The Most Beautiful Sayings about Repentance
It is a remarkable manifestation of God’s mercy and generosity that He has kept the door of repentance open for those who have committed sins. He accepts those who turn back to Him sincerely, rejoices in their repentance, guides them, and helps them remain steadfast. Repentance entails abandoning sins and returning to God – the Exalted – while resolving not to commit the sin again and restoring rights to their rightful owners. Here are some impactful quotes regarding repentance to God – the Almighty:
Prophetic Sayings on Repentance
Numerous Hadiths emphasize the significance and virtue of repentance. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) frequently encouraged continual return to God and repentance. Some notable sayings include:
- The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: (O people! Repent to God, for I repent to Him a hundred times each day).
- The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) stated: (Whoever repents before the sun rises from the west, God will accept his repentance).
- The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) mentioned: (Indeed, God – the Exalted – extends His hand at night for the sinners of the day to repent, and extends His hand during the day for the sinners of the night to repent, until the sun rises from the west).
Sayings from the Companions about Repentance
Here are some notable sayings from the honorable companions regarding repentance:
- Ali ibn Abi Talib (may God be pleased with him) stated: “… Do not be joyous about what you have gained from this world, nor distressed by what you have missed. Do not be among those who hope for the Hereafter without action, and delay repentance with long hopes, as if they are already [secure]; and peace.”
- Umar ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him) remarked: “Sit with those who frequently repent, for their hearts are the softest.”
- Umar (may God be pleased with him) also noted: “Abandoning sin is better than seeking repentance.”
- Umar (may God be pleased with him) defined repentance as “a name that encompasses six things: genuine regret for past sins, redoing neglected obligatory acts, restoring injustices, immersing oneself in obedience as you immersed yourself in sin, tasting the bitterness of obedience as you tasted the sweetness of sin, and tears replacing every laugh you previously had.”
Sayings by Scholars and Righteous about Repentance
The following are some reflections from scholars and righteous individuals regarding repentance:
- Ibn Qayyim stated: “The heart gets sick like the body, and its cure lies in repentance and abstaining from sins. It rusts as a mirror does, and cleansing it involves remembrance. It becomes bare like the body, and its adornment is piety. It gets hungry and thirsty as the body does, and its food and drink are knowledge, love, reliance, servitude, and repentance.”
- Al-Hasan al-Basri described repentance as: “Regret in the heart, seeking forgiveness with the tongue, abstaining through the limbs, and an intention never to return [to sin].”
- Abu Bakr al-Wasiti stated: “Deliberation in everything is commendable except in three matters: during prayer times, when burying the deceased, and in repenting at the moment of sin.”
- Al-Rabee ibn Khuthaym asked: “What is the disease? And what is the remedy? And what is the healing?” They replied: “The disease is sins, the remedy is seeking forgiveness, and the healing is to repent and not return [to sin].”
- Abu Ali Shuqayq al-Azdi al-Balkhi remarked: “The sign of true repentance is weeping over what has passed, fearing falling back into sin, abandoning bad companions, and being with the righteous.”
- Ali al-Tantawi observed: “Repentance has a spirit and a body; its spirit is the realization of the ugliness of sin, and its body is refraining from it.”
- Repentance signifies the return of the mind and the heart’s will from error to correctness, from folly to wisdom, from ignorance to understanding, from stumble to revival, and from death to life.
- The name of God, the Ever-Forgiving, is beautifully reassuring, giving the sinner hope to start anew and lifting them from the circles of despair.
- He who regrets has surely repented, and one who repents has returned to God.
- Repentance is a significant gateway through which one can achieve great and beloved good deeds, for if a servant repents for each sin they commit, their good deeds will multiply and their sins will diminish.
- Do not despair, regardless of how heavy your burdens may be, nor lose hope no matter the extent of your transgressions. God did not grant the opportunity for repentance except to sinners, nor did He send prophets except to the misguided, nor establish forgiveness except for wrongdoers. He named Himself the Forgiving, the Ever-Repenting, and the Generous precisely because He will forgive you if you repent sincerely and return to Him.
- Luqman advised his son: “O my child, do not delay your repentance, for death comes suddenly,” and he recited a poem on the subject:
Do not trust the world even if it seems safe,
For it is deceitful and treacherous.
Seize the moment and be cautious of time passing,
For the wise is the one who acts promptly.
And say to the one who delights in pride,
How close is this world to the Hereafter!