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Question:
I am a young Muslim who committed many sins and as we are in the month of Ramadan now, I fear that these days would go by without repenting. I usually say that I will repent then I commit sins once more. Another big problem is that I do not pray. Please advise me, as I feel sad and distressed constantly.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Ever Merciful
Dear brother,
Assalaamu ‘Alaykum
First, we would like to ask you this question: What prevents you from repenting? The gates of repentance are open before you and the gate of earning the satisfaction of Allah The Almighty and the reassurance that you miss in your heart is open, so what are you waiting for?
Worries as well as distress and sorrow have one clear reason and if you want to be saved, feel reassured and live a pure and chaste life, you should repent to your Lord, Who conceals your sins while you are still committing them and Who safeguards you even while you insist on disobeying Him. You should think about the bounties that Allah The Almighty has granted you, the goodness that He has given you and the number of times that you repent then commit sins again. In spite of this, Allah The Almighty is patient with you and does not punish you for the sins that you committed in a way that might destroy you. He also conceals your sins and does not expose you. Had He willed, He would have made you blind, afflicted you with paralysis or taken your life while you were disobeying Him heedlessly. Dear brother, how can you feel safe from death? You might die while committing a sin and concealing yourself from people, but you are seen and heard by Allah The Almighty and you are subjected to His power and might. What if you die while committing a sin?
You do not observe the obligatory prayers and are distant from obedience to Allah The Almighty, while you are liable to receive His punishment and heedless regarding His might, and the vengeance of your Lord is severe.
Thus, you should seize the chance before it is too late and before you miss it. Repenting to Allah The Almighty is the remedy for all that you suffer from. It is the remedy for distress, worries and insomnia. Allah The Almighty Says (what means):
- {Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the Remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the Remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.} [Quran 13:28]
- {So is one whose breast Allah has expanded to [accept] Islam and he is upon a light from his Lord [like one whose heart rejects it]? Then woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah. Those are in manifest error.} [Quran 39:22]
- {O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds.} [Quran 66:8]
This is the repentance about which the Prophet 
said: "The one who repents of a sin is like the one who has no sins. The repentant one is the beloved of The Most Merciful."
said: "The one who repents of a sin is like the one who has no sins. The repentant one is the beloved of The Most Merciful."Do you see how you can be beloved by The Most Merciful, just by having the sincere intention of repenting? What prevents you from praying and why do you feel that it is a burden? The reason for this are the sins that make the heart cruel to the extent that it feels that praying or accompanying the righteous people is a heavy burden, but likes heedlessness and the gatherings of amusement and disobedience. Thus, you should be keen on repenting to your Lord and performing the obligatory prayers, which are a pillar of Islam. Whoever loses it, he is more likely to lose and neglect other religious obligations and whoever observes it, he preserves his religion.
Having good companionship is also important, so why do you not try to have good companions who would help you to obey Allah The Almighty and take you to the gardens of goodness and faith? When you do so, you will be among the righteous people. On the other hand, you should sever your relations with heedless people who commit sins, as the Messenger of Allah said: "One is upon the religion of his close friend, so beware whom you befriend."
said: "One is upon the religion of his close friend, so beware whom you befriend."You should strengthen and increase your faith and certainty by having an audio library so that you can listen to tapes and CDs that remind you of Allah The Almighty. You can also read books that teach you beneficial knowledge so that it helps you to obey Allah The Almighty and gain His satisfaction and give you more information about religion. Since you live near Al-Bayt Al-Haraam, why do you not perform ‘Umrah after repenting to Allah The Almighty where you can be among the repentant ones who return to Allah? I do hope that you would be able to perform Hajj as the Prophet said: “The accepted Hajj commands no reward but Paradise.”
said: “The accepted Hajj commands no reward but Paradise.”What I mean is that you should get used to renewing your repentance even if you commit some sins every now and then. You should also obey Allah The Almighty by performing righteous deeds, having good companions and avoiding bad companions.
Finally, you should listen to this call from Allah The Ever-Generous and The Merciful (which means): {Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is The Forgiving, The Merciful."} [Quran 39: 53]
May Allah The Almighty guide you to what pleases and satisfies Him and may He enlighten your heart and expand your breast.
