Sincere Repentance

Chapter 66 of the Quran, tells us what sincere repentance (tawbah) is. Verse 8 says: “Believers, turn to God in sincere repentance. Your Lord may well forgive your bad deeds and admit you into gardens watered by running streams, on a Day when God will not abase the Prophet and those who have believed with him. Their light will shine out ahead of them and on their right, and they will say: ‘Lord perfect our light for us, and forgive us; You have power over all things.’” (66:8)

Sincere repentance means pure repentance or true repentance. The commentator al-Qurtubi wrote that, scholars have given the word “repentance” twenty three meanings. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi, vol. 18, p. 197) But the fact is that it does not have 23 different meanings, it has rather different aspects of pure repentance. These aspects are not limited to just 23. They number more than that.

If a person commits a sin, he later realizes his mistake. He must sincerely repent in his heart and if he returns to God with strong commitment, this is called pure repentance.

If the person truly repents, his whole life will change. At first, if his way of thinking was ungodly, now his thinking will be godly. If he was not sincere earlier, now he will become sincere. If at first he led an irresponsible life, he will now start to live a responsible life. If at first he misused his freedom he will now be strictly bound by divine principles. Earlier, if he had no fear of the Hereafter, he will now start living in the fear of the Hereafter. Repentance changes a human being and such repentance is called true repentance.