Q: If you want to repent for major sins you, do you need to pray salaah to get your repentance accepted or without salaah you repentance will get accepted? For example I want to repent for lying and drinking alcohol, do I need to pray salaah in order for my repentance to get accepted. Does repentance on it’s own get accepted?
A: If the sin one committed relates to the rights of Allah, then by merely repenting to Allah Ta’ala and seeking forgiveness the sin will be forgiven, provided it is done with remorse within the heart and a firm resolve not return to the sin in the future. If one had missed Salaah or had not discharged zakaat for many years, then together with seeking forgiveness, one will have to make up for the missed Salaah and the missed zakaat in order for his tawbah to be accepted. If the sin one committed relates to the rights of the servants of Allah Ta’ala, e.g. one had cheated or robbed someone, then together with seeking forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala, one should return the stolen property to the person one had cheated. Performing Salaah is not a precondition for the acceptance of one’s tawbah.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Zakaria Makada
Checked & Approved:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)