Hope

When we aim for a certain career in life, say a doctor or architect or programmer, we need to first go through a learning process. What I mean by this is that we have to be taught the tricks of the trade, make mistakes (no one is immune to this) and if we are truley commited to our ultimate carrier goal, we would learn from those mistakes to not commit them again and continue onwards. We will be given projects and assignments, tests and exams, to measure the amount of understanding we have and wether we need to improve ourselves and learn more.

Our life on this earth is not really that different. We have our teachers, the Quran given to us by Allah Subhanho Wa Taala, and our Prophet, Allah's peace and blessings upon him. No human being is immune to mistakes (ie sins). The difference however between a believer and a weak believer or a non believer is that we first realize and recognize that what was commited is indeed a mistake, and try our best to never commit them again. We move on by doing better, becoming better people. We must not get bogged down witht the shaitan ensanaring us in his doubt trap of making us believe that we will never be forgiven by Allah.

Allah tells us in the Quran:

قُلۡ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُواْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُواْ مِن رَّحۡمَةِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Surat Az-Zumar, Aya 53

Another aya in the Quran that moved me deeply in regards to this issue if from Surat Ghafer (i.e: The Forgiver)

ٱلَّذِينَ يَحۡمِلُونَ ٱلۡعَرۡشَ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُ ۥ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَيُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَا وَسِعۡتَ ڪُلَّ شَىۡءٍ۬ رَّحۡمَةً۬ وَعِلۡمً۬ا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُواْ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمۡ عَذَابَ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ (٧) رَبَّنَا وَأَدۡخِلۡهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ عَدۡنٍ ٱلَّتِى وَعَدتَّهُمۡ وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنۡ ءَابَآٮِٕهِمۡ وَأَزۡوَٲجِهِمۡ وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِهِمۡۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ (٨) وَقِهِمُ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِۚ وَمَن تَقِ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ فَقَدۡ رَحِمۡتَهُ ۥۚ وَذَٲلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ (٩)

7. Those who sustain the Throne (of Allah, i.e the angels) and those around it Sing Glory and Praise to their Lord; believe in Him; and implore Forgiveness for those who believe: "Our Lord! Thy Reach is over all things, in Mercy and Knowledge. Forgive, then, those who turn in Repentance, and follow Thy Path; and preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire!

8. "And grant, our Lord! that they enter the Gardens of Eternity, which Thou hast promised to them, and to the righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their posterity! For Thou art (He), the Exalted in Might, Full of Wisdom.

9. "And preserve them from (all) ills; and any whom Thou dost preserve from ills that Day,- on them wilt Thou have bestowed Mercy indeed: and that will be truly (for them) the highest Achievement".

What is asked of us is that we recognize the sin (admit the mistake), make a reservation within ourselves to never make it again, and ask Allah for forgivness. And even if you do (mistakenly) commit the sin again, do not despair. When Allah, Subhanho wa Taala, created mercy, He created 100 parts of it. He bestowed upon the Earth one part, and left the 99 parts with him. This is the mercy you see between a mother and her child, between loved ones, even between animals with their young. If this is just one part of mercy, what of the 99 parts that will be shown to by Allah to His servants?

Hence, one must not despair at all in this life. In contrast, one must also be mindful of what they need to do in order to be forgiven by Allah. A pearl of wisdom I once heared that explains this quite well is the following:

Fear and hope are like the two wings of a bird. If they are well balanced, the flight will be well balanced. But, If one is stunted, the Right would also be stunted. And, to be sure, if the two are lost, the bird will soon be in the throes of death.

I pray that Allah will bestow upon us all with a mind aware of evil deeds, to bless our hearts with true Eman and to forgive us all for our mistakes.

As Salam Alekoum <3