What is the ruling on lying to one's wife about the sin of adultery committed by the husband before marriage, in order to avoid marital separation, and what must he do for his repentance to be accepted?

Adultery is a grave sin, and its offense is magnified when committed with a married woman. However, if repentance is sincere, Allah accepts it. Allah Almighty says: "But indeed, I am a Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then is guided" and "And He is the One who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons sins and knows what you do." Part of sincere repentance is avoiding everything that could lead to the sin again. The sin must be concealed, and the wife should not be informed. It is permissible to use equivocation or beneficial lying to preserve the marital relationship.