Question:Can a Muslim ask another Muslim about the way to seek an apology from Allah? By which way a Muslim can do that? I have asked my friend how to apologize to Allah, but he has refused to tell me, justifying that it is a matter between him and Allah. Is it permissible for one to ask another about the way to apologize to Allah for the mistakes that have been committed? I just wanted to ask about how to apologize to Allah for the previous sins.

Answer:In the name of Allah, Man is to be a slave to Allah Almighty in everything. Man should recall the sins that he has done in life and should weep out of fear as the sinners are in await of cuffs, iron chains, boiled water in which sinners are strongly dragged, and then thrown into the abbess of hellfire. Each one of them shall be fuel and fire in the hellfire, seeking and wishing Allah’s mercy. This is what is between Allah and him. As for what is between the people and him, he should apologize for any believer whom he offends, return the right of all those whom he made wrong things about even if it was tiny. He should keep holding himself accountable every night. He may recall all that he has done from dawn until before going to bed. If he was blessed to do good things, he may thank Allah for that and pray to Allah to accept them. On the other hand, if he has done bad deeds, he should not sleep unless he weeps and seeks forgiveness. If he offends somebody, he should not sleep unless he apologizes to him even if the apology is via communication media. Never be desperate from Allah’s mercy. Allah is the all Guide.

Question:Why is sometimes my faith strengthened and sometimes weakened? Sometimes, I enjoy doing my worship deeds and get closer to Allah to have my prayer accepted too. However, after certain events take place soon I get back to the old level of despair which makes me away from Allah and leads me to be rude. Then, I repent and re-strengthen my faith, a reason why my faith is fluctuated.

Answer:In the name of Allah, my son, the first thing that you should do is to have Taqwa [piety]. The first step to have piety is to hold yourself accountable just before bed for everything you have done from morning until night, i.e., from the time you wake up for dawn prayer until you come to bed. If you make a good deed, you may thank and ask Allah to accept it. If you make a deed that disobeys Allah, do weep and seek forgiveness from Allah. If you offend any believer at any level, do not go to bed without asking him for forgiveness. Be advised that negligence and deficiency in doing the rights of people is regarded as injustice [dhulum], and Quran curses the unjust. So, do not ever keep anything of the people’s rights in your charge. Allah is the all Guide and Knowing.

Question:Will the adulterer’s repentance be accepted? Will Allah forgive the adulterer after repentance? How does the adulterer repent? What does the adulterer do in order for Allah to accept the repentance? Kindly, provide u with details and proofs.

Answer:In the name of Allah, Allah says “ “( قل يا عبادي الذين أسرفوا على أنفسهم لا تقنطوا من رحمة الله إن الله يغفر الذنوب جميعاً إنه هو الغفور الرحيم ) Allah is the highest, most truthful. Be advised, my son, that despair from Allah’s mercy is worse than any deed and more heinous than any crime. The one who has committed the above-mentioned crime should wholeheartedly regret and determine not to repeat such a crime or other crimes ever, increasing the act of seeking forgiveness and if possible seeking forgiveness from the woman’s husband with whom he committed this obscenity, as the one who has intercourse with a married woman is like transgressing the limits that Allah puts. Seeking forgiveness is required to be in a way which does not make troubles or plots. The doer should know that this woman has become forbidden to him as a wife forever. He should keep away from her lest he would not think about her again and she would not think about him again. If he was not able to seek forgiveness from the husband, he would give some of his good deeds to the husband on the Day of Judgement as a way of seeking forgiveness. He should keep reciting the repentance supplication [Dua Alnudba] and Monday supplication [Dua Alethnain]. Allah is the all Guide.

Question:Doesn’t Allah like those who repent and purify themselves? Is that right? Is there any spiritual or materialistic effect in this world, if the sinner repents?

Answer:In the name of Allah, sins are different, my son. The effects of some of the sins is removed after repenting and regret while the effect remains in other sins. Yet, partial or entire removal of a sin depends on Allah’s acceptance of the repentance of the slave. How could people like you and us know that Allah accepts the slave’s repentance? This is only realized by the prophet and the twelve Imams (PBUT). Therefore, it is mandatory on the sinner to keep regretting and repenting seeking Allah’s response and forgiveness. It is not permissible to be desperate of Allah’s mercy as it is regarded as a major sin, we seek Allah refuge. Allah id the all Guide.

