Question:
I'm ashamed of my actions but want to get back on track.
I'm a 23-year-old man who barely prayed or fasted in the last three years. I used to pray five times daily in the masjid, fast every Ramadan, and had memorized many Hadiths and Islamic teachings in multiple languages. I even completed the Quran twice in Arabic and English.
However, after moving to North America for education, I lost my way—engaging in drinking, smoking, adultery, and neglecting my prayers. I always intended to return but kept delaying, thinking, Allah will forgive me. Eventually, I almost forgot how to pray.
Alhamdulillah, over the past few weeks, I have completely quit alcohol, am recovering from smoking, stopped adultery, and have become serious about my prayers. But I'm deeply worried—I've missed countless Jumu'ahs and Ramadans, committed major sins, and fear my heart has been sealed from Islam.
Seeing Quran recitations and Islamic reminders makes me cry, realizing how many chances Allah has given me. I keep asking for forgiveness, but I fear I may not be allowed back. What can I do to truly return to the right path?
I'm a 23-year-old man who barely prayed or fasted in the last three years. I used to pray five times daily in the masjid, fast every Ramadan, and had memorized many Hadiths and Islamic teachings in multiple languages. I even completed the Quran twice in Arabic and English.
However, after moving to North America for education, I lost my way—engaging in drinking, smoking, adultery, and neglecting my prayers. I always intended to return but kept delaying, thinking, Allah will forgive me. Eventually, I almost forgot how to pray.
Alhamdulillah, over the past few weeks, I have completely quit alcohol, am recovering from smoking, stopped adultery, and have become serious about my prayers. But I'm deeply worried—I've missed countless Jumu'ahs and Ramadans, committed major sins, and fear my heart has been sealed from Islam.
Seeing Quran recitations and Islamic reminders makes me cry, realizing how many chances Allah has given me. I keep asking for forgiveness, but I fear I may not be allowed back. What can I do to truly return to the right path?
Answer:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
It is commendable that you have recognised your errors and are striving to rectify your lifestyle. Your desire to turn back to Allah Ta’ala and your remorse for your sins is a sign of your Iman. Consider the following hadith: Abu Umama Radiyallahu anhu reported that a man asked Rasulullah ﷺ what faith was, to which he replied, “When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer.” He then asked what sin was and received the reply, “When something unsettles your heart, give it up.”
It is never too late for a believer to turn back to Allah Ta’ala. The only barrier between a believer and forgiveness is death. So long as Allah has granted you life, it is an opportunity to make tawba and seek His forgiveness. Anas Radiyallahu Anhu reports: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Allah the Almighty said: O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness as great as it. [Tirmidhi]
The reason you have experienced a change in your behaviour after moving to North America is due to exposure to an environment filled with vice and sin, such as alcohol, nudity, music, and other temptations. Staying in such an environment has an adverse effect on the heart and shaitan uses these as a medium to divert a person from the obedience of Allah. Allah Ta’ala states: Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return. [3:140]. It is our duty as Muslims to refrain from what Allah has prohibited and to strive to obey Him. In return for this Allah Ta’ala has promised us Jannah.
The first step towards rectifying yourself is to make sincere tawba to Allah Ta’ala and seek His forgiveness. Tawba is complete when the following conditions have been met:
1. To desist from the sin immediately.
2. To feel regret and remorse over one’s actions.
3. To make a firm resolve not to return to the sin.
4. If another individual’s property or right has been unjustly taken, then it must be returned to the rightful owner.
You must immediately change your evil company and refrain from attending those venues that incite one towards sin. Change your environment and block any source of evil. This includes controlling your media consumption and limiting your time on devices, as consuming social media and online content distracts one from the remembrance of Allah. You may reconsider going back to your country as staying here has proven to be detrimental to your faith. You have moved here to attain dunya, but it has come at the expense of your akhira. Make istikhāra and discuss with your religious, God-fearing family and friends about the possibility of returning to your country where you will be under the guidance of your family and friends.
In the meantime, in order to purify yourself, you must establish a close connection with the masjid. The masjid is the house of Allah where the mercy and forgiveness of Allah Ta’ala descends. The more time you spend in the masjid, the greater effect it will have in purifying your heart. Make a firm commitment to Allah Ta’ala that you will not miss any prayers or fasts in the future. Seek guidance from a murshid (spiritual guide) who may be an Islamic scholar or Imam who can guide you and help you maintain your spirituality. Associate yourself with the noble effort of Tabligh and participate in its activities. By doing so Insha’Allah you will gain steadfastness on the correct path.
