Discover the meaning of the term Al-twba (توبة) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 4 min readThe turning back to Allah by untying the knot of obstinacy from the heart, then standing to every right of the Lord.
Linguistically: turning back; one says taba and anaba when he returned. Ascribed to the servant, his turning back from the lapse toward remorse is meant; ascribed to Allah, the return of His favor and kindness upon His servants: Allah said "then He turned to them in forgiveness that they might turn", that is, He turned upon them with grace and bounty so that they would turn to obedience and compliance. In the Law: it is remorse over the sin because it is a sin; we restricted it so because remorse over the sin for the harm it does to the body, or its violation of one's honor or wealth and the like, is not repentance: if one regrets wine and adultery for the headache, the clouded mind, the loss of wealth and honor, one is not a repentant and this remorse is not called repentance. As for remorse out of fear of the Fire or hope of Paradise: if it is for the ugliness of the sin and its being disobedience, it is repentance; otherwise not. If one regrets the sin's ugliness along with another motive: if the motive of ugliness is such that, alone, it would secure the remorse, it is repentance; otherwise not. If one repents during mortal illness or a feared illness: if the repentance and remorse are for the sin's ugliness, one is a repentant; otherwise not, as in the hereafter at the sight of the Fire, which ranks as the faith of despair. From the Prophet's words (peace and blessings be upon him) it is apparent that the sick man's repentance in the feared illness is accepted so long as the signs of death have not appeared, namely the death rattle and its agony. Remorse is grief and pain over having done a thing, with the wish that it had not been done. The penitent must have grief and pain, for mere abstention is not repentance, by his saying (peace be upon him): "Remorse is repentance". This and the rest of the details are in the Sharh al-Maqasid.
The turning back, in the Law, from the blameworthy to the praised.
The sincere repentance (nasuh) is the firm resolve not to return (to the sin).
Turning back from sin; in the Quran: "O you who believe, turn to Allah in sincere repentance: your Lord may well absolve you of your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow" (al-Tahrim 66:8). Legally: abandoning the sin for its ugliness, remorse over committing it, resolving not to return, restoring any wrong done, or seeking acquittal from the wronged (Ibn Hajar). Legally: remorse over past sin, immediate departure from it, resolve not to return in the future, in veneration of Allah the Exalted and in dread of His painful punishment and displeasure (al-Ba'li).
﴿إِنَّمَا ٱلتَّوْبَةُ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسُّوٓءَ بِجَهَـٰلَةٍۢ ثُمَّ يَتُوبُونَ مِن قَرِيبٍۢ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يَتُوبُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا﴾
« The repentance accepted by Allah is only for those who do wrong in ignorance [or carelessness] and then repent soon after. It is those to whom Allah will turn in forgiveness, and Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. »
Surah النساء : 17
﴿وَلَيْسَتِ ٱلتَّوْبَةُ لِلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَهُمُ ٱلْمَوْتُ قَالَ إِنِّى تُبْتُ ٱلْـَٔـٰنَ وَلَا ٱلَّذِينَ يَمُوتُونَ وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَعْتَدْنَا لَهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًۭا﴾
« But repentance is not [accepted] of those who [continue to] do evil deeds up until, when death comes to one of them, he says, "Indeed, I have repented now," or of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them We have prepared a painful punishment. »
Surah النساء : 18
﴿وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ أَن يَقْتُلَ مُؤْمِنًا إِلَّا خَطَـًۭٔا ۚ وَمَن قَتَلَ مُؤْمِنًا خَطَـًۭٔا فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍۢ مُّؤْمِنَةٍۢ وَدِيَةٌۭ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن يَصَّدَّقُوا۟ ۚ فَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوْمٍ عَدُوٍّۢ لَّكُمْ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍۢ مُّؤْمِنَةٍۢ ۖ وَإِن كَانَ مِن قَوْمٍۭ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُم مِّيثَـٰقٌۭ فَدِيَةٌۭ مُّسَلَّمَةٌ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِۦ وَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍۢ مُّؤْمِنَةٍۢ ۖ فَمَن لَّمْ يَجِدْ فَصِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا﴾
« And never is it for a believer to kill a believer except by mistake. And whoever kills a believer by mistake - then the freeing of a believing slave and a compensation payment presented to the deceased's family [is required] unless they give [up their right as] charity. But if the deceased was from a people at war with you and he was a believer - then [only] the freeing of a believing slave; and if he was from a people with whom you have a treaty - then a compensation payment presented to his family and the freeing of a believing slave. And whoever does not find [one or cannot afford to buy one] - then [instead], a fast for two months consecutively, [seeking] acceptance of repentance from Allah. And Allah is ever Knowing and Wise. »
Surah النساء : 92
﴿أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَأْخُذُ ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾
« Do they not know that it is Allah who accepts repentance from His servants and receives charities and that it is Allah who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful? »
Surah التوبة : 104
﴿وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى يَقْبَلُ ٱلتَّوْبَةَ عَنْ عِبَادِهِۦ وَيَعْفُوا۟ عَنِ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ﴾
« And it is He who accepts repentance from his servants and pardons misdeeds, and He knows what you do. »
Surah الشورى : 25
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ تَوْبَةًۭ نَّصُوحًا عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّـَٔاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّـٰتٍۢ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ يَوْمَ لَا يُخْزِى ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِىَّ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ ۖ نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَىٰ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ﴾
« O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow [on] the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believed with him. Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, "Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent." »
Surah التحريم : 8