How Can I Rectify My Past Sin of Touching My Brothers?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

When I was 12 or 13 (I had already hit puberty ), I did something very haram to my brothers. My younger brother and my older brother who has autism. One night I touched their private part. I didn’t know it was haram back then and thought it was normal. My little brother was asleep, and my older brother was awake, but I don’t think he understood (I did say sorry to him, but he doesn’t understand). I’m 18 now, and I cry almost every night. I’m so anxious. I’ve heard that if I don’t ask for forgiveness from them, they will take my good deeds, and their bad deeds will get to me. I can’t tell them because it will cause more harm. will my future marriage be valid, and will Allah still forgive me if I only make dua for them and ask Allah for forgiveness?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question and for showing regret for your action in the past.

Don’t worry. Your regret and remorse are sufficient. Whenever you come to remember the past sin, just seek forgiveness by saying استغفر اللہ (I seek forgiveness in Allah Most High).

Regret is Repentance

Allah Most High says: “Say: My servants who have wronged yourselves, never despair of God’s mercy. God forgives all sins: He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” [Quran, 39:53]

The fact that you have regret is a sign that you have repented. The Beloved Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Whoever repents from sin is like one who never sinned.” [Ibn Maja]

May Allah Most High elevate, enable, and make ease for you to increase in knowledge, practice, and spirituality, amin.

I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha Allah.

Related Answers

• Love, Marriage and Relationships in Islam: All Your Questions Answered (seekersguidance.org)
• Etiquette of Marriage: A Comprehensive SeekersGuidance Reader
• (122) 30 – Devil’s Tricks – The Path of Muhammad: Birgivi’s Manual of Taqwa Explained – Sh Faraz Rabbani – YouTube
• A Reader on OCD and Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings) (seekersguidance.org)
• Purification of the Heart for Youth: Diseases of the Heart and Their Cure – YouTube
• The Path of Muhammad: Birgivi’s Manual of Taqwa Explained – YouTube
• Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms, and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart: Hamza Yusuf: 9780985565909: Amazon.com: Books (Book)
• Prayer of Repentance: Salat al-Tawba – SeekersGuidance

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I pray this helps with your question.

Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.