I backbit someone; how do I repent?

Original answer — Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz

Question

«لها سؤال أخير تقول فيه: كنت في الماضي أغتاب في الناس، والآن تركت الغيبة، والحمد لله، فهل يتوب الله علي؟»

English translation (unreviewed): She has a last question in which she says: In the past I used to backbite people, and now I have left backbiting, praise be to Allah. Will Allah accept my repentance?

From the text of the answer

«نعم، من تاب تاب الله عليه، إذا تاب الإنسان توبة صادقة، مشتملة على الندم على الماضي، والإقلاع من الذنب، والعزم الصادق ألا يعود إليه؛ تاب الله عليه، كما قال سبحانه: وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ [النور:٣١] وقال سبحانه: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ [التحريم:٨].»

English translation (unreviewed): Yes, whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance. If a person repents sincerely, comprising regret for the past, giving up the sin and a sincere resolve not to return to it, Allah accepts his repentance, as He, Glorified, said: “And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed” [al-Nur: 31], and He, Glorified, said: “O you who believe, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow” [al-Tahrim: 8].