Falling into the same sin over and over can make you feel unworthy, weak, or distant from Allah. You may wonder whether your repentance is accepted or whether you are just fooling yourself. But the mercy of Allah is far greater than your mistakes.
The door of tawbah never closes until the soul reaches the throat. Repeated sin does not make you a hypocrite — it makes you human. What matters is that you keep returning to Allah with sincerity, humility, and hope.
How to Make Tawbah When You Keep Repeating the Same Sin?
1. Know That Allah Never Tires of Forgiving You
The Prophet ﷺ said:
أَذْنَبَ عَبْدٌ ذَنْبًا فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي . فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى أَذْنَبَ عَبْدِي ذَنْبًا فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِالذَّنْبِ . ثُمَّ عَادَ فَأَذْنَبَ فَقَالَ أَىْ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي . فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى عَبْدِي أَذْنَبَ ذَنْبًا فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِالذَّنْبِ . ثُمَّ عَادَ فَأَذْنَبَ فَقَالَ أَىْ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي . فَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى أَذْنَبَ عَبْدِي ذَنْبًا فَعَلِمَ أَنَّ لَهُ رَبًّا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ وَيَأْخُذُ بِالذَّنْبِ وَاعْمَلْ مَا شِئْتَ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكَ " . قَالَ عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى لاَ أَدْرِي أَقَالَ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ أَوِ الرَّابِعَةِ " اعْمَلْ مَا شِئْتَ "
“My servant commited a sin and then he came to realise that he has a Lord Who forgives the sins and takes to account (the sinner) for the sin. He then again committed a sin and said: My Lord, forgive me my sin, and Allah, the Exalted and High, said: My servant committed a sin and then came to realise that he has a Lord Who would forgive his sin or would take (him) to account for the sin. He again committed a sin and said: My Lord, forgive me for my sin, and Allah (the Exalted and High) said: My servant sas committed a sin and then came to realise that he has a Lord Who forgives the sins or takes (him) to account for sin. O servant, do what you like. I have granted you forgiveness. 'Abd al-A'la said: I do not know whether he said thrice or four times to do" what you desire".”
[Sahih Muslim 2758]
Your repeated return to Allah is a sign of faith, not hypocrisy.
2. Never Stop Repenting No Matter How Many Times You Fall
Allah says:
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ
“Say: O My servants who have wronged themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah.”
[Qur’an 39:53]
Shayṭān wins only when you give up repentance. As long as you keep returning, you are still fighting.
3. Understand That Sincere Tawbah Is Accepted Even if You Fall Again
The Prophet ﷺ said:
التَّائِبُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ كَمَنْ لَا ذَنْبَ لَهُ
“The one who repents from sin is like one who never sinned.”
[Sunan Ibn Mājah 4250 | Hasan]
Tawbah is judged by sincerity at the moment of repentance — not by what may happen in the future.
4. Recognize That Repetition Does Not Cancel Your Tawbah
If you repent sincerely and later fall again, the previous repentance remains valid. You only need to repent again for the new sin. Allah does not erase reward because of later mistakes.
5. Make Tawbah With Its Three Essential Conditions
Scholars derived from Qur’an and Sunnah that tawbah requires:
• Stopping the sin
• Feeling remorse
• Resolving not to return
If the sin involved another person’s rights, return their rights as well.
6. Identify When the Sin Happens and What Triggers It
Falling repeatedly often comes from unaddressed triggers — loneliness, anger, stress, boredom, privacy, certain people, certain apps. Avoiding the sin means avoiding what leads to it.
7. Replace the Sin With a Good Deed Immediately
Allah says:
إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ
“Indeed, good deeds wipe away bad deeds.”
[Qur’an 11:114]
After sinning, pray two rak‘ahs, give charity, or recite Qur’an. This weakens the sin’s hold on your heart.
8. Strengthen Your Private Worship
Sins thrive in the dark, but so does sincerity.
Private worship can heal private sins.
9. Change Your Environment When Needed
A sinful environment makes tawbah nearly impossible. Digital environments count too — social media, websites, accounts, messages, and entertainment often pull the heart downward. Clean your surroundings so your soul can breathe.
10. Seek Help When the Sin Is Addictive
Some sins are not just spiritual weaknesses — they become psychological habits. Seeking counseling, accountability, or structured support does not reduce reliance on Allah; it strengthens your ability to obey Him.
11. Know That Shame After Sin Is a Sign of Faith
Feeling guilty after sinning is not a curse — it is your heart proving it is still alive.
12. Remember That Allah Loves Those Who Repent Again and Again
Allah says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِينَ
“Indeed, Allah loves those who repent repeatedly.”
[Qur’an 2:222]
“Al-Tawwāb” is the One who accepts repentance over and over, welcoming you every time you return.
13. Understand That Tawbah Is a Lifelong Practice
You’re not meant to be sinless — you’re meant to be returning. Tawbah is not a one-time occurrence but a lifelong rhythm. Growth is slow, gradual, and full of slips, yet Allah rewards every step toward Him.
14. Keep Hope in Allah’s Mercy Higher Than Fear of Your Sin
Allah says:
وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ
“My mercy encompasses all things.”
[Qur’an 7:156]
No repeated sin can overpower a mercy that encompasses everything.
When you fall into the same sin, do not run away from Allah — run toward Him faster. A heart that keeps returning is a heart Allah loves. A sinner who repents is more beloved to Allah than an arrogant worshipper.
Your weakness is not the end of your story. Your tawbah is.