In regard to all the prayers you have missed over the last 3 years, it is compulsory on you to make qada for each missed prayer. This includes the 5 daily prayers and witr salat. For your missed Jumu’ah prayers, you must perform qada of four rakats of Zuhr for each missed Jumu’ah prayer. In this way you must begin making up all these missed prayers as soon as possible. Note that when making missed prayers, it is a requirement to specify the prayer you are offering. An easy way of doing that is to make the following intention for every qada salat: From all the Fajr salahs that I have to do qada of, I intend to do qada of the first one of them. Then pray the salah as per the intention. This intention should be adjusted for each salat including witr. Each time you complete the salat, the obligation will drop off and the subsequent salat will become the first salat. Continue to do so until you are confident that all your missed salats have been fulfilled.
As for your missed fast of Ramadan, it is compulsory upon you to make qada for each missed fast over the last 3 years. By fulfilling these obligations, Insha’Allah you will gain the forgiveness of Allah Ta’ala.
Lastly, it is important to stay steadfast and do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah Ta’ala. Shaitan will try to deceive you into thinking that your vast number of sins will not be forgiven by Allah, however this is far from the truth as Allah is All-Forgiving. You must keep a positive mindset and consider this moment to be a turning point in your life and a divine sign from Allah that He wants you to succeed in this dunya and the akhira. Allah Ta’ala tells us in the Qur'an: “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.’” [Qur'an, 39:53]. May Allah accept your efforts and grant you steadfastness in your religious endeavours. *
It is never too late for a believer to turn back to Allah Ta’ala. The only barrier between a believer and forgiveness is death. So long as Allah has granted you life, it is an opportunity to make tawba and seek His forgiveness. Anas Radiyallahu Anhu reports: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Allah the Almighty said: O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness as great as it. [Tirmidhi]
The reason you have experienced a change in your behaviour after moving to North America is due to exposure to an environment filled with vice and sin, such as alcohol, nudity, music, and other temptations. Staying in such an environment has an adverse effect on the heart and shaitan uses these as a medium to divert a person from the obedience of Allah. Allah Ta’ala states: Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return. [3:140]. It is our duty as Muslims to refrain from what Allah has prohibited and to strive to obey Him. In return for this Allah Ta’ala has promised us Jannah.
The first step towards rectifying yourself is to make sincere tawba to Allah Ta’ala and seek His forgiveness. Tawba is complete when the following conditions have been met:
1. To desist from the sin immediately.
2. To feel regret and remorse over one’s actions.
3. To make a firm resolve not to return to the sin.
4. If another individual’s property or right has been unjustly taken, then it must be returned to the rightful owner.
You must immediately change your evil company and refrain from attending those venues that incite one towards sin. Change your environment and block any source of evil. This includes controlling your media consumption and limiting your time on devices, as consuming social media and online content distracts one from the remembrance of Allah. You may reconsider going back to your country as staying here has proven to be detrimental to your faith. You have moved here to attain dunya, but it has come at the expense of your akhira. Make istikhāra and discuss with your religious, God-fearing family and friends about the possibility of returning to your country where you will be under the guidance of your family and friends.
In the meantime, in order to purify yourself, you must establish a close connection with the masjid. The masjid is the house of Allah where the mercy and forgiveness of Allah Ta’ala descends. The more time you spend in the masjid, the greater effect it will have in purifying your heart. Make a firm commitment to Allah Ta’ala that you will not miss any prayers or fasts in the future. Seek guidance from a murshid (spiritual guide) who may be an Islamic scholar or Imam who can guide you and help you maintain your spirituality. Associate yourself with the noble effort of Tabligh and participate in its activities. By doing so Insha’Allah you will gain steadfastness on the correct path.
In regard to all the prayers you have missed over the last 3 years, it is compulsory on you to make qada for each missed prayer. This includes the 5 daily prayers and witr salat. For your missed Jumu’ah prayers, you must perform qada of four rakats of Zuhr for each missed Jumu’ah prayer. In this way you must begin making up all these missed prayers as soon as possible. Note that when making missed prayers, it is a requirement to specify the prayer you are offering. An easy way of doing that is to make the following intention for every qada salat: From all the Fajr salahs that I have to do qada of, I intend to do qada of the first one of them. Then pray the salah as per the intention. This intention should be adjusted for each salat including witr. Each time you complete the salat, the obligation will drop off and the subsequent salat will become the first salat. Continue to do so until you are confident that all your missed salats have been fulfilled.
As for your missed fast of Ramadan, it is compulsory upon you to make qada for each missed fast over the last 3 years. By fulfilling these obligations, Insha’Allah you will gain the forgiveness of Allah Ta’ala.
