God Almighty said
Say, “It is only a human being like you. It is revealed to me that your God is one God, so be upright to Him and seek His forgiveness. And woe to the polytheists.”
On the authority of Thawban, may God be pleased with him, he said
The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said
Be upright and you will not be counted
That is, be upright in everything
Do your best to be as upright as possible
Even if you do not achieve complete integrity
This is why seeking forgiveness comes to make up for the shortcomings
Ibn al-Qayyim, may God have mercy on him, said
Sins cause worry and distress
Fear and chest tightness
And heart disease
There is no cure for it except in repentance and seeking forgiveness
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, may God have mercy on him, said
In the Almighty's saying
So be upright to him and ask for his forgiveness
An indication that there must be some mitigation in the required uprightness
This is forced by seeking forgiveness
What is required is repentance and a return to integrity