What Does Tawba (Repentance) Mean in Arabic?
تَوْبَة
tawba
Root: ت و ب
Tawba (Repentance) Tawba is sincere repentance and turning back to Allah after sin. Its three conditions are: ceasing the sin, feeling genuine remorse, and resolving never to return to it. If the sin involved wronging another person, making amends is also required. The Quran states: 'Allah loves those who repent' (2:222). The door of repentance remains open until the soul reaches the throat at death.
The root of Tawba (Repentance) (tawba) appears 87 times in the Quran, reflecting its foundational importance in Islamic theology and practice.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tawba (Repentance)
What does Tawba (Repentance) mean in Islam?
Tawba is sincere repentance and turning back to Allah after sin. Its three conditions are: ceasing the sin, feeling genuine remorse, and resolving never to return to it. If the sin involved wronging another person, making amends is also required. The Quran states: 'Allah loves those who repent' (2:222). The door of repentance remains open until the soul reaches the throat at death.
How many times is Tawba (Repentance) mentioned in the Quran?
The root of the word Tawba (Repentance) appears 87 times in the Quran, underscoring its central importance in Islamic theology and practice.
What is the Arabic root of Tawba (Repentance)?
The Arabic root letters of Tawba (Repentance) are ت و ب.
Related Words
حَلَال
Halal (Permissible)
Halal refers to anything permissible or lawful under Islamic law. It applies to food, drink, financial transactions, and behavior. The Quran repeatedly instructs believers to eat from what is halal and good (tayyib). Halal is the opposite of haram (forbidden) and forms one of the five rulings (ahkam) of Islamic jurisprudence.
حَرَام
Haram (Forbidden)
Haram refers to anything strictly forbidden by Islamic law. Committing a haram act is a sin deserving punishment in both this world and the hereafter. Major categories include pork, alcohol, usury (riba), adultery, and murder. Islamic jurisprudence identifies five rulings (ahkam); haram is the most severe prohibition.
فَرْض
Fard (Obligatory)
Fard is an obligatory religious duty in Islam whose performance is rewarded and whose neglect is sinful. The five pillars of Islam — shahada, salah, zakat, sawm, and hajj — are all fard. Fard is divided into fard ayn (individual obligation) and fard kifaya (collective obligation fulfilled when enough people perform it).
وَاجِب
Wajib (Necessary)
Wajib in Hanafi jurisprudence is an obligatory act slightly below fard in rank, established by probable (zanni) rather than definitive (qati) evidence. Neglecting it is sinful but less severe than neglecting fard. Examples include witr prayer, udhiyya (sacrifice), and sadaqat al-fitr. In Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools, wajib and fard are synonymous.