Do I Have To Remove Immoral Comments Online?

Question:

When I was young, I used to read immoral books, and I would promote these books with extensive praise and comments on forums. Should I go back and delete all of these comments?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

The past is the past, and we should never allow ourselves to be caught in a trap of guilt.

That said, if you think that your comments are still being read and you can remove them within a few hours, I would go ahead and delete them. Otherwise, you should not go to extremes and just assume that no one will read your comments any more.

One of the great scholars of the past visited another scholar and found him very disturbed. He asked him what was wrong and he replied, “‘A young man just came to me asking about the true nature of repentance. I told him that it was to never forget the sins that you had done.’ He objected and said, ‘Rather, repentance is that you forget your sins!'” [Al-Risala al-Qushayriyya]

This means that repentance requires that you have to feel remorse for what you did. This means that you never forget the fact that you did bad things and that you are shy before Allah. At the same time, you have to forget your sin and never go back to in order to really repent, and you cannot keep digging yourself into a hole of depression thinking about how bad you once were. We should repent, make amends, and get on with life. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Someone who repents from sins is like someone who does not have any sins to begin with.” [Ibn Majah]

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.