to the unrestricted appellation of “one who has repented.” Rather, we say: his repentance is deficient and incomplete. This is the view that settles the heart: he is neither granted the designation in absolute terms, nor is he deprived of the repentance he has genuinely made regarding that particular sin.

The author—may Allah have mercy on him—states that the texts of the Qur’an and the Sunnah have unanimously attested to the obligation of repenting from every sin. He is indeed correct, for the verses urging repentance, proclaiming its virtue, and promising its reward are many, and the same is true of the hadiths of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Allah, Exalted is He, has declared in His Book that He loves those who constantly repent and those who keep themselves pure. The “ever-repentant” are those who repeatedly turn back to Allah; whenever they fall into a sin, they immediately repent to Him.

Among the verses the author cites is Allah’s saying: “Turn to Allah in repentance, all of you believers, so that you may prosper” (al-Nur 24:31). Allah closed with this sentence the two verses that command lowering the gaze, namely:
“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer for them. Allah is fully aware of what they do” (24:30),

and:
“Tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts … and let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. Turn to Allah in repentance, all of you believers, so that you may prosper” (24:31).

Thus, this verse indicates the obligation to repent from failing to lower the gaze and from failing to guard one’s chastity, for lowering the gaze means restraining it and not letting it roam, and because neglecting to do so