Sincere repentance is that which fulfills five conditions:

1. The first condition: the person must be utterly sincere toward Allah alone. He should not be motivated by seeking people’s admiration, wishing them to hear of his repentance, or hoping to ingratiate himself with them. His sole aim must be a genuine return to Allah. Sincerity is a prerequisite for every deed, and among the righteous deeds is repentance itself, as the Most High says: “And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, so that you may prosper” (Surah al-Nur, 24:31).

2. The second condition: he must feel remorse for the sin he committed—that is, his heart must grieve and feel sorrow, fully recognizing that he has erred. If committing or not committing the sin is the same in his eyes, this is not repentance at all. True repentance requires heartfelt regret so deep that he wishes the sin had never occurred.

3. The third condition: he must abandon the sin itself, for there is no repentance while a person persists in wrongdoing. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “And they do not persist in what they have done while knowing” (Surah Al ʿImran, 3:135). Thus, if someone says, “I repent to Allah from backbiting,” yet every time he sits in a gathering he maligns Allah’s servants, he is lying in his repentance. If he claims, “I repent to Allah from usury,” yet continues to buy and sell through usury, he is lying in his repentance. If he says, “I repent to Allah from listening to songs,” but continues to do so, he is lying in his repentance. If he says, “I repent to Allah from disobeying the Messenger ﷺ by shaving the beard,” while he keeps shaving it, he is likewise lying. The same holds for every sin: if a person persists in it, then his claim—