Does the saying "I seek forgiveness from God Almighty, other than Whom there is no god, and I repent to Him" necessitate repentance so that a sin is not recorded, or must one supplicate with "O Allah, forgive me and accept my repentance"?
The aforementioned supplication is legislated, as it is narrated in Sunan Abu Dawud from Bilal bin Yasar, from his father, from his grandfather, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever says: ‘I seek forgiveness from Allah, the Most Great, Whom there is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer, and I repent to Him,’ he will be forgiven, even if he was a deserter from the battlefield.” And whoever says it and then does not repent from the sins he commits, he is not considered disobedient for saying this supplication, but repentance is obligatory. And whoever does not repent from his sins is sinful, whether he supplicated with this supplication or not. As for the : “If a servant says: ‘I seek forgiveness from Allah and I repent to Him,’ then returns [to sin], then says it, then returns, then says it, then returns, then says it, then returns, then says it, Allah will record him among the liars in the fourth instance,” it is very weak.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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