Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Ibn Maajah
(4245) narrated from Thawbaan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I certainly know
people of my ummah who will come on the Day of Resurrection with good deeds
like the mountains of Tihaamah, but Allaah will make them like scattered
dust.” Thawbaan said: O Messenger of Allaah, describe them to us and tell us
more, so that we will not become of them unknowingly. He said: “They are
your brothers and from your race, worshipping at night as you do, but they
will be people who, when they are alone, transgress the sacred limits of
Allaah.”
This is a
saheeh hadeeth; it was classed as such by al-Buwaysari in Misbaah
al-Zujaajah (4/246) and al-Albaani in al-Saheehah. Al-Mundhiri
said in al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb (3/170): Its narrators are thiqaat
(trustworthy).
Ibn Hajar
al-Haythami (may Allah have mercy on him) in al-Zawaajir (3/49)
regarded it as pretending to be righteous outwardly and transgressing the
sacred limits; even committing minor sins when one is alone is regarded as
something major, and he quoted this hadeeth as evidence, and said: The one
whose habit is to make a show of being good and concealing his evil ways
causes more harm and misguidance to the Muslims, because he has no piety and
no fear of Allah. End quote.
Secondly:
Repentance
to Allah, if it is sincere, erases what came before it of sin, no matter
what that sin is. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily,
Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship),
but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills; and whoever
sets up partners with Allaah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous
sin”
[al-Nisa’
4:48]
“Say: ‘O
‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing
evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah
forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful.
54. ‘And
turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to
your Lord and submit to Him (in Islam) before the torment comes upon you,
(and) then you will not be helped.
55. ‘And
follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord (i.e. this
Qur’aan, do what it orders you to do and keep away from what it forbids),
before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!’
[al-Zumar
39:53-55].
Allaah
listed the major sins and immoral actions which He and His righteous close
friends disdain, then He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Except
those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and do righteous
deeds; for those, Allaah will change their sins into good deeds, and Allaah
is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Furqaan 25:68-70].
Al-Harawi
(may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Repentance
cannot be sound except with three things: restoring the rights of others,
feeling regret for his sins and striving to make up for what he missed of
good deeds.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
Restoring
the rights of others means: repenting from the sins that he committed
against Allah, and paying off the dues that he owes to other people.
Feeling
regret for his sins means: may be interpreted in two ways: (i) feeling sad
for his sins, which is indicative of his turning back towards Allah, unlike
one who is not upset by his sin, which is indicative of the corruption and
deadening of his heart; (ii) being upset by his brother's sins, so that it
is as if he is the one who has done it, and he does not rejoice in his
brother's misfortune. This is indicative of the softening of his heart and
his love of Allah.
Striving to
make up for what he missed: this means catching up with what he has missed
out on acts of worship and drawing close to Allah, by doing acts similar to
them or better than them, especially for what is rest of his life, when the
time of his meeting Allah draws near. End quote.
Madaarij
al-Saalikeen, 1/434
For more
information please see the answer to question number
46683.
And Allah knows best.