PERHAPS THIS IS THE LAST SIN

Extract from: Ikmaalush Shiyam

There should not be in your mind any sin so grave that it prevents you from holding a good opinion of hope with Allah Ta’ala and causes you to despair of His mercy and grace. He who has recognised his Rabb knows that infront of his Rabb’s grace and mercy, his sins are insignificant.

One should not hold one’s sins in such a grave light that one loses hope in the grace and mercy of Allah Ta’ala. One should not think: “The gravity of my sin is so great that there is no forgiveness for it, and I have on account of this sin now reached a stage where I am unfit for His grace and mercy.” Such despair is the consequence of unawareness of the attributes of Allah Ta’ala.

One who has recognised his Creator and is aware of His attributes, will be acquainted with His attributes of Forgiveness and Grace. He  will thus understand that in the presence of these infinite attributes, his sins are insignificant. He will always have hopes of being forgiven.

While this should be one’s attitude, one should not consider sin itself to be insignificant. If the gravity of sin is not in the heart, one will then not resort to taubah nor will there be regret and remorse.

The summary of this discussion is: Neither consider the sin in such grave light that one despairs and loses hope in forgiveness, for this too is kufr, nor regard sin so lightly that one feels no remorse and is deprived of taubah. The hope of forgiveness should be tempered with regret for having sinned, and a firm resolution should be made to refrain from disobedience in future.