Question: A young man performs the five pillars of Islaam just as Allaah has legislated them, but he commits some acts of disobedience as well – meaning he combines between the obligations and the prohibitions. So what is the ruling of Islaam about this?

Answer: The door of repentance is open until the sun rises from its setting place (in the West). So it is obligatory upon every disbeliever or disobedient sinner to repent to Allaah with sincere repentance. This is done by feeling regret and sorrow for what one has done of disbelief and sins, and stopping and abandoning that act due to fear of Allaah and honoring Him, and having truthful resolve to not return to that act again. And whenever the servant (of Allaah) repents with this type of repentance, Allaah wipes away from him whatever he did of previous sins. This is as Allaah, the Magnificent and Exalted said, “And repent to Allaah, all of you, O you believers, so that perhaps you will be successful.” [An-Noor (24):31]

And He, glory be to Him, said, “And verily I am Oft-Forgiving for whoever repents, and believes, and works righteous deeds, and then is rightly guided.” [Taa Haa (20):82]
And the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Al-Islaam demolishes what was before it, and repentance demolishes what was before it.” And from the perfection of repentance concerning the Muslim is returning anything that was taken wrongfully to those to whom it belongs and seeking their pardon from that. This is as the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whoever has some injustice that he has done to his brother, let him get pardon from him today (i.e. now) before there will not be any deenaar (gold coin) or dirham (silver coin). If he has any righteous deed, he (his oppressed brother) will take from his good deeds according to his injustice. So if he does not have any good deeds, then he will take from the bad deeds of his companion and he will carry their burden himself.” This was reported by Al-Bukhaaree and the verses and hadeeths with this meaning are numerous.