Repentance is not merely a word to be uttered by the tongue; rather, it has conditions and pillars in order to be valid and accepted. These conditions were deduced by prominent scholars from the text of the Quran and the Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) of the master of the Messengers, may Allah exalt their mention. These conditions can be summarized as follows:
First condition: Sincerity, that is to say that repentance should be meant for the pleasure of Allah The Almighty so that He turns to the slave with mercy and forgives him the sins he committed. It should not be intended for showing off, drawing closer to people or to protect oneself from the harm of an authority or a ruler.
Second condition: Remorse for the sins he committed. The Prophet said: "Feeling regret is repentance." [Ahmad and Al-Haakim] [Al-Albaani: Saheeh] The reason is that the feeling of remorse is evidence of one’s sincere repentance.
Third condition: Which is the most important condition: giving up the sin. If the sin was abandoning an obligatory act, you should quit this sin by performing the act. For example, if someone who is negligent in performing the congregational prayer wishes to repent, he should adhere to congregational prayer. If he was negligent in dutifulness to his parents, he should be dutiful to them and if he was negligent in maintaining kinship ties, he should maintain them and so on.
If the sin was committing a forbidden act, one’s duty would be to give it up immediately and not to continue it for even one more minute. If he used to devour Riba (usury), he should get rid of it by abandoning it, keeping away from it and donating the earnings he earned from usury.
If the sin was cheating, lying to people and breach of trust, one should refrain from this. If he earned money through these forbidden acts, he should return it to its real owner or seek his pardon. If it was backbiting, he should abstain from backbiting people and slandering their reputations. However, if a person says that he repents to Allah The Almighty while insisting upon abandoning obligatory acts and committing forbidden acts, his repentance will not be accepted, rather, it is as if he is mocking Allah The Almighty, as how can you repent to Allah The Almighty while you insist on disobeying Him?
On the other hand, if the sin you committed involves other people, whether you had beaten someone or the like, go to him and allow him to beat you just as you had beaten him. If you had beaten him on the back, let him beat you on the back, if on the head, so on the head or anywhere, let him take retribution for Allah The Almighty Says (what means):
• {And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it.} [Quran 42:40]
• {So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you.} [Quran 2:194]
If you harmed someone verbally, such as insulting him in front of people, scolding him and reproachfully reminding him of something, then, you must go to him and seek his pardon even if he says, "I will not pardon you except in return for a certain amount of money", give him what he demands.
Fourth condition: Determination not to repeat this act in the future. If you intend to return to an act of disobedience whenever you get an opportunity, then the repentance is not valid. For example, if a man used to spend money in disobeying Allah The Almighty, buying alcohol and travelling to countries for adultery and intoxicants, then, he was stricken by poverty and said: O Allah, I repent to You, while he still intends to return to his habits, if things return to his former condition. This is the repentance of those who are beyond help. This repentance is unacceptable.
Fifth condition: Repentance should be at a time when repentance may be accepted. If he repents at a time when repentance is not accepted, then his repentance is useless.