Question:What is the advice of His Eminence (may Allah prolong his life) to me noting that I did not have any hope and don’t want to live anymore? I am never despairing of the mercy of Allah, but I am ashamed to ask for repentance again from Allah Almighty, for I have repented and continued to repent for two years until I returned to the sin today. I thought that I would not return to sin again, and I resisted two years, but I was disappointed. I hope that His Eminence will kindly give me advice.

Answer:In the name of Allah, be informed, my son, that one of the attributes and signs of the believer is remorse for the sin. Moreover, the believer does not forget the sin that he did and if he did, he would have returned to the sin. Despair from the mercy of Allah, glory be to Him, is a great sin, so you, my son, must strive to create love for Allah Almighty in yourself by remembering His blessings on you, the most prominent of which are the blessing of existence and creation for you, then the continuation of life, and the other blessings that are innumerable. If you tame yourself to remember His blessings, Allah will help you create love for Him in yourself, then that love helps you quit the sins and to submit to Allah, glory be to Him, and be grateful to Him. Treat yourself by staying away from the atmosphere that makes it easier for you or your desire for the sin that you want to get rid of and its consequences, and stick to the night prayer. If possible for you, it is better do that in a dark room with being alone so that Allah will bless you; the pleasure of being alone with the beloved, Whom there is no more honor to be with other than Him Who is Allah, glory be to Him. Allah is the Guide.

Question:Are perpetual sadness and contemplation in sins forbidden or not? It is like: a person commits a sin, and when he repents, he remembers that sin and how he did it, and he is in a state of permanent sadness, and he may not even want to live after he remembers that guilt and relegates himself to the level of the animal. Is this something positive or negative, and psychiatrists may think that he should not remember so that he does not live in negativity?

Answer:In the name of Allah, if the sinner remembers his sin, along with it let him remember the divine forgiveness and the promise of forgiveness and from Allah, as the Almighty says in His Noble Book “O My worshipers, who have sinned excessively against themselves, do not despair of the Mercy of Allah, surely, Allah forgives all sins. He is the Forgiver, the Most Merciful. The penitent believer does not forget his sin, and the disobedient who neglects the rights of Allah Almighty is the one who forgets a sin. Allah is the Guide and Knowing.

Question:I do not have any hope and I do not want to live anymore. I am not desperate of Allah’s mercy, but I feel ashamed of asking repentance from Allah again because I have repented for two years and now I have returned to my sin. I feel desperate of myself, not from Allah because I thought I would never go back to my sin again and I struggled for two years, but I am disappointed. So, what would His Eminence (may Allah prolong his life) advise me?

Answer:In the name of Allah: Be advised, my son, that one of the believers’ characteristics is regretting the sin. Moreover, the believer does not forget the sin he committed and if he does, he will return to it. To despair form the mercy of Allah, the Almighty is a great sin. So, you have to seek to create the love in yourself for Allah by remembering the blessings and graces of Allah, the most prominent of which is the grace of existence and creation of you and the continuity of life, and the other uncounted and infinite graces. If you tame yourself by remembering the graces of Allah, He will help you create the love in yourself for Allah and that love will help you get rid of sins, submit to Allah and be grateful to Him. Also, treat yourself by staying away from the environment which tempts you and helps you commit the sins which you want to get rid of and treat yourself by sticking to Salatul Lail (Night Prayers) which is recommended in a dark room to get a privacy with your Beloved Who is Allah, the Almighty.

Question:Is it considered permissible or prohibited to think of sins continuously? It is like when someone commits a sin and repents, he will be so sad and miserable to the extent that he does not want to live anymore, especially when he remembers what he did and how he did it. He feels like he is like an animal in his deed. Is this positive or negative? The psychologists recommend not thinking of the sins so as not to live a negative life.

Answer:In the name of Allah: if the sinner remembers his sin, he has to remember the forgiveness of Allah which He promised in the Holy Quran saying “O my servants who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, don’t despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether.” The believer who repents does not forget his sins, but the sinner who belittles the rights of others is the one who forgets his sins. Allah is the all Guide and He knows best.