These, then, are the roots of sin and their well-springs; from them the various sins gush forth upon the limbs: some lodge in the heart—such as disbelief, innovation, hypocrisy, and harboring ill-will toward people; some afflict the eyes and the ears; some seize the tongue; some beset the stomach and the genitals; some overtake the hands and the feet; and some encompass the whole body. There is no need to spell all of this out, for it is self-evident.

5. Repentance is to return to Allah in remorse for past acts of disobedience and with a firm resolve, born of faith and not of worldly benefit or fear of people, to abandon them. It must be undertaken freely, without coercion or compulsion, by one who is morally accountable.

6. Al-Ghazali said: “Whoever turns toward Allah must necessarily repent of his sins, and this for two reasons:
   The first is to obtain divine enablement for obedience, for the ill-omen of sin breeds deprivation, and sins hinder the servant from journeying to Allah and hastening to serve Him.
   The second is that repentance is required for acts of worship to be accepted, since repentance wins the Lord’s good pleasure. How, then, can we call upon Him, converse with Him, and praise Him while He is displeased?”

   Sincere repentance is an endeavor of the heart: it is the voluntary abandonment of a sin previously committed, done out of reverence for Allah and fear of His wrath.

7. Repentance has three conditions:
   First: voluntarily leaving the sin for the sake of Allah.
   Second: resolving never to return to it.
   Third: feeling genuine remorse for having committed it.
   If the sin involves the right of another person, a fourth condition is added: settling the matter by