Lastly, it is important to stay steadfast and do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah Ta’ala. Shaitan will try to deceive you into thinking that your vast number of sins will not be forgiven by Allah, however this is far from the truth as Allah is All-Forgiving. You must keep a positive mindset and consider this moment to be a turning point in your life and a divine sign from Allah that He wants you to succeed in this dunya and the akhira. Allah Ta’ala tells us in the Qur'an: “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.’” [Qur'an, 39:53]. May Allah accept your efforts and grant you steadfastness in your religious endeavours. *
And Allah Ta'ala knows best.
Sh. Anas Ahsan
21/06/2024
Checked and approved by:
Mufti Faizal Riza
Mufti Anas Qazi
Darul Ifta Australia
www.fatwa.org.au
Sh. Anas Ahsan
21/06/2024
Checked and approved by:
Mufti Faizal Riza
Mufti Anas Qazi
Darul Ifta Australia
www.fatwa.org.au
________________________
*References:
*References:
عن أبي أمامة : أن رجلا سأل النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : ما الإيمان ؟ قال : " إذا سرتك حسنتك ، وساءتك سيئتك ، فأنت مؤمن " قال : يا رسول الله ما الإثم ؟ قال : " إذا حاك في صدرك شيء فدعه " . أخرجه أحمد في ((المسند)) (5/252) واللفظ له
عن أبي الدرداء - رضي الله عنه - قال: سمعت رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - يقول: ((المسجد بيت كل تقي، وتكفل الله لمن كان المسجد بيته بالروح والرحمة، والجواز على الصراط إلى رضوان الله إلى الجنة)) رواه الطبراني
في الرسائل الزينية: الثاني والعشرون: في التوبة: وهي: الندم على المعصية من حيث أنها معصية، والعزم على عدم العود إلى مثله، وتحقيق الإقلاع عنها، وردّ المظالم إلى أهلها عند الإمكان، وقضاء ما قصر في فعله من العبادات (الرسائل الزينية في مذهب الحنفية: ص 372، ط. دار السلام)
قال في الدر: ولو تكرر فطره ولم يكفر للأول يكفيه واحدة ولو في رمضانين عند محمد، وعليه الاعتماد. بزازية ومجتبى وغيرهما. واختار بعضهم للفتوى أن الفطر بغير الجماع تداخل، وإلا لا.
قال الشامى: (قوله: ولم يكفر للأول) أما لو كفر فعليه أخرى في ظاهر الرواية للعلم بأن الزجر لم يحصل بالأولى بحر(حاشية ابن عابدين: 6/319 ط.دار السلام)
إذا فعل الصائم شيئا منها طائعا متعمدا غير مضطر لزمه القضاء والكفارة وهي: الجماع في أحد السبيلين على الفاعل والمفعول به، والأكل، والشرب سواء فيه ما يتغدى به أو يتداوى به، وابتلاع مطر دخل إلى فمه ... والكفارة: تحرير رقبة ولو كانت غير مؤمنة فإن عجز عنه: صام شهرين متتابعين ليس فيهما يوم عيد ولا أيام التشريق، فإن لم يستطع الصوم: أطعم ستين مسكينا يغديهم ويعشيهم غداء وعشاء مشبعين أو غداءين أو عشاءين أو عشاء وسحورا. أو يعطي كل فقير نصف صاع من بر أو دقيقه أو سويقه أو صاع تمر أو شعير أو قيمته. وكفت كفارة واحدة عن جماع وأكل متعدد في أيام لم يتخلله تكفير ولو من رمضانين على الصحيح. فإن تخلل التكفير لا تكفي كفارة واحدة في ظاهر الرواية. (نور الإيضاح ونجاة الأرواح في الفقه الحنفي: ص135 ط. المكتبة العصرية)
