Repentance (tawba): Starting Over Without Despairing of Mercy
The conditions of sincere repentance, Allah’s mercy that rejoices at the servant’s return, what to do after a relapse, and how to perform the prayer of repentance.
Everyone makes mistakes
No one is perfect. A hurtful word, a neglected prayer, a glance or a lie: everyone knows that weight on the heart after a mistake. Islam does not ask us to be without sin; it asks us to return. The Prophet ﷺ said it with great gentleness:
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ حُبَابٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ الْبَاهِلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " كُلُّ ابْنِ آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ وَخَيْرُ الْخَطَّائِينَ التَّوَّابُونَ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَسْعَدَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ .
Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Every son of Adam sins, and the best of those who sin are those who repent.”
The word توبة (tawba) means precisely “return”. To repent is to turn around and come back to Allah. And one of His names is التوّاب (at-Tawwab): the One who ceaselessly accepts repentance.
Never despair
The first trap after a mistake is not always the mistake itself, but discouragement: “Allah will never forgive me”, “I am too far gone”. The Quran answers this thought directly:
۞ قُلْ يَٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Dis: «O Mes serviteurs qui avez commis des excès à votre propre détriment, ne désespérez pas de la miséricorde d'Allah. Car Allah pardonne tous les péchés. Oui, c'est Lui le Pardonneur, le Très Miséricordieux.This verse is addressed to those who have “transgressed”: it is not speaking only of small errors. The Prophet ﷺ reported from his Lord a saying that goes the same way:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْجَوْهَرِيُّ الْبَصْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ فَائِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ بَكْرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمُزَنِيَّ، يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتَنِي وَرَجَوْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ فِيكَ وَلاَ أُبَالِي يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ لَوْ بَلَغَتْ ذُنُوبُكَ عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ وَلاَ أُبَالِي يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ لَوْ أَتَيْتَنِي بِقُرَابِ الأَرْضِ خَطَايَا ثُمَّ لَقِيتَنِي لاَ تُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لأَتَيْتُكَ بِقُرَابِهَا مَغْفِرَةً " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Allah said: ‘O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and place your hope in Me, I forgive you what comes from you, without minding. O son of Adam, even if your sins reached the clouds of the sky, and then you asked Me for forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you came to Me with nearly the whole earth in sins, and then met Me without associating anything with Me, I would come to you with nearly as much forgiveness.’”
More than that, Allah loves this return. The Prophet ﷺ described it with an unforgettable image:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، - وَهُوَ عَمُّهُ - قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ حِينَ يَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ كَانَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ بِأَرْضِ فَلاَةٍ فَانْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ وَعَلَيْهَا طَعَامُهُ وَشَرَابُهُ فَأَيِسَ مِنْهَا فَأَتَى شَجَرَةً فَاضْطَجَعَ فِي ظِلِّهَا قَدْ أَيِسَ مِنْ رَاحِلَتِهِ فَبَيْنَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ إِذَا هُوَ بِهَا قَائِمَةً عِنْدَهُ فَأَخَذَ بِخِطَامِهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْفَرَحِ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ عَبْدِي وَأَنَا رَبُّكَ . أَخْطَأَ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْفَرَحِ " .
Narrated by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Allah rejoices more at the repentance of His servant, when he returns to Him, than one of you who was on his mount in a desert land: it escapes him, carrying his food and his drink. Despairing of finding it, he goes and lies down in the shade of a tree. And while he is like that, behold, it is standing beside him! He takes hold of its bridle and, in the excess of his joy, cries out: ‘O Allah, You are my servant and I am Your lord!’ He gets it wrong, so great is his joy.”
The conditions of a sincere repentance
The Quran calls believers to a “sincere” repentance:
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوْبَةًۭ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ يَوْمَ لَا يُخْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ ۖ نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَىٰ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَٰنِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
O vous qui avez cru! Repentez-vous à Allah d'un repentir sincère. Il se peut que votre Seigneur vous efface vos fautes et qu'Il vous fasse entrer dans des Jardins sous lesquels coulent les ruisseaux, le jour où Allah épargnera l'ignominie au Prophète et à ceux qui croient avec lui. Leur lumière courra devant eux et à leur droite; ils diront: «Seigneur, parfais-nous notre lumière et pardonne-nous. Car Tu es Omnipotent».The expression توبة نصوحا (tawba nasuha) designates a pure repentance, which comes from the heart and not from the lips alone. In Riyad as-Salihin, Imam an-Nawawi summarizes its conditions:
- stop the sin;
- regret having committed it;
- resolve firmly not to return to it;
- if the sin touches a person’s right (something taken, a hurtful word, a debt), make amends: give back what was taken or ask for forgiveness.
