A young man repents and then returns to sins, so what should be done?

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Q: I am a young man of nineteen years old, and I have greatly indulged myself in sins, to the point that I do not pray in the mosque and I have never fasted the entire month of Ramadan in my life. I also commit other ugly deeds. I have often pledged to myself to repent, but I return to sin. I keep company with young men in our neighborhood who are not entirely upright, and my brothers' friends often come to our house, and they are not righteous either. Allah knows that I have greatly indulged myself in sins and committed heinous deeds, but whenever I resolve to repent, I return to how I was before. I ask you to guide me to a path that brings me closer to my Lord and keeps me away from these bad deeds.

A: Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: :

Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

[Surah al-Zumar: 53]. The scholars have agreed that this noble verse was revealed regarding the matter of those who repent. So, whoever repents from his sins with sincere repentance, Allah will forgive him all his sins because of this noble verse, and because of His saying (Mighty and Majestic):

O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ

[Surah al-Tahrim: 8]. Thus, the Exalted linked the expiation of evil deeds and entering the Gardens in this verse to sincere repentance. Sincere repentance includes abandoning sins and guarding against them, feeling remorse for what has passed, and making a sincere resolve not to return to them, out of reverence for Allah (Mighty and Majestic), desire for His reward, and fear of His punishment.
And among the conditions of sincere repentance is returning injustices to their owners, or seeking their forgiveness, if the sin involved an injustice regarding blood, wealth, or honor. If it is not possible to seek his brother's forgiveness for his honor, he should pray for him frequently and mention him with the best deeds he knows of him in the places where he backbit him, for good deeds expiate bad ones. And He, the Exalted, said:

And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.

وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

[Al-Nur: 31]. So He linked success in this verse to repentance, which indicates that the repentant person is successful and happy. And if the repentant person follows his repentance with faith and righteous deeds, Allah will erase his bad deeds and replace them with good ones, as He, the Exalted, said in Surat al-Furqan when He mentioned associating partners with Allah, killing without right, and unlawful sexual intercourse:

And whoever does that will meet a great sin.

وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا ۝

YUDAA'AF LAHU AL-ADHAABU YAWMA AL-QIYAMATI WA YAKHLUD FIIHI MUHANAN ILLA MAN TAA BA WA AAMANA WA AMILA AMALAN SALIHA FA-ULAA'IKAY YUBADDILU ALLAHU SAYYI'ATI HIM HASA WAATIN WA KANA ALLAHU GHAFOORAN RAHIMA [Al-Furqan: 68 - 70].
And among the causes of repentance is supplicating to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and asking Him for guidance and success, and that He bestow upon you repentance. He is the One who said (Glorified and Exalted is He):

Call upon Me; I will respond to you.

ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ

[Ghafir: 60]. And He is the One who said (peace and blessings be upon him):

And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ

[Al-Baqarah 2:186]

the verse [al-Baqarah: 186]. And among the causes of repentance and steadfastness upon it is the company of the righteous and emulating them in their righteous deeds, and keeping away from the company of the wicked. It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:

A man follows the religion of his close friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.

المرء على دين خليله فلينظر أحدكم من يخالل

Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim 33:79

And he said (peace and blessings be upon him):

The similitude of good company and that of bad company is that of the owner of musk and of the one (iron-smith) blowing bellows, and the owner of musk would either offer you free of charge or you would buy it from him or you would. smell its pleasant odour, and so far as one who blows the. bellows is concerned, he would either burn your clothes or you shall have to smell its repugnant smell.

مثل الجليس الصالح والجليس السوء كحامل المسك ونافخ الكير؛ فحامل المسك إما أن يحذيك وإما أن تبتاع منه وإما أن تجد منه ريحا طيبة، ونافخ الكير إما أن يحرق ثيابك وإما أن تجد منه ريحا خبيثة

Sahih Muslim 2628

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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