What advice is given to one who was steadfast in good but then fell behind?

Question:
I am a young man who, if Allah wills, has found the right path. At the beginning, I found the sweetness of faith, and I was drawn to forbidding what is wrong. But now I have regressed to the point where I fear I will fall back into sin. I ask you, may Allah reward you, to advise me and my brothers in this matter.

Answer:
It is obligatory for the believing man and woman, if Allah has blessed them with steadfastness, to maintain it, not to be too hard on themselves, to keep the company of the righteous, and to stay away from the wicked. The believer is commanded to stand firm on the truth and to be cautious of extremism and harshness. He should not go to the extreme by innovating in religion and being too strict, nor should he be harsh by falling short and committing sins. Rather, he should take the middle path: no extremism, no harshness. He should talk to his brothers, sit with his brothers in Allah, cooperate with them in righteousness and piety, advise them, and accept advice. He should not innovate in the religion what Allah has not permitted, nor should he be pleased with or inclined toward major sin.
This is how the believer is: he takes the middle path in his affairs, with no extremism and no harshness, no violence or severity, and no negligence in the matter of Allah. Rather, he takes the middle path, being gentle with his brothers, wishing them well, and addressing them in the best manner. He does not innovate in the religion of Allah what Allah has not permitted, nor does he fall short and commit what Allah has forbidden.