Tawba Fawriyyah
Definition
Tawba fawriyyah — immediate repentance — is the practical link between muraqaba and muhasaba: when God-consciousness is maintained throughout the day and a sin occurs, the vigilant heart repents immediately, in the moment, rather than waiting for the evening accounting. Al-Ghazali considers this the ideal: the sin is caught before it can take root, the heart does not spend hours in the wrong state, and the connection with God is restored instantly rather than after a delay. Tawba fawriyyah is the mark of a heart that has genuinely internalized muraqaba — it cannot rest in a state of separation from God even for an hour.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Tawba Fawriyyah.
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"'Indeed, I have repented now}, and: {Indeed, repentance is accepted by Allah from those who do wrong by ignorance and then repent soon after}. The meaning is immediate repentance after the sin, by regretting it and erasing its trace with a good deed that follows before rust accumulates on the heart and it no longer accepts erasure."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 31: The Book of Repentance
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"Explanation of the Immediate Obligation of Repentance: There is no doubt about the obligation of immediate repentance, for understanding that sins are destructive is part of faith itself, which is inherently obligatory. The one who fully comprehends its obligation is the one who knows enough to deter him from the disliked actions."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 31: The Book of Repentance
Appears in
1 book in the library
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