We should repent soon after committing a sin. The greater the sin, the greater our repentance should be. Know that as time passes by you will begin to lose the sense of urgency for asking for forgiveness from Allah. Repenting is something more than seeking the forgiveness of your Lord. There are many more important matters related to repentance. Once you start repenting sincerely from the bottom of your heart, and only for Allah's sake; then gradually Allah will bless you and grant you a deeper understanding and make you stronger in the faith. A sense of humility must also accompany the repentance. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "When a person repents, Allah rejoices more than one of you who found his camel after he lost it in the desert." (Narrated by Bukhari, no. 6309) The aforementioned Hadith is a beautiful reminder which encourages us to repent. How beautiful and blessed he or she would be in making Allah happy? Isn't this the world's greatest feeling? Isn't this what we strive for as Muslims; the pleasure of Allah? Repentance or tawbah is something that is between you and Allah; your Creator, Sustainer, and Cherisher. It is something that we should do often (not just in Ramadaan or Haj), because Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: {Surely, Allah loves those people who constantly repent to Him (do Tawbah to Him).} (Chapter 2, verse 222) Notice Allah did not say, "Allah loves the Taa'ibeen (those who repent)", but He said, "Tawwabeen," which means those who constantly, over and over, repent to Allah. We are human and sometimes we tend to stray off the path for a while. What should we do when we realise we erred? How do we ensure that our repentance is sincere, consistent, and successful? There are three main steps one must take in order to repent sincerely. Regret deeply with a sincere heart for the sin you committed. Return to Allah for forgiveness. Make a strong intention never to return to that same sin again. You might have heard people saying that they have sinned so much that they don't deserve Allah's forgiveness. That is incorrect. How can you think that Allah will not forgive you? Allah said numerous times in the Holy Qur'an that He is The Oft-Forgiving and The Most Compassionate; how could you lose hope in Him? During the path on sincere repentance, it is almost as though your heart is blossoming like a flower. Allah's love for the repentance of his servants is as vast as an ocean. The ocean of Allah's love is scattered with seashells and pearls. Our target is to find the seashells and discover the beautiful pearls which are those special secretive moments only between you and Allah. That moment of discovering the pearls is likened to the moment when you feel content, when you feel happy and satisfied with your repentance to Allah. Never think that Allah will not forgive us. Repent with sincerity and remember that Allah loves His servants and He will definitely accept our repentance. The verses in the Holy Qur'an on Allah's forgiveness give us hope. {And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} (Chapter 73, Verse 20)
