The book of repentance (kitâb AtèTawba) by Abou Hâmid Al-Ghazâlî (the Hive)

There is no doubt that when the human being falls into sin and crime, because of his Adamic nature feels remorse and regrets his act and repents, as the first of men did.

Also, the one who takes Adam as a model only in matters of sin without devoting himself to pure good and a relentless attitude of close angels, and stripping himself to dedicate himself to evil is an attitude of demons. But returning to good after having fallen into evil is necessarily the responsibility of humans.

Because in the composition of man, faults are mixed together with qualities. Thus, each human being is called to confirm his filiation by attaching himself either to the angel, or to Adam, or to the demon.

Therefore, the one who repents gives the proof of his Adamic sonship by remaining within the limit of the human; and he who persists in tyrannical error proves his satanic filiation at his own expense. As for proving one's belonging to the angels by stripping oneself for the pure good, that is not within the realm of the possible.

That is to say that evil is inextricably intertwined with good in the Adamic nature and that they can only be disentangled by one of two fires: the fire of regret or the fire of hell. So burning by fire is necessary....

So whoever tries to escape the fire of regret and repentance is really only prolonging his passage through the fire of Hell...

This book, which is part of the 'means of salvation' composed by the illustrious Imam Abu Hâmid al-Ghazâlî, deals with repentance (at-tawba): its definition, its reality, its conditions, its causes, its signs, its fruits, its scourges, its remedies, etc.