lost.” (Ghāfir, 40:84–85)

Thus, a person must regard death as imminent and should not delay repentance or fall into despair, thinking he has time.

2. The General Case

This refers to the time when repentance will no longer be accepted for anyone. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

لَا تَنْقَطِعُ الْهِجْرَةُ حَتَّى تَنْقَطِعَ التَّوْبَةُ، وَلَا تَنْقَطِعُ التَّوْبَةُ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا
“Hijrah will not cease until repentance ceases (to be accepted). And repentance will not cease (to be accepted) until the sun rises from the place where it sets (i.e., the west).”

When the sun rises from the west, repentance will no longer benefit anyone, as Allah, the Exalted, says:

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَن تَأْتِيَهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ رَبُّكَ أَوْ يَأْتِيَ بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ ۗ يَوْمَ يَأْتِي بَعْضُ آيَاتِ رَبِّكَ لَا يَنفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِن قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًا ۗ قُلِ انتَظِرُوا إِنَّا مُنتَظِرُونَ

“Do they then wait for anything other than that the angels should come to them, or that your Lord should come, or that some of the signs of your Lord should come?
On the day that some of the signs of your Lord do come, no good will it do to a soul to believe then, if it had not believed before or had earned no good through its faith.” (Al-An‘ām, 6:158)

This occurs after the sun rises from the west, as explained by the Prophet (ﷺ).

The Difference of Opinion Among Scholars

Scholars differ regarding whether repentance is accepted when a person persists in another sin:

1. First view: It is accepted — meaning, if a person repents from one sin but continues committing another, his repentance from the first is still valid, though he bears sin for what he persists in.
2. Second view: It is not accepted while persisting in another sin.
3. Third view (detailed): If the sins are of the same type, repentance is not accepted. But if they are different in nature, repentance is accepted.

For example:
If a person repents from riba (interest) but still commits zinā or drinks alcohol, some scholars reject such repentance, saying, “How can one claim repentance while continuing other sins?”
Others hold that repentance from riba is valid, as it is a distinct sin from zinā or drinking alcohol.

Among these views, Imām an-Nawawī (رحمه الله) considered the third — that repentance from one sin is accepted even if one persists in another — to be the correct view.

In conclusion, the correct view is that repentance is accepted while one persists upon another sin; however, such a person is not described as truly repentant (at-tā’ib), nor praised with that title, as his repentance is incomplete and deficient. This is the view I incline toward and find most convincing.

The Obligation of Repentance and Its Rewards

The author mentions evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah affirming the obligation of repentance from all sins — and indeed, he spoke the truth. The Qur’an and Sunnah both emphasize and encourage repentance.

Allah ﷻ clarifies that He loves those who repent and those who purify themselves. This means He, the Exalted, loves those who persistently turn to Him, seeking forgiveness whenever they fall into error. Allah, the Exalted, says:

وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“And all of you beg Allah to forgive you, O believers, that you may be successful.” (An-Nūr, 24:31)

Allah, the Exalted, mentions this after commanding believers to lower their gaze:

قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَيَحْفَظُوا فُرُوجَهُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَزْكَىٰ لَهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.). That is purer for them. Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.), and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils all over their Juyūbihinna (i.e., their bodies, faces, necks, and bosoms, etc.), and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e., their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigor, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you, O believers, that you may be successful.” (An-Nūr, 24:30–31)

This demonstrates that repentance includes turning away from forbidden glances and protecting one’s chastity, for these are among the greatest sources of moral corruption and temptation.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدِي فِتْنَةً أَضَرَّ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ
“I have not left behind me any trial more harmful to men than women.”

This is why our enemies among the Jews, Christians, polytheists, and those who imitate them, strive to make women a source of trial for Muslim men — by encouraging immodesty, public display, and mixing between the sexes through speech, film, and behaviour. We seek refuge with Allah from such evils.

The Prophet (ﷺ) also said:

مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ نَاقِصَاتِ عَقْلٍ وَدِينٍ أَذْهَبَ لِلُبِّ الرَّجُلِ الْحَازِمِ مِنْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ
“I have not seen anyone deficient in intelligence and religion who can take away the mind of a cautious, sensible man like one of you.”

If this is the case with a cautious, sensible man, what then of those weaker in faith and resolve? Truly, they are even more prone to temptation — and we seek refuge with Allah.

Hence, Allah, the Exalted, commanded:

وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“And all of you beg Allah to forgive you, O believers, that you may be successful.” (An-Nūr, 24:31)

We must therefore encourage one another to repent to Allah ﷻ and not be negligent in this matter.

In this verse, Allah addresses all believers collectively, saying:

“And all of you beg Allah to forgive you, O believers.”

This shows that repentance is one of the causes of true success. Scholars of tafsīr explain that “success” (falāḥ) in Arabic is comprehensive — it means attaining what is sought and being protected from what is feared.

Every human being desires good in this world and the Hereafter. Even disbelievers seek worldly comfort, but their pursuit is limited to material pleasures — eating, drinking, and procreation — much like animals. Allah, the Exalted, says:

إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِندَ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

“Verily, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are those who disbelieve, and they will not believe.” (Al-Anfāl, 8:55)

Thus, though the disbeliever seeks worldly luxury and comfort, these are but fleeting illusions — a false paradise.

We seek refuge with Allah from His wrath, His punishment, and the torment of Hellfire.

In conclusion, every person strives for success, but true success depends on what he values most in life. Without doubt, repentance leads to success, and indeed, Allah grants success.

Aameen!

End quote.