2. Falling into sin is an unavoidable
reality of the human experience. Islam
recognizes that, and cautions us
against the despair many people self-
inflict by believing that sins
necessitate a crisis of religiosity. This
short translation elucidates how sins
aren't inherently destructive (though a
catalyst for it), unless you choose to
perceive them as such.
3. The greatest problem with sins is not the
sin itself, but the fact that sins leave you
in a state of emotional fatigue; a blend of
feeling worthless and of feeling that
Allah’s protection has deserted you. This
then leads you to embracing a variety of
sins, which leads to the real catastrophe:
abandoning the acts of obedience. And
perhaps this is the crisis-point which
makes the major sins so dangerous; the
fact that they drive people to this point
much faster.
4. However, this is not a necessary state
that cannot be escaped. Otherwise, the
Prophet ﷺ would not have said, “And
follow up the sin with a good deed; it will
erase it.” [at-Tirmidhi]
Also among the greatest means which
help retrieve confidence after committing
a sin is: tawbah (repentance), istighfâr
(asking Allah’s forgiveness), rushing to
salâh (prayer), and reciting the Quran.
5. And if you return to the sin a second
time, then return again to this remedy,
for the Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah certainly
will not quit [forgiving/rewarding] until
you quit [seeking it].” [al-Bukhari and
Muslim]
6. “And establish prayer at the two ends of
the day and at the approach of the night.
Indeed, good deeds do away with
misdeeds. That is a reminder for those
who remember.” [Hood (11): 114]
In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said,
“Were you not to fall into sins, Allah
would create creatures that do fall into
sins, then seek forgiveness, whom He
would forgive.” [Muslim]
7. For this reason, what he ﷺ taught you
is to develop for yourself a consistent
routine of obedience, one that does
not get interrupted by you falling into
sins.
8. Do not transition from committing a sin
without regularity to committing this
sin regularly, or from committing this
sin regularly to becoming unrestrained
with various minor sins, or from being
unrestrained with minor sins to falling
into a major sin, or from falling into a
major sin to being that person who is
undisturbed by whichever of Allah’s
boundaries he violates – until his life is
ultimately sealed upon disbelief.
9. No matter how many times your sinful
desires overpower you, never allow
your daily routine of good deeds to get
interrupted. These are your spiritual
fuel, namely the Quran, salâh, dhikr,
duâ’, studying the words of the
Prophet ,ﷺ rehearsing his life story
and that of his Companions, and
training oneself to abide by good
character.
10. Finally, some people may object under
the premise that he/she has been
practicing regularly, but their heart has
not softened, and their inner-self still has
not abstained from recurrently sinning.
The truth is that knowledge, ritual
devotion, softness of heart, attachment
to the masjid, an intimate relationship
with the Quran, and every other branch
of faith, will not grant you its sweetness
except with sabr (endurance), mujâhada
(tireless dedication), and frequently
knocking on its door.
