What did al-Ghazali say about repentance?

"This too is not repentance from repentance, but rather repentance from the lack of repentance. The portion of repentance that exists is an act of obedience that should not be repented from, while the missing portion is what requires repentance. Repentance from repentance can only be understood in one of these two ways."

"This is an illogical statement and not correct in itself. There might be a flaw, deficiency, or impediment in the repentance that prevents its perfection. The person may or may not be aware of this, and they should repent from the deficiency in their repentance and from not fulfilling its rights. This too is not repentance from repentance, but rather repentance from the lack of repentance."

"What they repent from might be considered among the greatest good deeds of others. In summary, the repentance of the true lovers who are knowledgeable of their Lord and His rights is the true repentance, while others are veiled from it. Beyond this is another repentance, which we should turn away from discussing. Chapter: The author of "Al-Manazil" explains that the station of repentance is not fully realized until one repents from everything other than the Truth, perceives the cause of repentance, and then repents from even seeing that cause."

"And اللّٰه is the one whose help is sought. Chapter: The Inner Secrets of True Repentance The author of "المَنَازِل" said: The inner secrets of true repentance consist of three things: distinguishing between piety and pride, forgetting the sin, and repenting from the repentance itself. This is because the one who repents is included in the general command of اللّٰه, as He says: "And turn to اللّٰه in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed." Thus, the repentant is commanded to repent."

"the servitude of enjoining good and forbidding evil, the servitude of patience, opposing desires, and preferring the pleasures of the Lord over one's own desires. Another form of servitude is repentance, returning to Him, and seeking His forgiveness. Indeed, He, the Exalted, loves those who repent and loves their repentance. If the causes for repentance were absent, the servitude of repentance and seeking forgiveness would be inactive."

"has chosen for his message and spoken with directly, I am a creation among Allah's creations. I sinned, and I wish to repent. Intercede for me to your Lord to accept my repentance. Moses agreed. When Moses ascended the mountain and spoke to his Lord, the Almighty, and was about to descend, Allah said to him, Fulfill the trust. Moses replied, O Lord, your servant Iblis wishes for you to accept his repentance. Allah revealed to Moses, O Moses, your request has been granted once before. Command him to prostrate himself at Adam's grave, and his repentance shall be accepted. Moses then met Iblis and conveyed Allah's command. Iblis, however,"

"Sins cause the aversion of them to be removed from the heart. One of the most alarming effects of sins on a person is that they weaken the heart's resolve to repent. Over time, the desire for sin increases, while the desire for repentance diminishes, until the urge to repent is completely gone. Even if faced with severe consequences, the person might not turn back to God. They may engage in verbal repentance and seek forgiveness superficially, yet their heart remains attached to sin, eager to commit it whenever possible. This is one of the gravest ailments, leading to destruction. Among these effects is that the aversion to"

"Allah also speaks of His forbearance and mercy towards His creations and His benevolence, by accepting the repentance of those who return to Him in repentance, as He says, But those who committed misdeeds and then repented afterward and believed, Indeed, your Lord after that is forgiving, merciful. However, Allah did not accept the repentance of those who worshipped the calf, except by means of execution, as He states. And when Musa said to his people, O my people, you have wronged yourselves by taking the calf, so repent to your Creator and kill yourselves."

"Without preferring seclusion, one cannot attain absolute steadfastness unless they repent from certain sins like alcohol consumption, fornication, or usurpation, for instance. Such specific repentance is not absolute repentance. Some people have said that this kind of repentance is not valid, while others believe it is valid. However, the term 'validity' in this context is ambiguous. To those who say it is not valid, if you mean that refraining from certain sins has no benefit at all, as if it is non-existent, then you are gravely mistaken."

"Yet, none of this alerts us or takes us out from the valleys of our delusions and false hopes. This is nothing but a tremendous trial unless Allah bestows His favor upon us with sincere repentance, to reach us and shelter us. We ask Allah Almighty to grant us repentance; rather, we ask Him to stir the depths of our hearts toward repentance and not to let the movement of the tongue in asking for repentance be our ultimate fortune, lest we become of those who say and do not act, who hear and do not accept."