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What is the ruling on one who repents after committing a sin, then repeatedly returns to it? Will his repentance be accepted? And what is one who commits a sin while being mindful of God's observation and punishment called?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Frequent repentance is praiseworthy, for all humans are fallible, and the best of those who err are those who repent. Persistence in sin is blameworthy, but sinning then repenting is praiseworthy. The fear of Allah is what prevents a person from falling into the forbidden. As for inner thoughts about not falling into the forbidden without actually refraining from the act, that is not a praiseworthy fear. The servant should seek Allah's help for sincere repentance and pray for guidance. The conditions for repentance are: abstaining from sins, feeling remorse, resolving not to return to the sin, and restoring rights to their rightful owners. The repentant person should avoid the causes of disobedience, distance themselves from the environment where the disobedience occurred, and associate with the righteous. Beware of being among those who enjoin good but do not practice it, or forbid evil but commit it.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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