Is it better for the repentant person to remember his sins or to forget them?
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O honorable Shaykh! Is it better for the repentant person to remember his previous sins so that he finds and performs righteous deeds, or is it better for him to forget them so that they do not make his life bitter?
The repentant person is the one who returns to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, being sincere to Him in his repentance and determined not to return to the sin. As for remembering what has passed, this is looked at in terms of benefit. If he sees benefit in it, and this is when he finds negligence in himself or finds himself inclined toward disobedience, he reminds himself of what has passed, and that is good. Otherwise, if remembering this sin harms him and he fears for himself despair of the mercy of Allah due to the multitude of his sins, he should not remember it. It is established in the authentic hadith that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said when he discussed with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the Battle of al-Hudaybiyyah: [So I did deeds for that] meaning: righteous deeds that expiate what has passed. So a person looks at the benefit in remembering the sins from which he repented, or in being negligent of them.
The repentant person is the one who returns to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, being sincere to Him in his repentance and determined not to return to the sin. As for remembering what has passed, this is looked at in terms of benefit. If he sees benefit in it, and this is when he finds negligence in himself or finds himself inclined toward disobedience, he reminds himself of what has passed, and that is good. Otherwise, if remembering this sin harms him and he fears for himself despair of the mercy of Allah due to the multitude of his sins, he should not remember it. It is established in the authentic hadith that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said when he discussed with the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the Battle of al-Hudaybiyyah: [So I did deeds for that] meaning: righteous deeds that expiate what has passed. So a person looks at the benefit in remembering the sins from which he repented, or in being negligent of them.