Surah al-Tahrīm (The Prohibition)

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked about Allah Most High’s words:

“O you who believe, turn to Allah in sincere repentance.”

“Is Nasūh the name of a man who lived during the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace? And what does His word ‘nasūhan’ (sincere) mean?”

He replied:

All praise is due to Allah.

Umar ibn al-Khattāb, may Allah be pleased with him, and other Companions and Successors, may Allah be pleased with them, said: “Sincere repentance means repenting of a sin and then never returning to it.”

The word nasūh (sincere) is an adjective describing repentance. It is derived from nush and nasīhah, denoting sincerity and sincere goodwill. The underlying meaning is purity. A person is said to have sincere goodwill towards another when he wishes him well with a pure intention, free of deceit. He is said to deceive him when he inwardly wishes him harm while outwardly professing to wish him well—like a debased coin.

An example of this usage is Allah Most High’s saying:

“There is no blame upon the weak, nor upon the sick, nor upon those who find nothing to spend, provided they are sincere towards Allah and His Messenger.”

That is, they are sincere in their intentions and love towards Allah and His Messenger. Another example is the saying of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the authentic hadith: