Basic At-Tahrim Surah: At-Tahrim (8)

Verse: "O you who believe, repent to Allah with sincere repentance"

Reflection:
The verse qualifies repentance with "nasuh" — from the root meaning purity and sincerity, free from all deceit. Sincere repentance is repentance free of any pretence: you cannot claim remorse while your heart longs to return.

Conditions of sincere repentance according to scholars:

• Immediately ceasing the sin
• Genuine regret for what has passed
• Firm resolve never to return
• If the sin wronged another person: restore their rights or seek their pardon

Ibn al-Qayyim said: "Nasuh is derived from nasihah (sincere counsel) — meaning a repentance that counsels its owner against returning to sin, as a true sincere advisor counsels one he loves."

God's promise immediately follows: "Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds" — and Allah's "perhaps" is a certainty.

Lesson: Do not despair of a sin you have repeated — sincere repentance erases it entirely, and Allah rejoices in His servant's repentance more than anything.

Source: Ibn Kathir (8/172); Ibn al-Qayyim, Madarij al-Salikin

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