A verse and its Tafsir
Allah the Exalted says
“The Forgiver of sin, the Accepter of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bountiful. There is no Allah save Him. Unto Him is the journeying.” (40:3)
Repentance is the abandonment of sin in the most beautiful manner.
For apology takes three forms:
Either the one apologizing says, "I did not do it,"
Or he says, "I did it for such-and-such a reason,"
Or he says, "I did it and I acted wrongly,"
"And I have erred."
This last one is true repentance.
Repentance in the Shari'ah
Is the abandonment of sin due to its ugliness,
Feeling remorse for what has occurred,
And the firm resolve to never return to it.
Mufradat al-Qur'an by al-Raghib al-Isfahani