إذا أكل متعمدا ما يتغذى به أو يتداوى به يلزمه الكفارة، وهذا إذا كان مما يؤكل للغذاء أو للدواء فأما إذا لم يقصد لهما فلا كفارة وعليه القضاء كذا في خزانة المفتين فالصائم إذا أكل الخبز أو الأطعمة أو الأشربة أو الأدهان أو الألبان أو أكل إهليلجة أو مسكا أو زعفرانا أو كافورا أو غالية"، عليه القضاء والكفارة عندنا هكذا في فتاوى قاضي خان. (فتاوى هندية: 1/453 ط.مكتبة رشيدية)
كل صلاة فاتت عن الوقت بعد وجوبها فيه يلزمه قضاؤها سواء ترك عمدا أو سهوا أو بسبب نوم وسواء كانت الفوائت كثيرة أو قليلة (الفتاوى الهندية – الباب الحادي عشر في قضاء الفوائت: 1/260 ط.مكتبة رشيدية)
( وكذا أهل مصر فاتتهم الجمعة ) فإنهم يصلون الظهر بغير أذان ولا إقامة ولا جماعة. (رد المحتار، 2/ 157، سعيد)
(وإذا كثرت الفوائت يحتاج لتعيين كل صلاة) يقضيها التزاحم الفروض والأوقات كقوله : أصلي ظهر الإثنين ثامن عشر جمادى الثانية سنة أربع وخمسين وألف وهذا فيه كلفة فإذا أراد تسهيل الأمر عليه نوى أول ظهر عليه أدرك وقته ولم يصله فإذا نواه كذلك فيما يصليه يصير أولا، فيصح بمثل ذلك، وهكذا (أو) إن شاء نوى (آخره) فيقول أصلي آخر ظهر أدركته. (حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح: ص.446 ط.قديمي كتب خانه)
وأما إذا كان من رمضان واحد فلا يحتاج إلى التعيين إتفاقاً حتى لو كان عليه قضاء يومين من رمضان واحد فقضى يوماً، ولم يعين جاز لأن السبب في الصوم واحد، وهو الشهر فالواجب عليه إكمال العدد، وفي الأشباه عن الفتح من الصوم، ولو وجب عليه قضاء يومين من رمضان واحد الأولى أن ينوي أول يوم وجب عليه قضاؤه من هذا الرمضان وان لم يعين جاز (حاشية الطحطاوي على مراقي الفلاح: ص.447 ط.قديمي كتب خانه)
في الدر المختار: كثرت الفوائت نوى أول ظهر عليه أو آخره وكذا الصوم لو من رمضانين هو الأصح.
قال الشامى: (قوله لو من رمضانين) لأن كل رمضان سبب لصومه فصارا كظهرين من يومين بخلاف صوم يومين من رمضان واحد فيصح وإن لم يعين القضاء عن اليوم الأول أو الثاني منه. (رد المحتار: 2/77 ط. سعيد).
قضا شده فرض اور واجب نمازوں کی ادائیگی بہر حال ضروری ہے، یہ کہنے سے کام نہیں چلے گا کہ : ” میری نمازیں اللہ کے ذمہ ہیں " اس لئے کہ اللہ ہی نے تو ذمہ میں فرض کی ہیں. (كتاب النوازل: 4/521 ط.مكتبة عزيزية)
روزہ اور نماز دونوں چیزیں بالغ ہونے سے فرض ہوتی ہیں، پس جب بالغ ہوا ہے اسی وقت سے حساب کر کے ہر روز کی چھ نمازیں یعنی پانچ فرض نمازیں چھٹی وتر کی قضاء کرے۔ اور اسی وقت سے ہر رمضان کے روزے رکھے اور روزے سے رمضان کی تعیین کرے مثلاً پہلے رمضان کے روزے جو مجھ پر فرض ہوئے اور میں نے نہیں رکھے اس کے روزے رکھتا ہوں ، اس نیت سے ایک مہینہ کے روزے رکھے اور روزے کے بعد دوسرے رمضان کے اسی طرح رکھے، یا یہ نیت کرے کہ اخیر کے رمضان کے روزے جو مجھ پر فرض ہوئے اور میں نے نہیں رکھے وہ رکھتا ہوں ہے ، هكذا فى الطحطاوي على مراقی الفلاح, فقط ۔ حمر و العبد محمود گنگوہی عفا اللہ عنہ۔(فتاوى محمودية: 10/163 ط.إدارة الفاروق)
بالغ ہوتے ہی روزہ فرض ہو جاتا ہے، بریں بنا جتنے دن آپ نے بالغ ہونے کے بعد روزے نہیں رکھے ہیں، حساب لگا کر ان کی قضا آپ پر لازم ہے، جلد از جلد ان کو ادا کر لینا چاہئے۔ (كتاب النوازل: 6/391 طز مكتبة عزيزية)
اگر ایک ہی روزہ قضاء ہوا ہو یا ایک رمضان کے متعدد روزے قضاء ہوئے ہوں تو نیت میں دن کی تعیین ضروری نہیں، اور اگر متعدد رمضانوں کے روزے قضاء ہوں تو اشتراط تعیین رمضان میں اختلاف هے، دونوں قول مصح ہیں، تعیین احوط ہے. (أحسن الفتاوى: 4/444 ط. إيج إيم سعيد)
