Question: I committed many serious sins when I was young, and now, I feel despair as to whether I will be punished for them. How do I move forward?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate,
Walaikum assalam,
I hope you’re doing well, insha’Allah.
The fact that you have regret is a sign that you have repented. The Beloved Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Whoever repents from sin is like one who never sinned.” [Ibn Maja]
Allah Most High says: “Say: My servants who have wronged yourselves, never despair of God’s mercy. God forgives all sins: He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” [Qur’an, 39.53]
Please see: https://seekersguidance.org/answers/general-counsel/a-reader-on-tawba-repentance/
Remain On Remembrance
Strive to follow the Prophetic sunna to, “Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah.” [Tirmidhi] In your walking, work, and rest. Engage your tongue, heart, and mind with the remembrance of Allah.
One way is to repeat the “lasting good deeds” the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) recommended: Subhana’l Llah; Alhamdu li’l Llah; la ilaha illa’l Llah; and Allahu Akbar. These can be recited in order or individually. Stay constant on them, and you will find peace of heart and increasing presence with Allah.
And Allah alone gives success.
Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani spent ten years studying with some of the leading scholars of recent times, first in Damascus, and then in Amman, Jordan. His teachers include the foremost theologian of recent times in Damascus, the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas (may Allah have mercy on him), as well as his student Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, one of the leading Hanafi fuqaha of the present age. He returned to Canada in 2007, where he founded SeekersGuidance in order to meet the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge–both online and on the ground–in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He is the author of: Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.