The Quran even promises that Allah changes the bad deeds of those who repent, believe and do good into good deeds (Surah al-Furqan, verse 70). It also invites us not to put repentance off until later: it is accepted from those who return quickly, and not from the one who waits for death to arrive (Surah an-Nisa’, verses 17 and 18).
And if I fall again?
This is the question many people ask in silence. We repent sincerely, then fall into the same sin again, and tell ourselves that the repentance was “false”. That is not the case: a repentance that was sincere at the moment it was made remains valid, even if we stumble again afterwards. The answer is then simple: repent again. Al-Bukhari and Muslim report that a servant sinned, asked for forgiveness, then did it again several times; at each sincere return, Allah said that He forgave him, because His servant knew that he had a Lord who forgives.
The Prophet ﷺ also gave a very concrete method:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ مَيْمُونِ بْنِ أَبِي شَبِيبٍ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ وَأَتْبِعِ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ " . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ، وَأَبُو نُعَيْمٍ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ حَبِيبٍ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ . قَالَ مَحْمُودٌ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ مَيْمُونِ بْنِ أَبِي شَبِيبٍ، عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَهُ . قَالَ مَحْمُودٌ وَالصَّحِيحُ حَدِيثُ أَبِي ذَرٍّ .
Narrated by Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: “Fear Allah wherever you are, follow the bad deed with a good one that will erase it, and treat people with good character.”
A few things help us not to fall again:
- staying away from the places, screens or company that lead toward the sin;
- replacing one habit with another: a prayer, a walk, a call to a loved one;
- asking for forgiveness every day, even without a specific mistake in mind.
This last habit was that of the Prophet ﷺ himself:
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَأَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الْعَتَكِيُّ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ حَمَّادٍ، قَالَ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنِ الأَغَرِّ الْمُزَنِيِّ، - وَكَانَتْ لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ - أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّهُ لَيُغَانُ عَلَى قَلْبِي وَإِنِّي لأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ فِي الْيَوْمِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ " .
Narrated by al-Agharr al-Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A veil sometimes comes over my heart, and I ask Allah for forgiveness a hundred times a day.”
The simplest formula is أستغفر الله وأتوب إليه (astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilayh): “I ask Allah for forgiveness and I return to Him.”
The prayer of repentance
The Quran describes the believers who, after a mistake, remember Allah and ask for forgiveness without persisting:
وَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا۟ فَٰحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَٱسْتَغْفَرُوا۟ لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا۟ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿135﴾ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ جَزَآؤُهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَجَنَّٰتٌۭ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ ٱلْعَٰمِلِينَ ﴿136﴾
(135) et pour ceux qui, s'ils ont commis quelque turpitude ou causé quelque préjudice à leurs propres âmes (en désobéissant à Allah), se souviennent d'Allah et demandent pardon pour leurs péchés - et qui est-ce qui pardonne les péchés sinon Allah? - et qui ne persistent pas sciemment dans le mal qu'ils ont fait. (136) Ceux-là ont pour récompense le pardon de leur Seigneur, ainsi que les Jardins sous lesquels coulent les ruisseaux, pour y demeurer éternellement. Comme est beau le salaire de ceux qui font le bien!The scholars of the four schools consider it recommended to pray two units after a sin, then to ask for forgiveness: this is what is called the prayer of repentance (salat at-tawba). It joins this authentic hadith on the ablution followed by two units of prayer:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأُوَيْسِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ عَطَاءَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ حُمْرَانَ مَوْلَى عُثْمَانَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، رَأَى عُثْمَانَ بْنَ عَفَّانَ دَعَا بِإِنَاءٍ، فَأَفْرَغَ عَلَى كَفَّيْهِ ثَلاَثَ مِرَارٍ فَغَسَلَهُمَا، ثُمَّ أَدْخَلَ يَمِينَهُ فِي الإِنَاءِ فَمَضْمَضَ، وَاسْتَنْشَقَ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ ثَلاَثًا، وَيَدَيْهِ إِلَى الْمِرْفَقَيْنِ ثَلاَثَ مِرَارٍ، ثُمَّ مَسَحَ بِرَأْسِهِ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ ثَلاَثَ مِرَارٍ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ تَوَضَّأَ نَحْوَ وُضُوئِي هَذَا، ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، لاَ يُحَدِّثُ فِيهِمَا نَفْسَهُ، غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ ".
Narrated by Humran, freed slave of Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him)
After showing how the Prophet ﷺ performed his ablution, Uthman reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever performs ablution like this ablution of mine, then prays two units without letting his thoughts distract him, his past sins are forgiven.”
