How Do I Rectify Things After Having Committed Major Sins?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

 

Question 

How do I rectify things after having committed major sins?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Never Despair

The first step in rectifying one’s state is to know that regardless of what has transpired, the doors of Allah’s mercy are always open.

Allah Most High says, “Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins.1 He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Qur’an; 39:53]

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Indeed, Allah Most High extends His mercy by day for those who sinned by night to repent; and He extends His mercy by night for those who sinned by day to repent.” [Ahmad]

Sincere Repentance

The second step is to make sincere repentance to Allah Most High. There is absolute certainty that one’s sincere repentance is accepted. However, in order for one’s repentance to be truly sincere, there are three conditions that must be met:

1) Sincere Remorse for one’s past sins

2) To immediately desist from doing that sin

3) To have a strong resolve never to return to that sin ever again

[Nawawi, Riyad al-Salihin]

If one did not fulfill an obligation of the religion, such as a prayer, fasting, etc… after it became obligatory on them, that missed action must be made up. [Ibid.]

Calculating Missed Obligations

If you are not certain of the exact number of prayers or fasts missed, you must estimate to the best of your ability. Reflect on how many Ramadans passed and how often you approximately invalidated a fast by masturbating. Once you come up with a number, as best as you could, add some extra fasts just as a step toward certainty that the amount is sufficient.

After this, designate a number of fasts that you can realistically do consistently without too much difficulty and slowly start to chip away at that number. Know that your intention and resolve to make up these fasts is a great act of worship in itself. Thereafter, each fast you make up, you are drawing nearer to Allah Most High.

Hope this helps

Allah knows best

[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch

19529 – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، وَابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى (1) قَالَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ فِي حَدِيثِهِ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ يُحَدِّثُ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بِاللَّيْلِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ النَّهَارِ، وَيَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بِالنَّهَارِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ اللَّيْلِ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا ” (2)
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ص295 – مسند أحمد ط الرسالة – حديث أبي موسى الأشعري

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences. He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he stayed for three years studying in Dar Al-Mustafa under some of the greatest scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib. In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Qur’an and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Qur’anic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.