Obligation of Repentance (Tawbah)

Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzaan (حفظها الله)

Belief that repentance is an obligation is obligatory, repentance from sins is an obligation. Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى said:

وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

'And all of you beg Allâh to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful.'

(An-Nur 24:31)  

And He سُبحانه وتعالى said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحًاعَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ

"O you who believe! Turn to Allâh with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will remit from you your sins.."

(At-Tahrim 66:8)

And He سُبحانه وتعالى said:

وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ

"And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zâlimûn (wrong-doers, etc.)."

(Al-Hujurat 49:11)

Therefore it is obligatory for the Muslim to repent from his sins and from his evil deeds and it is obligatory that he does not continue upon them or commence upon them or that he is negligent with regards to sins, and he says; ‘this is easy.' Do not be negligent with it for it is from the sins, rather hasten with repentance.

Repentance (Tawbah) - Dr. Saleh as-Saleh

Alhamdulillaah we have a Lord Who forgives our sins, the One Who accepts our repentance. He is the most Generous and He is the One Who has bestowed upon us the gift of at-Tawbahh, repentance. Allaah warns us that none should despair of His Mercy in Surah az-Zumar: 

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Say: "O 'Ibâdî (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allâah, verily Allâah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’

(az-Zumar 39:53)

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Does Sincere Repentance Erase All Sins?

[Q]: Does sincere tawbah (repentance) erase all of that which has preceded it from sins?

[A]: Allaah the Exalted said,

“Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves (by sinning), do not despair of the mercy of Allaah. Indeed, Allaah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

[Sooratuz-Zumar 39:53]

So these sins of yours, regardless of whether they have occurred in private or otherwise, once you have repented with a truthful repentance, a sincere repentance (tawbah), then Allaah will forgive you for whatever has preceded.