Assalaamu alaikum, my brothers and sisters in Islam. As human beings, we are not perfect. We all make mistakes, either big or small. But what sets a believer apart is not a life free of sin, rather, it is the sincerity in turning back to Allah with humility and repentance. One of the best ways is performing Salat Al Tawbah, also known as the prayer of repentance. Our Prophet ﷺ made it known to us that…
“All the children of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah 4251 – Hasan)
This means that sinning is something we can’t avoid totally but we can always try to avoid it base on the best of our capacity. Whenever we fall into any error or sin, it is good that we seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent from it. Allah is always ready to forgive us as He said in the verse below…
“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.'” (Surah Az-Zumar 39:53)
Now that we understand this, how many of us understand the process of how to perform Salat Al Tawbah properly and sincerely? And fewer still realize that this prayer can serve as the beginning of a new chapter, a fresh spiritual start where you are free from the burden of past sins. Seeking sincere repentance makes someone to be free from the sin totally in shaa Allah. Allah says…
O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow…. (Al-Quran 66:8)
So, whether you’re seeking forgiveness for a minor sin, major sin, or just want to reconnect your heart to Allah ﷻ after a lapse in devotion, this guide on how to perform Salat Al Tawbah will walk you through every detail. But before we discuss the steps on how to perform this prayer of repentance correctly, let’s mention a few things about Solatul Tawbah.
What is Salatul Tawbah?
Salatul Tawbah is a special, voluntary prayer that you offer when you feel genuine remorse and want to return to Allah after committing a sin. It is a deeply spiritual act of worship where you combine prayer, dua, humility, and even tears, seeking from Allah to wipe your record of bad deeds, errors, and sins away, so as to become clean and start afresh. In fact, this was the practice of the Prophet ﷺ himself as he said:
“There is no one who commits a sin, then purifies himself well (makes wudhu’), then prays two rak‘ahs, then asks Allah for forgiveness, but Allah will forgive him.” (Abu Dawood 1521 – Hasan)
Observing Solatul Tawbah reflects both internal remorse and external action. You’re not just feeling sorry inside for the sin only but you’re also standing before Allah, bowing in humility, crying in sujood, and raising your hands to beg for pardon. You’re acknowledging your mistake and taking real steps to fix your relationship with your Lord. As Shaykh Ibn Baaz رحمه الله once said:
“The door of repentance is open. Whoever commits a sin must hasten to repent sincerely, and from the signs of sincere repentance is offering two rak‘ahs of Salat Al-Tawbah with humility and brokenness.”
And as long as you come to Allah with a sincere heart, no matter what you’ve done, He will accept you. He will forgive you. He will raise your rank. Allah says in the Qur’an:
“And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins—and who can forgive sins except Allah? and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.” (Surah Aal-Imran 3:135)
So don’t let Shaytan deceive you into thinking you’ve gone too far or that your case is hopeless or that you can never be forgiven. There is always a way back. Ibn Al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) wrote in “Madarij as-Salikeen”…
“When a slave stands before Allah in these two rak’ahs, fully aware of their sins, begging for pardon—Allah’s mercy rushes to them faster than a mother’s embrace to her crying child.”
Imam Shafi’i also said in his poem (رحمه الله)
“إذا نَزَلَتْ بِكَ الْأَحْزَانُ فَاسْجُدْ# … فَفِي السَّجْدَةِ الْعُظْمَى لَكَ الْمَخْرَجُ”
“When sorrows weigh you down, prostrate in prayer… For in deep submission lies your escape.”
If you’re seeking that fresh start, wondering how to perform Solatul Tawbah (prayer of repentance), you’re in the right place. Let’s discuss how to perform salat al Tawbah now.
Step by step on how to perform Solatul Tawbah (prayer of repentance)
We should all know that having the intention to perform solatul Tawbah as a means to repent from one’s sin and become a clean person before Allah is directly authenticated from our Prophet as he said that….
“There is no one who commits a sin, then purifies himself well (makes wudhu’), then prays two rak‘ahs, then asks Allah for forgiveness, but Allah will forgive him.” (Abu Dawood 1521 – Hasan)
Let’s now discuss how to perform Salat al Tawbah in steps.
1. Make a sincere intention (niyyah)
The very first step in any act of worship is the niyyah, the intention. Purify the intention in your heart to perform Salat Al Tawbah solely for seeking Allah’s forgiveness and sincere repentance. That is, your heart must be full of remorse, and your intention should be to seek nearness to Allah by returning from sin. Allah says in the Qur’an…
“O you who believe! Repent to Allah with sincere repentance (Tawbah Nasoohah).” (Surah At-Tahrim 66:8)
The word “Nasoohah” in the above verse means your repentance must be pure and completely for Allah’s sake.
2. Perform wudu (ablution)
It is advisable that you make a proper and correct wudu. Because performing a good ablution is also a means of erasing one’s sins. Our Prophet ﷺ said…
When a bondsman-a Muslim or a believer-washes his face (in course of ablution), every sin he contemplated with his eyes, will be washed away from his face along with water, or with the last drop of water; when he washes his hands, every sin they wrought will be effaced from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water; and when he washes his feet, every sin towards which his feet have walked will be washed away with the water or with the last drop of water with the result that he comes out pure from all sins (Sahih Muslim 244)
Read the full artcile on how to make correct ablutiona and its benefit. (DeenMinder)
3. Pray two Rak’ahs (like any nafl salah)
Now, offer two units (rak’ahs) of prayer, just like any regular Sunnah prayer. There’s no fixed recitation. You can recite any surah after each Suratul Faatiha. Make sure that you pray with humility, as if it’s your last Salah. Imam Ahmad (رحمه الله) said…
“The tears of a repentant worshipper are more beloved to Allah than the Hajj of the proud.”
You can also include short du’as for seeking forgiveness inside your sajdah (prostration) or before tasleem during the Tashahud after reciting the necessary things. These include duas like…
“Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu anni.”
“Astaghfirullah al-‘Azeem alladhi la ilaha illa Huwal Hayyul Qayyum wa atubu ilayh.”
“Allahumma inni dhalamtu nafsi dhulman kathiran wala yaghfiru adh-dhunuba illa anta, faghfir li maghfiratan min ‘indika warhamni, innaka anta al-ghafur ar-rahim.”
4. Make a heartfelt dua for forgiveness after the Salat Al Tawbah
You have already finished performing Salat al Tawbah after saying the tasleem. What is next after finishing the two rak’ahs is to raise your hands and make heartfelt dua in seeking Allah’s forgiveness. This is a personal moment with Allah, and you can speak in any language, repent from the sin committed, and ask Him to forgive and erase it from the record of bad deeds.
If you know the sayyidul istighfar dua, also known as the chief master dua for seeking Allah’s Forgiveness, you can recite this too. Check the Sayyidul Istighfar Dua here.
Now that you know how to perform Salat Al Tawbah, do not delay. It’s not about perfection—it’s about sincerity. Even if you’ve repented before and fallen again, rise again. Allah never tires of forgiving, so don’t tire of returning to Him.
What are the conditions for repentance to be accepted?
For repentance to be accepted in Islam, it has to involve the following.
- Stop the sin immediately
- Feel genuine regret in your mind
- Decide in your mind never to return to the sin again
- Restore people’s rights to them if it involves possessing other people’s properties or rights
Read the full explanation of the conditions for repentance to be accepted in Islam here.
When can I perform Salat Al Tawbah
Solatul Tawbah (prayer of repentance) should be formed…
- Immediately after acknowledging one’s sin. It shouldn’t be delayed
- Anytime of the day, even during the prohibited times that we can’t pray (like after Asr prayer, before Magrib)
You’ve read this concise guide on Solatul Tawbah (prayer of repentance) and also know how to perform it. So what’s stopping you? Let this be the moment you say, enough is enough. No matter how far you’ve strayed, Allah’s door of mercy is wide open. It has never been closed—and it never will be, until your final breath. So return. Don’t delay. Our Prophet ﷺ told us that…
“Allah stretches out His Hand at night to forgive those who sinned by day, and He stretches out His Hand by day to forgive those who sinned by night…” (Sahih Muslim 2759)
Repentance is not just a one-time event. It’s a habit of the heart. Even after you perform Salat Al Tawbah, stay consistent with regular istighfar, renewing your commitment to change for the better, fixing the relationships you’ve damaged and doing good deeds to erase the effects of your past sins. Allah says…
“Verily, good deeds wipe out bad deeds.” (Surah Hud 11:114)
Even if you slip again, don’t give up. Shaytan will try to shame you, but Allah’s mercy calls you back. SO whenever you commit a sin, take the right step, make wudu, and offer two sincere rak’ahs of Solatul Tawbah. And don’t forget to share this guide. Someone else out there needs to know that it’s not too late for them either. Help someone else find the path back to Allah.
We ask Allah to make us among those who constantly repent, and make us among those who purify themselves. Purify our hearts, make our deeds righteous, and keep our bodies firm in Your worship. Aameen.
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