It should be clear that ghusl or wudu’ is not a requisite of repentance, for there is no proof in the Shari`ah texts to command this. Sheikh M. S. Al-Munajjid, a prominent Saudi Muslim lecturer and author, states: “There is no human being who does not commit sin, and the best of them are those who hasten to repent. Anas reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam commits sin and the best of those who commit sin are those who always repent.” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi). Allah, the Almighty, has enjoined repentance upon His servants, saying: “O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow.” (At-Tahrim: 8)
Also, Allah has told us that He accepts the repentance of His servants and forgives them; indeed He turns their bad deeds into good deeds. Allah says: “And He it is Who accepts repentance from His servants, and forgives sins, and He knows what you do.” (Ash-Shura: 25) and “Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous deeds; for those, Allah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allah is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Furqan: 70)
Allah has not commanded the repenting person to do wudu’ or ghusl, whether his impurity is minor or major, either before or after repenting, unless he is repenting from disbelief or apostasy.
The Standing Committee for Islamic Research and Ifta’ said: “Ghusl is not required for sincere repentance from sin, because the basic principle is that it is not prescribed, and we do not know of any e
vidence that differs from this principle except if the person is repenting from disbelief. This is because it is prescribed for the one who embraces Islam to perform ghusl, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded Qays ibn ‘Asim to do that when he became a Muslim. (Reported by Imam Ahmad)”
The conditions of repentance are well known; they do not include wudu’ or ghusl. These conditions are as follows:
1. Sincerity in repentance.
2. Giving up the sin.
3. Regretting the sin.
4. Resolving not to go back to the sin.
5. Repenting at the time when repentance is accepted, for Allah does not accept repentance once the death rattle reaches the throat when the soul is being taken, or after the sun rises from the west before the Day of Judgment.
6. Restoring the rights to the people if the sin involved transgressions against the rights of other.”