How can someone feel that God has forgiven him for something bad he did regarding his relation to God? The person regrets what he did very much and can not forgive himself and can not bear living with the guilt feeling. If that person is praying (supplicating) to God asking for something he wishes to have very much, should he pray to God so that he can give him what he is hoping for?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Every Muslim knows that Allah has legislated for all human beings the procedure of repentance and has guided them to the ways to return to Him. He also urges them to make sincere repentance and assures them that everyone who repents to Allah regardless of how great his sins are, Allah forgives him and covers him by His Mercy.

Allah Says (what means):

• {Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped.} [Quran 39:53-54]

• {Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.} [Quran 2:222]

Many texts from the Quran and Hadeeth emphasize making repentance as soon as possible, and it is even obligatory on every Muslim. All the Muslim scholars have agreed upon this fact. Repentance would not be accepted unless it meets the following five conditions:

1. Sincerity; i.e., it should only be performed to please Allah.
2. Giving up the sin.
3. Feeling deep regret for what one has committed.
4. Taking a strong decision not to do it again in the future.
5. Repentance should be made before one faces the death struggle.

These conditions are set for the sin which is between a slave and his Lord. But if a sin relates to the rights of another person, then in addition to the above conditions, one should also seek the pardon of the person to whom he has caused harm.

For more benefit on the conditions of sincere repentance, please refer to Fatwa 86527.

The Prophet said: “Whoever has wronged his brother, should ask for his pardon (before his death), as (in the Hereafter) there will be neither a Dinar nor a Dirham. (He should secure pardon in this life) before some of his good deeds are taken and paid to his brother, or, if he has done no good deeds, some of the bad deeds of his brother are taken to be loaded on him (in the Hereafter).” [Al-Bukhari]

Note that when a person makes repentance, he should keep himself between the hope of the acceptance of his repentance and between the punishment for his evils.

Allah Says (what means): {And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord.} [Quran 23:60]

Imam At-Tirmithi reported from ‘Aa’ishah that she asked the Prophet about this verse, {And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful}, whether they were the people who drank wine and stole. He replied, “No, daughter of As-Siddeeq, but they are those who fast, pray and give Sadaqah (charity) while fearing that it may not be accepted from them. They are those who compete with one another in good deeds.”

One cannot claim that Allah has accepted his repentance. But there are some good signs showing that Allah might have accepted his repentance. Some of those signs are that a person feels deep sorrow for what he had committed. He bears the grief that he violated the rights of Allah, and in the future, he keeps himself away from all kinds of evils and does not go to any bad place or event. Moreover, he befriends pious Muslims, engrosses himself in doing good deeds and regards repentance as a great blessing and favor of Allah bestowed upon him. So, he always tries to keep it and does not violate it; in addition, he fears Allah's Punishment if he breaks his repentance.

Allah knows best.