How Should a Fornicator Repent?

Question :

Even though I knew how great of a sin it is, and even though I was aware that the Shaytan was tempting me to do it, I fornicated. At the time, I was telling myself that I would do it and then repent later, but now, I really do realize how great my mistake was, and I wish to repent. Will Allâh Almighty forgive me? And how should I repent?

Answer:

The door of repentance will remain open until the sun rises from the west, so whoever repents sincerely to Allâh Almighty, fulfilling all of the conditions of repentance, Allâh Almighty forgives him. But sincere repentance has conditions:

1) You must refrain from the sin.

2) You must feel remorse for having perpetrated that sin.

3) You must make a firm decision never to return to that sin, fearing Allah's punishment, seeking His forgiveness, and glorifying His mightiness.

Remember that Allah Almighty says:
"O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance!"

He also said:
"And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful."

And:
"Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

The scholars agree that this verse was revealed for the penitent, those who wish to make repentance. If your sin involves a right of a human being, then we must add a fourth condition: you must return to them their rights, whether it is wealth or something else; otherwise, you must seek their pardon. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Whoever has wronged his brother regarding his honor or something else, let him seek his pardon today, before (a time will come when) there will neither be Dinar nor Dirham (two currencies). If the one who has transgressed has any good deeds, the person who was wronged will take from them according to the wrong that was done to him. If the transgressor does not have any good deeds, he will take the sins of the person he wronged, and the burden of those sins will be heaped upon him."

A Muslim must be wary of not only Shirk and what leads to Shirk, but also of all sins, for he knows not for certain whether he will be guided to repent, nor whether he will be given the opportunity to repent. Hence, he should avoid all sins, asking His Lord to protect him from them. He must not be complacent with Shaytan, with the intention that he will repent after he has sinned. No doubt, such an attitude is one of Shaytan's tricks, which he uses to ensnare people, to tempt them. Sometimes a person may be prevented from repenting while he is alive, a blow that will definitely cause him to feel regret, at a time when regret is of no avail to him. Allah Almighty says:
"And fear none but Me"

He also said:
"And Allah warns you against Himself."

And:
"O mankind! Verily, the Promise of Allah is true. So let not this present life deceive you, and let not the chief deceiver (Shaytan) deceive you about Allah. Surely, Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his party that they may become the dwellers of the blazing fire."

Many other verses are similar in meaning.