How to Quit Sinning and Repent to Allah

Quitting a sin - if the sin is not doing an obligation, then quitting it (the sin) is by doing this obligation. For example, a person who does not give Zakat and wants to repent to Allah, then he must pay the Zakat that he did not pay before. If a person is negligent in regards to his dutifulness to his parents, then it is obligatory upon him to be dutiful to them. If he is negligent in keeping the ties of kinship, then it is obligatory upon him to connect his ties of kinship. And if the sin is by doing something impermissible, then it is obligatory to stop it immediately. If it is, for example, taking Riba (interest), then that which is obligatory upon him is to get rid of Riba, by abandoning it, staying far away from it, and donating what he had earned by way of Riba. If the sin is by deceiving, lying to people, and betraying what he has been entrusted with, then it is obligatory upon him to stop that. And if he earned money by this impermissible way, it would be obligatory upon him to return it to its owner or seek his forgiveness. If it is Gheebah (backbiting), then it is obligatory to stop backbiting people and indulging in their ‘irdh (honor). As for the one who says that he has repented to Allah, while he is persistent upon abandoning obligations or persistent upon committing sins, then this repentance is not accepted. In fact, this repentance is similar to mocking Allah the Exalted. How can you repent to Allah while you are persistent upon disobeying Him? If you treat a person and tell him, "I repent, I regret it, and I won’t do it again," while you intend in your heart that you will do it again, and you do it, you are mocking the man. So, what about Allah the Lord of all creation! The person who has truly repented is the one who quits the sin. It is strange that when you sit with some people, you find him irritated by Riba, while he himself deals in Riba, and Allah’s refuge is sought. Or he becomes irritated by backbiting, while he is the one who backbites the most, we ask Allah for wellbeing. Or he becomes irritated by lying and betraying peoples’ trusts, while he is the most one who betrays what he has been entrusted with.