3 Conditions to Forgiveness

The Second Condition
Asking for Forgiveness

The second condition for obtaining forgiveness is to sincerely ask for this forgiveness even if the sins were very grave and were as numerous as the clouds in the sky or as far as the eye can see. In another narration of the same Hadeeth, there is the wording:

If you committed sins, even if your sins were to fill what is between the sky and earth, and then you were to ask for Allaah’s forgiveness, He would forgive you.

Seeking this forgiveness is to seek protection from the evil results of one’s sins and for them to be concealed. Seeking forgiveness has been mentioned many times in the Qur’aan.
Sometimes, seeking forgiveness is commanded as in the statement of Allaah ():

And ask forgiveness from Allaah. Indeed, Allaah is Forgiving, Merciful.
[Soorah Al-Baqarah, 2:199]

And His statement:

And seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him.
[Soorah Hood, 11:3]

At other times, Allaah praises those who consistently seek His forgiveness such as:

…and those who seek forgiveness before dawn.
[Soorah Aali-‘Imraan, 3:17]

And He () says:

And those who, if they commit an immoral deed or wrong themselves, they remember Allaah and seek forgiveness for their sins. And who can forgive sins other than Allaah?
[Soorah Aali-‘Imraan, 3:135]

Sometimes, it is mentioned that Allaah forgives whoever asks His forgiveness.

And whoever commits an evil or wrongs himself but then asks for Allaah’s forgiveness, he will find Allaah Forgiving, Merciful.
[Soorah An-Nisaa, 4:110]

Often, seeking forgiveness is mentioned alongside repentance. In that case, seeking forgiveness would mean to actually ask for Allaah’s forgiveness with one’s tongue while
repentance would mean to refrain from sinning with the heart and limbs.
Other times, seeking forgiveness is mentioned alone (without the mention of repentance) and the obtainment of Allaah’s forgiveness is mentioned as the result; such is the case with this Hadeeth and others like it.
It is said that whenever seeking forgiveness is mentioned, it is understood to also include repentance. It is also said that all of the texts that only mention seeking forgiveness are general, yet are still tied to the condition mentioned in the verse of Soorah Aali-‘Imraan (And those who, if they commit an immoral deed or wrong themselves, they remember Allaah and seek forgiveness for their sins. And who can forgive sins other than Allaah? – those who do not knowingly persist in what they have done.[Soorah Aali-‘Imraan, 3:135]) in that there should be no insistence and continuation of the sin. In this verse, Allaah promises forgiveness to whoever asks for forgiveness of his sin and does not persists upon committing it. So with this understanding, the texts that are general in the mention of seeking forgiveness and are all understood to be with this condition. So when someone says, “Oh Allaah, forgive me,” he is requesting this forgiveness and supplicating for it. So the ruling of such is the same as any other supplication – if Allaah wills, He may answer and forgive the supplicant, especially when such a supplication originates from a heart that has ceased committing the sins, or if it were made during one of the times or certain response such as before dawn or at the end of the prayers.
A Hadeeth narrated by Aboo Hurayrah () in the two authentic collections (“Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree” & “Saheeh Muslim”) attests to this in which the Prophet () says:

Indeed, there was a servant who committed a sin and said, “My Lord, I have sinned so forgive me.” So his Lord replied, “Does My servant know that he has a Lord who forgives sins and takes them to account? I have forgiven My servant.” Then, a period of time passed as Allaah willed, and he sinned. He said, “My Lord, I have committed another sin so forgive it.” He said, “Does My servant know that he has a Lord who forgives sins and takes them to account? I have forgiven My servant.” Then, another period of time passed as Allaah willed, and he committed another sin. He said, “My Lord, I have sinned again so forgive it.” He said, “Does My servant know that he has a Lord who forgives sins and takes them to account? I have forgiven My servant,” for the third time (then saying), “So let him do as he pleases.”
Saheeh: Recorded by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 7507) and Muslim (no. 2758).

Meaning: He will be forgiven as long as he continues in this state – whenever he sins, he asks for forgiveness.
Apparently, it is understood that his seeking of forgiveness is without insisting on or intending to commit the same sin again.
As for asking forgiveness only with the tongue while the heart is still intent on committing the sin again, this is merely a supplication; if Allaah wills, He may forgive him, and if not, He may refuse.

Perhaps his insistence upon committing the same sin could become the very factor that prevents his supplication from being answered. In Imaam Ahmad’s “Al-Musnad”, there is the Hadeeth of ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Umar ():

Let the insistent sinners beware, those who insist on committing (their sins) while they know.
Saheeh: Recorded by Ahmad (no. 6505, 7001) and Saleem Al-Hilaalee is of the opinion that it is authentic as he explained in his checking of “Jaami’ Al-‘Uloom wal-Hikam” (pg. 559).

