Guilt after committing a sin is a very powerful force, it can lead one to death, especially when one loses the ability to find peace in repentance.Infact its not the actual sin that leads one to the point of no return ,but the idea that my sin is beyond redemption. That is when one decides to drown, and put an end to any argument that rises inside ones conscience ,they begin to keep slipping in the darkness , silence their inner voice , shut out anyone around, who dares to remind them of the light , to the extent that there is no way out of this darkness they eventually sink into.
All of this does not happen overnight ,in a swift moment, it is such a slow and gradual process that one does not even have the time to apprehend what is happening to them. Usually it begins with one rebellion ,when one decides to take the plunge , there could be any reason, it could be any factor in that individual’s life that could lead the individual towards that dangerous direction, sometimes it’s the family pressure or culture ,sometimes it’s the desire to have more,comparisons , wordly expectations, to exploration new experiences. The idea of fun and entertainment especially in this age where the youth is bombarded with the ideas that you only live once , so live it the way you intend to , beyond the idea of right and wrong. You must enjoy every moment of your life on this planet ,ignoring the fact that there is no perfection, there is no complete happiness ,because this world is a testing place not a resting place, there will always be tests and trials always ,but let’s talk about guilt.
Whilst talking about redemption it must be certainly considered carefully that some humans have super active ego or over sensitivity, for them it’s not arrogance but the weakness that makes it hard for them. They keep falling into that, tunnel because they feel they have already darkened their soul so there is no holy water in the worlds that can wash their sins ,or the ones with the super active ego can begin hurting themselves physically or mentally in order to feel that they’re paying for their sins. Although the definition of sin vary in every faith,culture , and family aswell.
In the Islamic tradition beside denial of existence of the creator or associating partners with him, every sin and mistake is forgivable. Infact Allah ensures the believers that he is waiting for their plea for forgiveness. In the Quran he says “Despair not of the Mercy of God, for God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (Al-Qur’an 39:53) In addition to that, amongst 99 names of Allah , every name promises forgiveness, mercy and love .Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If your sins were to reach to the heavens and then you repented, Allah would still accept your repentance.” (Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 4248) .Moreover the gulit is also his mercy on us ,it keeps out hearts from becoming hard and makes us what it takes to be a better human.
Ending this with his promise to us , as a reminder to anyone who reads it, he “Say: ‘O My servants who wronged against their souls, do not despair of Allah’s mercy! For Allah forgives all sins, for He is indeed Forgiving, Compassionate.’” (Az-Zumar: 53).
By Khuş Editor-at-large WEDA
