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.
10 passages from 6 books in the library
Tawbah is a turning back to Allah in seeking forgiveness from the heart, coupled with genuine regret. Al-Ghazali, in his Book of Repentance, distinguishes true repentance from the empty "seeking forgiveness of liars," stressing that it must be sincere, not merely spoken. Ibn Kathir notes that Allah in His mercy accepts the repentance of those who turn back to Him. The scholars urge constant return: al-Ghazali cites the Prophet seeking Allah's forgiveness and repenting seventy times in a single day, making repentance a continual habit of the believing heart.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 6 books by Imam al-Ghazali and Ibn Kathir — 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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"Repentance, repentance, to our Lord we repent, we repent, and may He not leave a sin upon us,"
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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"Such specific repentance is not absolute repentance. Some people have said that this kind of repentance"
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"Another said, I fear being denied repentance more than being denied forgiveness, for forgiveness"
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"We say that the seeking forgiveness which is the repentance of liars is seeking forgiveness"
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"It is the act of seeking forgiveness with the heart, and repentance and seeking forgiveness"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"and forgiveness, saying, Will they not repent to God and seek his forgiveness? And God is"
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"disbelievers among them a painful punishment. Will they not repent to God and seek His forgiveness?"
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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"Furthermore, he said, Indeed, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent to Him in a day seventy"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"Allah, in his mercy, accepted the repentance of those who turned back to him, but the repentance"
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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"forgiveness a hundred times, and seeks forgiveness for himself and his parents a hundred times,"
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