At-Tawwab

What does At-Tawwab mean?

At-Tawwab is one of the 99 Names of Allah, meaning "The Ever-Relenting," "The Acceptor of Repentance". It describes Allah as the One who repeatedly turns toward His servants — first by inspiring them to repent, then by accepting their repentance no matter how often they fall and return. This name pairs the divine turning with the human turning: when the servant turns back to God, God turns back to them with forgiveness.

The Meaning in Depth

Repentance involves two "turnings": the servant turns away from sin toward God, and God turns toward the servant in acceptance. Remarkably, both are attributed to Allah as At-Tawwab — He grants the very ability to repent, then accepts it. The Quran shows this beautifully when, after Adam's mistake, "Adam received words from his Lord, and He accepted his repentance" (2:37).

At-Tawwab in the Quran

• "Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves." (2:222)
• "...then He turned to them so that they could repent. Indeed, Allah is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful." (9:118)
• "And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed." (24:31)

Living by This Name

At-Tawwab keeps the door of return always open. No matter how many times a person sins, sincere repentance is always accepted — for Allah loves the repentant (2:222). The conditions of sincere repentance are: stopping the sin, regret over it, firm resolve not to return, and (where rights of others are involved) restoring them. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than one of you who finds his lost camel" (Bukhari 6309).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many times will Allah accept repentance?

As often as the servant sincerely repents. Even if one sins, repents, and falls again, Allah continues to accept sincere repentance — He loves the oft-repentant.

What are the conditions of valid repentance?

Sincerely giving up the sin, feeling genuine regret, resolving not to return to it, and — if the sin involved wronging others — returning their rights or seeking their pardon.