I am a young man who was in great misguidance, but praise be to Allah who guided me to the straight path and illuminated the path of truth for me. He is capable of all things.

The questioner : This is a message received from a listener of the program. Your brother, Alif 'Ayn Sad, says in this question: “O honorable Shaykh, I am a young man who was in great misguidance, but praise be to Allah who guided me to the straight path and illuminated the path of truth for me. He is capable of all things. However, sometimes when I am praying, Satan tries to remind me of my days in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. And when I am in a secluded place alone with myself, what should I do? What do you advise me to do? May you be rewarded?”

The Shaykh : Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: So we say to this brother: Whenever something from these matters that you fear will cause you to go astray and deviate befalls you, seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. However, if your remembering what happened to you in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance is to remember the favor of Allah upon you through the rectitude that He bestowed upon you, then there is nothing wrong with that. This is because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) reminded his Companions that they were in misguidance, so Allah guided them through him; that they were scattered, so Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) gathered them through him; and that they were a burden, so Allah enriched them through him. Therefore, a person remembering what he was of open sinfulness and disobedience to the Shari'ah, in the way of remembering the favor of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) with guidance, there is nothing wrong with that and no blame. But if he remembers it and fears that he will deviate through this remembrance, and sees in himself an impulse to return to it, then he should not remember it because of the evil and trial he fears in it. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.