What to say and do if you commit a sin

مَا مِن عَبدٍ يُذنِبُ ذَنباً فَيُحسِنُ الطُّهُورَ، ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي رَكعَتَينِ، ثُمَّ يَستَغفِرُ اللَّهَ إِلاَّ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ

Approximate Arabic reading aid

Mā min 'abdin yudhnibu dhanban fayuḥsinu aṭ-ṭuhūra, thumma yaqūmu fayuṣallī rak'atayni, thumma yastaghfiru allāha illā ghafara allāhu lahu

English meaning

Any servant who commits a sin and as a result, performs ablution, prays two units of prayer (i.e. two rakAAas) and then seeks Allah’s forgiveness, Allah would forgive him.

Explanation (Tafseer)

This passage sets out a sequence after committing a sin: perform purification carefully, pray two units, and seek Allah’s forgiveness. Its structure joins bodily preparation, worship, and verbal repentance, presenting return to Allah as a deliberate set of actions rather than regret alone.

When to use

What to say and do if you commit a sin

Reference & source

Hisn al-Muslim 140

Open source