The prayer of repentance: how to pray it, when, the conditions of repentance and its supplications

The prayer of repentance is two voluntary units prayed by someone who has fallen into sin and then seeks Allah's forgiveness. It is established in the sunnah, not merely a later convention.

The hadith it rests on

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "There is no man who commits a sin, then rises and purifies himself, then prays, then seeks Allah's forgiveness, except that Allah forgives him." Reported by Abu Dawud (1521) and al-Tirmidhi (406), graded acceptable. The hadith names three things in order: purification, then prayer, then seeking forgiveness.

Step by step

1. Stop the sin first. Praying while persisting in it is not repentance.
2. Perform wudu properly.
3. Pray two voluntary units, with no extra takbir and no special form.
4. Recite whatever you know of the Quran; no particular surah is established for it.
5. Lengthen the prostration and name your actual sin rather than a vague phrase.
6. After the prayer: seek forgiveness, express regret and ask for steadfastness.
7. Return the rights of others: money, a slander to be corrected, an injustice. Repentance is not complete without this.
8. Begin a good deed that replaces the sin in your day.

Number of units: two. No larger number is specifically established for repentance.

Its time: any time, immediately after the sin, preferably in the virtuous hours; you can see them for your city on prayer times.

Conditions of valid repentance

1. Sincerity to Allah, not fear of exposure or the sake of a person.
2. Regret over what has passed.
3. Stopping the sin at once.
4. Resolve not to return to it.
5. Returning rights to their owners when the sin involved another person.

The established texts of seeking forgiveness

The master supplication of seeking forgiveness, reported by al-Bukhari (6306). It is the most comprehensive thing to say after the prayer of repentance, because it acknowledges both the favour and the sin.

Reported by Abu Dawud (1516) and al-Tirmidhi (3434). The Prophet, peace be upon him, would say it many times in a single sitting.

How the Quran describes those who repent

The verse makes remembrance of Allah the line between one who falls and rises and one who falls and stays down. That is exactly the place of this prayer: remembrance after a slip, not despair after it.

It answers what most often keeps people from praying: the feeling that the sin is too large to be forgiven.

Table: common mistakes and what is correct

Which practice fits your situation

Frequently asked

• Is a full bath required? No, wudu suffices unless the sin itself required a bath.
• Do I pray it for every sin? It is not obligatory; it is a recommended sunnah for whoever wants to confirm his repentance.
• What if I cannot recall my sins? Repent generally; Allah knows what you do not recall.
• Should I inform the person I wronged? Inform them if returning the right requires it; if informing causes greater harm, compensate the right another way.
• Is it prayed in congregation? No. It is private between the servant and his Lord.

Two steps now

1. Pray two units, name your actual sin in prostration, then say the master supplication once with reflection. Its text is on the adhkar page.
2. Write down the right you owe and the date you will return it, and keep a daily portion of seeking forgiveness on the tasbih counter.