How Can You Get Rid of the After-Effects of Sin?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I am experiencing the following ten adverse effects of sins that are dreadful to one’s life growth:
1. Prevention of knowledge; 2. Prevention of Provision; 3. Feeling distant from your Creator and righteous ones; 4. Things become difficult for you; 5. Your Prayer isn’t accepted; 6. Weakens the heart, body, and soul; 7. Shortens a person’s lifespan; 8. Sins open doors for more sins; 9. Becoming insignificant before Allah; 10. A path of wrath towards Hell.
Should I have to face all these problems for my whole lifetime, or will they go away? What should I do to free myself from these effects?
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 seeking guidance.
If one sincerely repents and seeks forgiveness from the depth of one’s heart, remorsefully, immediately as one can, with a firm resolve never to return to sin, then the after-effects of sins will not be seen and dwindle, in sha’ Allah. This can be maintained through a purified heart and continuously asking Allah Most High for guidance. See the links below.
One has to intend to purify and rectify one’s heart, and the most important step toward achieving this is to repent and ask for forgiveness sincerely.
Repentance
Sound repentance is the first and most important step to reviving and polishing the heart. However, for the repentance to be sincere and sound, one must meet the following conditions:
- Sincere remorse over the sin;
- Immediately abandoning the sin;
- Having a firm resolve never to repeat the sin. [Nawawi, Riyadh al-Salihin]
Polishing the Heart
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Indeed everything has a polishing, and the polishing of the hearts is the remembrance of Allah. There is nothing more effective in attaining salvation from the punishment of Allah than the remembrance of Allah.” They said, “Not even striving in the way of Allah?” He replied, “Not even if one were to strike with his sword till it breaks.” [Bayhaqi, al-Da‘awat al-Kabir]
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. You will receive guidance and direction in sha’ Allah.
Related:
- Sins Archives
- How to Strengthen Faith in Allah and Return to Him? A Reader
- Purification of the Heart for Youth: Diseases of the Heart and Their Cure. [Video]
- The Path of Muhammad: Birgivi’s Manual of Taqwa Explained. [Video]
- Purification of the Heart by Hamza Yusuf
- Istikhara, The Prayer of Seeking Guidance: The Ultimate Guide – A Reader
- How Does One Perform The Prayer Of Need (Salat al-Haja)?
- Prayer of Repentance: Salat al-Tawba
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersGuidance?
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.
