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The question

Will the repentance of one who sins and tells himself that he will repent later be accepted, saying: "As long as repentance erases what came before it, then I will do whatever I want of forbidden things, then I will repent"?

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Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Repentance expunges what preceded it, even if the sin is repeated. However, it is not permissible to commit a sin with the intention of repenting, because the resolve to commit a disobedience is a sin, and procrastinating repentance is another sin, for repentance is obligatory immediately. But if the servant repents with a sincere repentance that fulfills its conditions, his repentance is accepted, and he returns as if he had never sinned, according to the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "The one who repents from sin is like one who has no sin." There is no difference in the acceptance of sincere repentance between one who intended to repent before the disobedience and one who procrastinated it. Ibn Uthaymeen said: If he repents with sincere repentance, Allah accepts it, for Allah the Almighty says: "Say, 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'"

Summary from Ftawy's records · added here

Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.

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Where this answer came from
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Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
175461
Added here
. This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
Text
Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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