I'm a Muslim girl, 23 years old, doing my best to do what makes me nearer to Heaven, but lately I've been chatting with a Christian Italian man. After sometime we have feelings towards each other and I get depressed, so depressed and afraid of disobeying my God's rules. Then he offered to change his religion so we can be able to marry, but I told him to think it over again. Please inform me what to do to gain God's forgiveness. I feel terrible; it's as if I've failed in an exam made by God for me. Please inform me what to do, although I still have feelings for that man because he's so sincere.

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.

What you did is a sin since Allah Has Prohibited Muslim women from talking to non-Mahram men in soft and attractive manner. Allah Says (what means): {…then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be moved with desire…} [Quran 33:32]

If only talking in this way is not permitted, then how would indulging in matters beyond that be permitted? Allah Says (what means): {And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things)…} [Quran 24:31]

Allah does not permit a woman to expose her beauty and commands her to cover her entire body in front of non-Mahram men. Allah Says (what means): {O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 33:59]
You should know that a Muslim woman is not permitted to have affectionate feelings for a non-Muslim man. Allah Says (what means): {You (O Muhammad) will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad), even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). …} [Quran 58:22]

Hence, you have transgressed all the above prohibitions. Therefore, if you are sincere to receive Allah's Forgiveness and wish to have your repentance accepted, you should immediately cut off your relations with this man.

The conditions of sincere repentance are as follows:

1. To give up doing the sin.

2. To resolve oneself never to do it again.

3. To feel sorry for committing it.

4. To repent before the soul reaches the throat at death. That means one should repent before the stage when the soul is about to leave the body.

5. One should repent in the time allowed for repentance; i.e., before the sun rises from the west.

Know, whenever a Muslim sincerely repents, Allah accepts his repentance. Allah Says (what means): {Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, …} [Quran 25:70]

Allah also Says (what means): {Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those - I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.} [Quran 2:160]

So, you should cut all your relations with this man. If he accepts Islam and proposes to your parents or guardians to marry you, and they agree to his proposal, then they may marry you off to him.

Allah knows best.