Question Summary:
Thoughts of the past, azkaar and ‘ibaadah to manage heart and mind

Question Detail:

AOA! Me jasra 

Answer :

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

Brother in Islaam,

It is pleasing to note that in a time when it is difficult to stay steadfast upon Deen, Allaah Ta’aala showered you with His Grace and guided you to the right path. This is a great bounty of His upon you.

When a person turns to Allaah Ta’alaa and sincerely repents for his past, Allaah Ta’aala forgives him. Ponder over the following:

Allaah Ta’aala says,

قُلْ يَاعِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ 

Translation: “Say (O Prophet): (Allaah declares to humanity) O My beloved servants! Those (of you) who have committed (sins in great) excess against their own souls, never despond of the mercy of Allaah! For, indeed, Allaah forgives the sins, one and all. Indeed, it is He (alone) who is All-Forgiving, the Mercy-Giving.^[1]” (Az-Zumar v.53)

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا 

Translation: “And, indeed, I am Most-Forgiving of whoever repents and works righteousness.” (TaaHaa v.82)

فَمَنْ تَابَ مِنْ بَعْدِ ظُلْمِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

Translation: “But whoever repents after their wrongdoing, and sets things aright, then, indeed, Allaah shall grant him repentance. Indeed, Allaah is All-Forgiving, Mercy-Giving.” (Al-Maaidah v.39)

فَأَمَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَعَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُفْلِحِينَ

Translation: “As for whoever repents and works righteousness, then it may well be that such as these shall be of the truly successful (in this life and the Hereafter).” (Al-Qasas v.67)

Rasulullaah (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said,

قال الله تبارك وتعالى: يا ابن آدم إنك ما دعوتني ورجوتني غفرت لك على ما كان فيك ولا أبالي، يا ابن آدم لو بلغت ذنوبك عنان السماء ثم استغفرتني غفرت لك، ولا أبالي، يا ابن آدم إنك لو أتيتني بقراب الأرض خطايا ثم لقيتني لا تشرك بي شيئا لأتيتك بقرابها مغفرة^[2]

Translation: “Allaah, Blessed is He and Most High, said: ‘O son of Adam! Verily as long as you call upon Me and hope in Me, I will forgive you, despite whatever may have occurred from you, and I do not mind. O son of Adam! If your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky, then you were to seek forgiveness from Me, I will forgive you, and I do not mind. O son of Adam! If you come to me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you meet Me not associating anything with Me (as partners), I will come to you with forgiveness nearly as great as it.” (Tirmidhi 5408)

Dear brother, focus on what is, let go of what was, and have hope in what will be. You cannot change the past but you can definitely make the best of the present and future. Focus on that.

Ensure that you are in the company of the righteous who will keep you motivated to do good. Be punctual with your daily prayers and dedicate sometime daily to recite the Qur’aan and ponder over its meaning.

Along with the morning and evening azkaar, you may recite the following du’aa,

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ

Translation: “Our Lord! Let not our hearts swerve after You have guided us. And grant us mercy from Your own (providence). Indeed, it is You, You alone who are the All-Granting.” (Aali Imraan v.8)

And Allaah Ta’aala Knows Best.

Muajul I. Chowdhury

Student, Darul Iftaa

Astoria, New York, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

[1] Adapted from The Gracious Quran by Ahmad Zaki Hammad

[2] سنن الترمذي (5/ 548)

3540 - حدثنا عبد الله بن إسحاق الجوهري البصري قال: حدثنا أبو عاصم قال: حدثنا كثير بن فائد قال: حدثنا سعيد بن عبيد، قال: سمعت بكر بن عبد الله المزني، يقول: حدثنا أنس بن مالك، قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: " قال الله تبارك وتعالى: يا ابن آدم إنك ما دعوتني ورجوتني غفرت لك على ما كان فيك ولا أبالي، يا ابن آدم لو بلغت ذنوبك عنان السماء ثم استغفرتني غفرت لك، ولا أبالي، يا ابن آدم إنك لو أتيتني بقراب الأرض خطايا ثم لقيتني لا تشرك بي شيئا لأتيتك بقرابها مغفرة ": هذا حديث حسن غريب لا نعرفه إلا من هذا الوجه