Steps
Perform the ablution carefully, without rushing.
Pray two units (rak‘a), outside the times when voluntary prayer is discouraged, trying to keep the heart present.
Acknowledge your sin before Allah, in your own words, and regret it.
Ask for forgiveness: astaghfirullah, or the supplication called the “master of seeking forgiveness” (sayyid al-istighfar), reported by al-Bukhari and included in the morning and evening remembrances.
Make a concrete resolution and, if someone was wronged, plan how to make amends.
Follow it with a good deed: a charitable gift, a visit, a service rendered.
To go further
- The supplications of repentance in Hisn al-Muslim.
- The book of seeking forgiveness in Riyad as-Salihin.
- Keeping Allah present in your day: Dhikr in an Ordinary Day.
- When the trial lasts: Patience (sabr) in Daily Life.
Questions fréquentes
How do I make a sincere tawba?
We stop the sin, sincerely regret it and decide not to return to it. If the sin wronged someone, we make amends as far as possible. Then we ask Allah for forgiveness in our own words or with “astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilayh”.
Does Allah forgive all sins?
The Quran says: “do not despair of Allah’s mercy, for Allah forgives all sins” (39:53). This verse concerns the one who returns to Allah with sincere repentance before his death, whatever the gravity of his sins.
What should I do if I keep falling into the same sin?
Repent again, without getting discouraged: a sincere repentance remains valid even if one stumbles afterwards. We follow the bad deed with a good one, avoid what leads to it, and can ask for the help of a trusted loved one or an imam.
How do I perform the prayer of repentance?
We perform the ablution carefully, pray two units outside the discouraged times, then acknowledge our sin and ask Allah for forgiveness. The scholars of the four schools consider it recommended.
Do I have to make up missed prayers after repenting?
The four schools in principle ask that they be made up, while other scholars consider that repentance and voluntary prayers are enough. Since the answer depends on each situation, it is better to speak to a qualified person.
Mots arabes de cet article
- Tawba توبة
- Repentance: returning to Allah after a mistake, regretting it and deciding not to go back to it.
- At-Tawwab التوّاب
- A Name of Allah: the One who ceaselessly accepts the repentance of His servants.
- Tawba nasuh توبة نصوح
- Sincere and pure repentance, which comes from the heart and is accompanied by real change.
- Istighfar استغفار
- Asking Allah for forgiveness, for example by saying “astaghfirullah”.
- Sayyid al-istighfar سيد الاستغفار
- “The master of seeking forgiveness”: a supplication taught by the Prophet ﷺ, said morning and evening.
- Hadith qudsi حديث قدسي
- A saying that the Prophet ﷺ reports from his Lord, in his own words, without it being part of the Quran.
Sources et références
Chaque référence a été contrôlée automatiquement : existence du verset ou du hadith, numérotation sunnah.com, degré d’authenticité selon les savants.
- Coran 39:53Vérifiéquran.com
- Coran 66:8Vérifiéquran.com
- Coran 3:135-136Vérifiéquran.com
- Coran 25:70Vérifiéles mauvaises actions changées en bonnesquran.com
- Coran 4:17-18Vérifiése repentir sans tarderquran.com
- Jâmi‘ at-Tirmidhî n° 2499Hasan (bon) · Ahmad Muhammad ShâkirVérifiéjugé hasan aussi par al-AlbânîVoir sur sunnah.com
- Jâmi‘ at-Tirmidhî n° 3540Hasan (bon) · Bashshâr ‘Awwâd Ma‘rûfVérifiéhadith qudsîVoir sur sunnah.com
- Sahîh Muslim n° 2747aSahîh (authentique) · Muslim (recueil authentique par consensus)Vérifiésens proche chez al-Bukhârî n° 6309Voir sur sunnah.com
- Jâmi‘ at-Tirmidhî n° 1987Hasan (bon) · Ahmad Muhammad ShâkirVérifiéVoir sur sunnah.com
- Sahîh Muslim n° 2702aSahîh (authentique) · Muslim (recueil authentique par consensus)VérifiéVoir sur sunnah.com
- Sahîh al-Bukhârî n° 159Sahîh (authentique) · al-Bukhârî (recueil authentique par consensus)VérifiéVoir sur sunnah.com
- Riyâd as-Sâlihîn, chapitre du repentir — an-NawawîRéférence bibliographiquesunnah.com
Dans l’application
Cet article est une synthèse pédagogique : il résume des sources vérifiées et ne constitue pas une fatwa. Les détails de pratique peuvent varier selon les écoles. Pour une situation personnelle, consultez une personne qualifiée. Signaler une erreur
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