How to make tawba?
What are the essentials of repentance (tawbah) that we should consider to be accepted? What are the conditions for an accepted tawbah?
Repentance (tawba) is certainly accepted as long as it is made fulfilling the essentials.
For our tawbas to be accepted, we should pay great attention to performing it properly
“Do not doubt if your tawba (repentance) will be accepted, but doubt whether it meets the conditions.” (Imam Ghazali)
Do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah (swt)
“Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Surah az-Zumer, 53)
Allah (swt) the Almighty says:
'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.'" (Tirmidhi, Ahmad ibn Hanbal)
“Even if your sins are about to reach the sky, if you made tawba, they will absolutely be forgiven.” (Kutub-i Sitta)
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar (ra):
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Allah, the Lord of honour and glory, will accept the repentance of His servant till his death-rattle begins." (Tirmidhi)
Hadhrat Umar bin Al Khattaab (Radiyallahu ‘anhu) has narrated that the Holy Prophet Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said:
Verily Allah the Almighty will accept the repentance of his servants right until the last moments of his death. (Tirmidhi)
While making tawba, it should be known that nobody can forgive the sins but Allah
Thus We send thee (O Muhammad) unto a nation, before whom other nations have passed away, that thou mayst recite unto them that which We have inspired in thee, while they are disbelievers in the Beneficent. Say: He is my Lord; there is no God save Him. In Him do I put my trust and unto Him is my recourse. (Surah al-Rad, 30)
So Allah said: “My servant knows that he has a lord who forgives sins and punishes for sins. … He loves for them to know that no one else can forgive their sins and that he is fully capable of showing forgiveness for the sins of his servants. (Tirmidhi)
We should hasten to make repentance for our sins
“Repentance with Allah is only for those who do evil in ignorance, then turn (to Allah) soon, so these it is to whom Allah turns (mercifully), and
Allah is ever Knowing, Wise". (Surah an- Nisa, 17)
“When mumin commits a sin, the angel waits three hours, if he who makes istigfar, the angel does not write this sin.” (al-Hakim)
It is wajib not to insist on the sin and make tawba immediately.
Our Prophet (pbuh) says:
'One is not counted as a persistent sinner if he seeks forgiveness every time he sins, even if he returns to the same sin seventy times a day'
(Tirmidhi,Abu Dawud)
“O my son! When you make a mistake, make tawba (repentance) and give sadaqa (charity). Do not delay tawba. Because death comes suddenly.” (Lokman Hakim)
“Two things destroy people:
First; to commit sins saying “I’ll make repentance” the other one; to delay tawba saying “I will make it later.” (Shakık-ı Belhî)
A person should make a good deed right after committing a sin
I said: "O Messenger of Allah! Give me some advice.”
The Prophet said, “If you commit a sin, do a good deed immediately after it, so that it will remove the sin.”
I said: “O Messenger of Allah! Is La ilaha illallah good deed?
The Prophet said: “La ilahe illallah is the most superior of all deeds.” (Ebu’d Darda)
Abdullah b. Mas’ud (ra) reported:
‘That a person came to Allah's Apostle (pbuh) and said:
“Allah's Messenger, I sported with a woman in the outskirts of Medina, and I have committed an offence short of fornication. Here I am (before you), kindly deliver verdict about me which you deem fit.”
Umar said: “Allah concealed your fault. You had better conceal it yourself also.” Allah's Apostle (pbuh), however, gave no reply to him. The man stood up and went away and Allah's Apostle (pbuh) sent a person after him to call him and be recited this verse:
" And observe prayer at the ends of the day and in the first hours of the night. Surely, good deeds take away evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful" (Surah al-Hud,115).
A person amongst the people said: Allah's Apostle, does it concern this man only? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said:
“No, but the people at large.”’ (Sahih Muslim, 6658; The Book Pertaining to Repentance and Exhortation to Repentance; Kitab Al-Tauba)