Tawbah (Repentance)

Tawbah (Arabic: توبة) means "to return" or "repentance" and is the process whereby the believer sincerely repents of sins and returns to Allah with a firm resolve not to repeat them. Tawbah is not merely verbal, but a deep inner transformation.

The Quran repeatedly calls to tawbah: "O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance" (Surah Al-Tahrim 66:8). And: "Indeed, Allah loves those who turn to Him in repentance" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:222). Allah calls Himself "al-Tawwab" (The Accepter of Repentance) — one of His 99 names.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) explained the six conditions of tawbah in Nahj al-Balagha: (1) Sincere regret (nadam) over the past, (2) A firm resolve not to repeat the sin, (3) To give all people their rights, (4) To fulfill neglected duties, (5) To dissolve the body that was built on haram (forbidden) through grief and fasting, and (6) To let the body taste the hardship of worship, as it tasted the sweetness of sin.

In the context of prayer, there is a specific prayer called Salat al-Tawbah (the prayer of repentance), consisting of two rak'ah prayed with sincere intention of repentance. Shia prayer books such as Mafatih al-Jinan contain numerous du'as about tawbah, including Du'a Kumayl and Imam Sajjad's supplications in Sahifa al-Sajjadiyyah (particularly Du'a no. 31, "Prayer for Repentance"). Imam al-Sadiq said: "Allah rejoices more over His servant's repentance than a man who finds his lost camel in the desert" (Al-Kafi, vol. 2).