It is to turn from what is condemned to what is praised. According to the one to whom the full clarity of knowledge has been unveiled, this quality is a general attribute encompassing both the outward and the inward. For, just as there is no night left when the sun rises, ignorance cannot exist alongside knowledge. This state includes all aspects, both general and particular, of the divisions of tawba (repentance). This knowledge, because it purifies both the outward and inward with all the general and particular qualities of tawba, becomes knowledge of both the outward and the inward.
No benefit can be obtained from tawba.
The tawba of one who repents from tawba is something else.
Humankind is asleep.
He attains his desire if he is absolute.
From the tawba of people.
Tawba is of three kinds. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning is called tawba, the middle is called ināba, and the end is called awba. Tawba belongs to those who possess khawf (fear), ināba to those who possess obedience, and awba to those who observe the divine command. In this division, there is also an indication that tawba is especially a turning away from prohibitions. As for the rights of others that have been entrusted to one’s responsibility, these are only lifted by the forgiveness of the owner, or by retribution, or by giving what one is able to give. (Futūḥāt, TI, 140)
The stations of yaqīn (certainty) are nine: They are tawba, zuhd (asceticism), sabr (patient endurance), shukr (gratitude), khawf (fear), riḍā (contentment with God's decree), rajāʾ (hope), tawakkul (reliance upon God), and maḥabba (love). It is not correct to consider any of these stations as being nullified by their cessation with Allah.
Tawba is to return to Allah from everything He is not pleased with for you and from every planning He is not pleased with for you. For such planning is rubūbiyya shirk (associating partners with God); it is kufr (disbelief) in the blessing of reason. Allah is not pleased with the kufr of His servants. How can the tawba of a servant who, being heedless of good conduct toward his Master, strives in planning concerning his world with zeal be valid?! (Tanwīr, 8)
It is obligatory to make tawba continuously. Man is never free from maʿṣiya (disobedience). Even if he is free from committing maʿṣiya with his body, he is not free from thinking of sins with his heart. Even if he is free from that, then he is not free from the whisperings of Satan that come with thoughts that distract from the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah. Even if he is free from that, he cannot be free from heedlessness, from deficiency in knowing Allah through His acts and attributes. All of these are deficiencies. No one is safe from these deficiencies. People's destinies differ from one another. The root of this must be from this. (Qudāma, 266)
Tawba consists of a regret that brings forth resolve and intention. This regret makes one realize that maʿṣiya is a veil between a person and what he loves. (Qudāma, 275)
Regarding tawba, people are of four ranks: The first rank is the penitent who lives in the direction of tawba until the end of his life. This person perceives the excesses in his actions and, except for mistakes he may commit as a human, is determined not to return to sin. This is uprightness in tawba. Its possessor is one who has preceded in good deeds (khayrāt). This state is called tawba nasūḥ and such a nafs is called nafs al-muṭmaʾinna. These are of different kinds. Among them are those whose passions (shahwa) have calmed under the strength of maʿrifa (gnosis), and whose nafs have ceased to struggle. Again, among them are those who, in a state of tooth-for-tooth struggle, have a nafs that resists.
The second rank is the penitent who follows the path of uprightness in the fundamentals of obedience and major sins. However, even though he does not wish to become involved in sins, he cannot distance himself from the sins he commits. Yet, even if he does not resolve to commit these sins, he is tested with them in various states. Whenever he commits one of these sins, he reproaches himself, regrets, and resolves to remove their causes. This nafs is called nafs al-lawwāma. For this nafs reproaches its owner for having made bad states its goal. Although it is below the first rank, this is also an exalted station. This is the most common state among penitents. For evil has been kneaded into Adam with clay. Whenever he distances himself from that sin, his good deeds outweigh. In fact, the only aim of his striving is to ensure that his good deeds outweigh his evil deeds on the scale. For the pan of evil deeds to be empty is a remote possibility. Such people are those who attain Allah's beautiful promise. They avoid major sins and indecencies, except for minor faults. The forgiveness (maghfira) of their Lord is vast. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicated this station with his saying: 'Allah loves the oft-repentant believer who sins.' (Musnad, I, 80)
In the third rank, there is the penitent who, after repenting, remains steadfast for a while. (However, after repenting) his passion overcomes him in regard to some sins, and due to his weakness in the face of the strength of passion, he falls into sin. Yet, he continues in obedience and strives to abandon sins. However, one or two passions dominate him. He wishes that Allah would dominate him and help him against evil. When this state ends (when he commits the sin), he regrets it. However, (he does not persist in the sin and) prepares himself to repent from it. This nafs is called nafs al-musawwila. Its owner is among those about whom Allah says: 'And others have acknowledged their sins; they mixed a righteous deed with another that was bad.' (Qur'an 9:102) Because this person continues in obedience and dislikes being occupied with sin, Allah commands him to be hopeful with the words (that come after the previous verse): 'It may be that Allah will turn to them in mercy.' (Qur'an 9:102) The fate of this person is in danger because he delays tawba and postpones it to another time because of this. Sometimes, before tawba, his eyes are dazzled by (being deceived by) sins. Deeds