I’ve lived as a Muslim for twenty-five years now, but I remember my earnestness and enthusiasm when I was a brand new convert. In my naivete, I believed that going forward, I would always find it easy to avoid sins. After all, I felt convinced of Islam and was eager to please Allah and avoid His punishment. I figured that my sincerity would keep me from being tempted to transgress Allah’s limits.
Before long, I realized how easy it is to fall back into old habits or succumb to temptation. It is, after all, human nature to make mistakes, and our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew this. It was narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam commits sin, and the best of those who commit sin are those who repent.” (Tirmidhi)
First, some converts may think that committing a major sin no longer makes them Muslim. Committing a sin other than worshipping other than Allah, no matter how major, does not take one out of the fold of Islam. Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills (Quran 4:116). As long as you recognize that your action is haram (impermissible), then you can still consider yourself a Muslim. However, if you do something that transgresses Allah’s commands, like drinking alcohol, for instance, and argue that this action is halal (permissible), then that disagreement with Allah’s decree takes you out of the bounds of Islam.
With that being said, what should we do if we sin? If you ever feel like your sins have taken you too far from your Lord, and He will never forgive you, know that this is a trick from Satan, whose goal is to pull you away from your worship and tempt you further and further from your loving Creator. Of course Allah, the One who created us, the One who is closer to us than our own jugular vein, knows that we will sometimes transgress His boundaries. He says:
“O son of Adam, as long as you supplicate to Me and hope in Me, I will forgive you for what you have done, and I do not care. O son of Adam, even if your sins were as high as the heavens, then you seek forgiveness from Me, I will surely forgive you. O son of Adam, if you come to Me with sins as great as the earth, then you meet Me without associating anything with Me, I will surely come to you with forgiveness as great as the earth.” (Tirmidhi)
What must we do to seek forgiveness?
It is not enough to say “I’m sorry” and then continue our negative behavior. To repent to Allah, we must:
- regret our sin
- stop doing it
- do our very best not to commit that sin again in the future
Sometimes people do something so bad that they doubt Allah will ever forgive them. They might wonder, after committing such a shameful act, whether they can still call themselves a Muslim, or pray, or ask Allah for anything. They may begin to drown in guilt and self-disgust, and this often ends up pulling them away from their deen.
Don’t let Satan win his battle for your soul. Consider your Lord’s amazing attributes and find comfort in them. Turn back to Him even if you have taken several steps in the wrong direction. He promises to come running to us.
Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah Almighty says: Whoever comes with a good deed will have the reward of ten like it and even more. Whoever comes with an evil deed will be recompensed for one evil deed like it or he will be forgiven. Whoever draws close to Me by the length of a hand, I will draw close to him by the length of an arm. Whoever draws close to Me by the length of an arm, I will draw close to him by the length of a fathom. Whoever comes to Me walking, I will come to him running. Whoever meets Me with enough sins to fill the earth, not associating any partners with Me, I will meet him with as much forgiveness.” (Sahih Muslim 2687)
Allah’s forgiveness is so amazing and vast that we cannot compare it to anything we’ve experienced on earth. Humans might never forgive us for certain mistakes, but Allah’s mercy is incomparable and generous beyond comprehension. He is the All-Forgiving, the Constantly-Forgiving, and the One Who can forgive anything, even though He doesn’t have to, and even when we don’t deserve it. He loves to forgive and can completely wipe our slate clean as if our sin never existed. With a Lord like that, how could we ever lose hope?
So, no matter how far you might have strayed, no matter how big you think your sin is, do not let it destroy your relationship with Allah. You will be surprised at how quickly you can feel reconnected with your Lord when you trust in His mercy and take positive steps forward:
- Ask for forgiveness by making ighstifar often.
- Do as many good deeds as possible, since they erase bad ones.
- Forgive others and let go of grudges. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Be merciful to others, and you will receive mercy. Forgive others, and Allah will forgive you.” (Source: Bukhari 380)
- Avoid people or situations that tempt you away from the Straight Path.
- If you think mental health struggles or addiction might be affecting your behavior negatively, seek help. Therapy, medicine, counseling, and recovery programs can be a form of worship if your intention is to grow closer to Allah and heal your body and mind.
- Use your time wisely and replace useless distractions with beneficial knowledge. Listen to Islamic lectures, read the Quran, and learn more about the deen, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
InshaAllah if you take these steps, you will start to feel lighter, relieved, and hopeful again. God is eager to welcome you back no matter how badly you’ve messed up, as long as you still believe in His deen. Your sins may seem huge, but Allah is always Greater.
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