So the complete way to seek forgiveness, that which assures forgiveness, is done by also refraining from committing the sin again, as Allaah has praised such people and promised them forgiveness (As in the previous verse (3:135)).
Undoubtedly, the best way to ask forgiveness of Allaah is by not insisting on the sin. In this way, the servant is hopeful of a true, sincere repentance. If he says only by the tongue, “I seek forgiveness from Allaah,” while his heart has not fully renounced the sin, he is merely calling upon Allaah to forgive him and this is still good, for it is hoped he will also be answered.
As for he who repents with a false repentance (Note that Ibn Rajab is differentiating between seeking forgiveness and repentance), this is not real repentance as some people believe. It is true – certainly repentance is not possible unless one desists in committing the sin. So when one says, “I seek Allaah’s forgiveness and I repent to Him,” then there are two possible scenarios:

1. His heart is still insistent upon committing the sin. In this case, he is lying in his statement, “I repent to You,” because he has actually not repented. So it is wrong for him to say of himself that he is repenting while he is actually not.

2. He has renounced the sin with his heart and does not insist upon it.

The people have differed with regards to the permissibility of one (who continues to insist upon the sin) saying, “I repent to Allaah.” A group of the Salaf disliked this and they are the companions of Aboo Haneefah. This is reported from them by At-Tahaawee.
Ar-Rabee’ Ibn Khaytham said that his saying, “I repent to Him,” in this case is a lie and a sin. Instead, he should say, “Oh Allaah, I seek Your forgiveness so forgive me.”
This is the case with the one who has not totally stopped committing the sin; his heart has not completely renounced it.
Muhammad Ibn Sawqah used to say when asking forgiveness, “I ask forgiveness from Allaah, the Magnificent, other then Whom there is no (true) god, the Ever-Living, the Controller of everything, and I ask Him for a sincere repentance.”
It is reported that Hudhayfah said, “It is sufficient enough as a lie for one to say, ‘I seek Allaah’s forgiveness,’ yet he returns to the same sin.”
Mutarraf once heard a man saying, “I seek forgiveness from Allaah and I repent to Him.”
So his heart was irritated and he said, “Perhaps you should not say this.”
By this, it may be understood that it is disliked (by some) that one should say, “I repent to Allaah.” This is because true, sincere repentance is one in which the repentant never returns to commit the sin again. Therefore, if he does commit the same sin again, then at that time his statement, “I repent to You,” would in fact be a lie.
Likewise, Muhammad Ibn Ka’b Al-Qurathee was asked about a person vowing to Allaah that he would never disobey Him again. To this he replied, “Who would be a worse sinner than he? He swears an oath to Allaah that His Decree will never be carried out upon him!?”
Aboo Al-Faraj Ibn Al-Jawzee supported his statement in this and it has been reported that Sufyaan Ibn ‘Uyaynah said a similar statement.
Despite this, the majority of scholars are of the opinion that it is permissible for the repentant servant to say, “I repent to Allaah.” And he may also promise Allaah to never
return to a particular act of disobedience because such a determination and intention is already obligated upon him in the first place (i.e. the intention not to sin). For this
determination, Allaah said to the one who kept returning to sins, “I have forgiven My servant so let him do as he pleases.” (See the previously mentioned Hadeeth)
Another supporting evidence of the permissibility of saying this is the Hadeeth in which there occurs the supplication for one to say when concluding any sitting. In it, the Prophet () concluded by saying:

“I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.”
Saheeh: Recorded by An-Nasaaee (no. 1344), Aboo Daawood (no. 4857), At-Tirmidhee (no. 3433), and others. Shaykh Al-Albaanee said it is authentic in “Saheeh Sunan An-Nasaaee” (no. 1275).

The best way to ask for forgiveness is to begin by praising his Lord, then commence to confessing the sin, and then ask for Allaah’s forgiveness. An illustration of this is in the Hadeeth of Shaddaad Ibn Aws () that the Prophet () said:

(Allaahumma Anta Rabee, laa ilaaha illaa Anta. Khalaqtanee wa Anaa ‘Abduka, wa Anaa ‘alaa ‘ahdika wa wa’dika mastata’tu. A’oothu bika min sharri maa sana’tu. Aboou laka bini’matika ‘alayya, wa aboou laka bithanbee. Faghfir lee fainnahu laa yaghfiru aththunooba illaa Anta.)
The best way to seek forgiveness is to say, “Oh Allaah, You are my Lord. There is no god worthy of worship but You. You created me and I am Your servant. And I am upon Your covenant and promise as much as I am able. I seek refuge with You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge before You Your favors upon me. And I confess to You my sin, so forgive me, for certainly no one can forgive sins except You.”
Saheeh: Recorded by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 6306, 6323), At-Tirmidhee (no. 3393), An-Nasaaee (no. 5522), and others. The remainder of the Hadeeth is: And whoever says it during the day, being sincere and certain in it, should he die during the day before nightfall, he is from the people of Paradise. And whoever says it during the night, being sincere and certain in it, should he die before he reaches the morning, he is from the people of Paradise.

‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Amr () narrated that Aboo Bakr As-Siddeeq () said, “Oh Messenger of Allaah, teach me a supplication that I may use in my prayer.” He () replied:

(Allaahumma innee thalamtu nafsee thulman katheeran. Wa laa yaghfiru ath-thunooba illaa Anta. Faghfir lee maghfiratan min i’ndika, warhamnee. Innaka Anta Al-Ghafoor, Ar-Raheem.)
Say, “Oh Allaah, indeed I have wronged myself with much transgression. And no one except You can forgive sins. So forgive me with a forgiveness from Yourself, and have mercy on me for surely You are the Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”
Saheeh: Recorded by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 834, 6326, 7388), Muslim (no. 2705), At-Tirmidhee (no. 3531), An-Nasaaee (no. 1302), Ibn Maajah (no. 3835), and others.

And also from the reported ways to ask forgiveness is that a servant says:

(Astaghfirullaah allathee laa ilaaha illaa Huwa, Al-Hayyu, Al-Qayyoom. Wa atoobu ilahi)
“I ask forgiveness from Allaah other than Whom there is no god worthy or worship, the Ever-Living, the Controller of everything. And I repent to Him.”
Saheeh: Recorded by At-Tirmidhee (no. 3397, 3577), Aboo Daawood (no. 1517), and Al-Haakim said it is authentic and Ath-Thahabee agreed. Al-Albaanee said it is authentic in “Saheeh Sunan At-Tirmidhee” (no.2831).

Recorded in “Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree” from Aboo Hurayrah () that the Prophet () said:

By Allaah, I ask Allaah’s forgiveness and repent to Him during the day more than seventy times.
Saheeh: Recorded by Al-Bukhaaree (no. 6307).

And in “Saheeh Muslim,” from Al-Agharr Al-Muzanee that the Prophet () said:

Indeed, my heart becomes preoccupied, and indeed I seek Allaah’s forgiveness a hundred times in a day.
Saheeh: Recorded by Muslim (no. 2702) and Aboo Daawood (no. 1515).

In conclusion, the remedy for sins is to seek forgiveness.
And whoever’s sins become so numerous and uncountable, then let him ask Allaah’s forgiveness for what He (Allaah) knows of, for surely Allaah knows everything and counts it as He says:

On the day when Allaah will resurrect them all and inform them of what they did. Allaah had counted it, while they forgot it.
[Soorah Al-Mujaadilah, 58:6]

The Third Condition
Tawheed

The third condition to obtaining forgiveness is Tawheed and it is the greatest condition. Whoever lacks Tawheed will not obtain forgiveness, and whoever comes to Allaah with Tawheed has come with the greatest means of earning His forgiveness. Allaah () says:

Indeed, Allaah does not forgive that others should be worshipped along with Him (shirk), but He forgives whatever is less than that to whom He wills.
[Soorah An-Nisaa, 4:48]

Whoever comes with Tawheed and as much as the earth full of sins, Allaah will meet him with as much forgiveness. However, it must be known that this is Allaah’s decision (); if He wills, He may forgive him, or He may take him to account for his sins. However, the result is that such a person (who has actualized and died upon Tawheed) will not reside forever in the Fire. Rather, he will be taken out and allowed to enter Paradise.
Some scholars have said that the one who actualizes Tawheed will not even be thrown into the Fire as the disbelievers will, nor will he reside therein as disbelievers will. So if the Tawheed of a servant is complete and he is sincere to Allaah in it and fulfills all its conditions with his heart, tongue, and limbs, or with his heart and tongue at the time of his death, then that would necessitate for him complete forgiveness for whatever previous sins he may have committed. It would also prevent him from entering the Fire. So whoever actualizes Tawheed with his heart completely empty of everything but Allaah out of love, honor, respect, fear, hope, and reliance; then that would remove his sins and misdeeds even if they were as much as the foam of the sea. Perhaps they would even be exchanged for good deeds in their place as has been mentioned in the narrations of bad deeds being replaced with good ones. Undeniably, this Tawheed is the greatest of all cures. Even in its most basic form, were it to be joined with a mountain of sins and bad deeds, it would surely replace them all with good deeds.