To Every Despairing Soul

Have you ever felt so engulfed in the darkness of your sins that you felt suffocated and so close to drowning in despair?

Have you ever sat and cried tears of regret and remorse over the sin you committed? Your heart ached every time another anxious tear fell from your eye. Do you remember the pain?

Have you ever felt drained to the point you felt like no uplifting words and no amount of reassurance could life you from the depths of hopelessness? 

But do you remember the moment you chose to turn back? When you turned regret into resolve. You lifted yourself up when you were at your weakest - with determination and good hope in your Lord. You reminded yourself that no sin was too big for Him to forgive, and that His doors of Mercy were always wide open even for those who had transgressed against their own soul. Even for those who immersed themselves in the worst kind of sins. Even for those who had been distant for so long.

To every despairing soul, and to every child of Adam who is currently battling between hope and fear, let me remind you of the beautiful words of Allah, who says in His glorious book:

 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." [39:53]

This ayah is so beautiful that is acts as a balm of every aching, hopeless soul. Allah refers to His sinning, transgressing slaves, as 'my servants.' Simply from the word, 'my' we get an insight into the love Allah has for each and every one of us. Even if you are of those of us who have sinned and who have disobeyed your Lord, then know you are still His slave. You are still His servant regardless of how far you've gone. 

Allah continues, by reminding you, not to despair! Allah forgives *all* sins. Yes, every single sin, He is willing to forgive just as long as your willing to turn back to Him with sincere repentance and remorse. Take your moment of weakness and turn it into a strength, a kind of strength which steers you towards His obedience and repentance. 

You and I are not perfect, and the journey to Allah is also not for the perfect. Every child of Adam is a sinner, and every child of Adam makes mistakes for indeed perfection is only for the Divine. But every time you feel like you've stooped so low, every time your sins begin to weigh heavy on your shoulders, remind yourself that there is always hope in attaining His Mercy. Remind yourself and turn your deep regret into strong resolve, for Allah's Mercy is vast and plenty, even for the despairing soul.

“Every son of Adam sins, and the best of those who sin are those who repent.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi