What is tawbah? How do I repent sincerely in Islam?
The classical scholars laid out the conditions of a valid repentance with the precision of jurists and the tenderness of people who had all, at some point, needed it themselves. Adam himself is the template.
2 passages from 2 books in the library
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 2 books by Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"O Allah, forgive me and him, have mercy on me and him, and grant me and him well-being, is narrated by Muslim without the prayer for the one praying."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"In contrast, secular sciences like medicine and mathematics do not promise God's forgiveness through their study, so delusion is less prevalent."
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