Questioner:

My colleague said to me, if you want to repent, then go and perform wudūʿ and pray two rakaʿāt, and this action is called ‘Ṣalāt al-Tawbah’. Is this action correct and is there a prayer for repentance?

Shaykh Ṣāliḥ ibn Fawzān al-Fawzān:

Yes, this has been reported in a ḥadīth. So if a individual performs wudūʿ, prays two rakaʿāt and repents to Allah, this is perfecting [the repentance] and not an obligation. For if you were to repent to Allah ﷻ without [performing] the prayer, or wudūʿ and during any time in the day or night, indeed Allah ﷻ will accept the repentance of his servants at any time and state.