How Do I Find Balance When I Deal with the Guilt of My Sins?
Answered by Ustada Shazia Ahmad
Question
I have been struggling with an infrequent sin. When it does happen, I tend to feel so guilty that I feel guilty doing my normal tasks like reading a book or studying or watching a TV show, although they have nothing to do with the sin. I drop everything & try to be very serious in my religious obligations. But in doing so, I don’t give myself a break and feel guilty resting & doing something for fun, like I don’t deserve it. How do I deal with this? Is this approach fine? Or should I have a more balanced approach?
Answer
Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your feelings of guilt because that is pure faith.
Feeling guilty
It is perfectly normal and healthy to feel guilty about one’s sins, and one should take the right steps to redeem oneself. One should feel guilt, repent and never repeat that action. If one is in an endless cycle of sin, one must still repent and make sure that cycle is endless, too, as one will certainly overcome the other one day.Do not despair, for Allah Most High said: “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]Burnt out
As for feeling guilty doing normal things and never giving oneself a break, this is a simple trick of the Devil. He wants you to get burnt out, and he hopes that the religious exhaustion will lead you back to sin. Rather, live in a balanced way so that your soul feels rested every day and doesn’t need to sin again. Keep this hadith in mind. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Take on only as much as you can do of good deeds, for the best of deeds is that which is done consistently, even if it is little.” [Ibn Maja]
It is perfectly normal and healthy to feel guilty about one’s sins, and one should take the right steps to redeem oneself. One should feel guilt, repent and never repeat that action. If one is in an endless cycle of sin, one must still repent and make sure that cycle is endless, too, as one will certainly overcome the other one day.Do not despair, for Allah Most High said: “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]Burnt out
As for feeling guilty doing normal things and never giving oneself a break, this is a simple trick of the Devil. He wants you to get burnt out, and he hopes that the religious exhaustion will lead you back to sin. Rather, live in a balanced way so that your soul feels rested every day and doesn’t need to sin again. Keep this hadith in mind. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Take on only as much as you can do of good deeds, for the best of deeds is that which is done consistently, even if it is little.” [Ibn Maja]
Please see these links as well:
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
Shazia Ahmad
Shazia Ahmad
Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
