Mukhtasar Riyad as-Salihin

Imam Nawawi’s Meadows of the Righteous

Abridged Version of Imam Yusuf al-Nabahani
Chapter on Repentance
Allah Almighty says, "Turn towards Allah, O believers, every one of
you, so that perhaps you will have success," (24:31)
and the Almighty says, "Ask your Lord for forgiveness and then turn in
repentance to Him," (11:3)
and the Almighty says, "O you who believe! Turn in sincere repentance
to Allah." (66:8)
Abu Hamza Anas ibn Malik al-Ansari, the servant of the Messenger of
Allah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, "Allah is happier about the repentance of one
His slaves than one of you would be about finding your camel which
had strayed away from you in the middle of the desert."[Agreed upon]
From Abu Musa 'Abdullah ibn Qays al-Ash'ari is that the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah Almighty will stretch
out His hand during the night, turning towards the one who did wrong
during the day, and stretch out His hand during the day, turning
towards the one who did wrong during the night, until the day the sun
rises from the place it set." [Muslim]
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, said, "Allah will turn towards anyone who turns in
repentance before the time that the sun rises from the place it set."
[Muslim]
Abu Sa'id ibn Sa'd ibn Malik ibn Sinan al-Khudri reported that the
Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
"Among those before you there was a man who killed ninety-nine
people. He asked who was the most knowledgeable man in the world
and was directed to a monk. He went to him and said that he had killed
ninety-nine people and was repentance possible for him? The monk
said, 'No,' so he killed him and made it a hundred. Then he again asked
who was the most knowledgeable man on earth and was directed to a
man of knowledge. He said that he had killed a hundred people, so was
repentance possible for him? The man said, 'Yes, who can come
between you and repentance? Go to such-and-such a land, where there
are some people worshipping Allah Almighty. Worship Allah with them
and do not return to your own country. It is an evil place.' So he went
and then, when he was half way there, he died. The angels of mercy
and angels of punishment started to argue about him. The angels of
mercy said, 'He came in repentance, turning with his heart to Allah
Almighty.' The angels of punishment said, 'He has not done a single
good action.' An angel came in a human form and they appointed him
arbitrator between them. He said, 'Measure the distance between the
two countries and whichever one he is nearer to, that is the one he
belongs to.' They measured and found he was nearer to the land to
which he was going, so the angels of mercy took him." [Agreed upon]
(Imam Nawawi:) Scholars say that it is s a duty to repent of every
wrong action. If it is disobedience which occurs between a person and
Allah and does not involve the right of another human being,
repentance has three preconditions. The first is that one divest himself
of disobedience. The second is that he regret doing it. The third is that
he resolve not to ever return to it. If one of the three is lacking, then
his repentance is not sound. If it involves to another human being,
repentance has four preconditions: these three and that he discharges
his duty to the other person. If it is money or the like, he pays it to him.
If it is a hadd-punishment because of slander and the like it, he give
shim power over him or seeks his pardon. If it is slander, he undoes it,
He must repent of all wrong actions. If he repents of some of them, the
people of truth say that his repentance of them is sound, but he still
has the rest. There is much evidence in the Book, the Sunna and the
consensus of the Community about the obligation to repent.