Title: Living in Fear of Past Sins… Question: A friend of mine committed a sin and cannot get past it. She knows that Allah SWT is all-forgiving, but still she just cant get past it and there was a maulana [1] in Pakistan that predicted that she would commit this sin and it came out right and then the maulana said to her parents to tell her not to do it because if she does it, it will cause her trouble later on in life and now she is terrified and under very much stress and this guilt of hers has been going on for the past 4 years and she really needs major help and she does not know what to do because on one hand she is like destiny is already written and that what that maulana said will come true and therefore she is very SCARED. Is there any way out of this for her? Can she change anything? She cant even think about the future because of this. Please help because she cant seem to move on......!!!! and she has also become very religious because of this and because she is very afraid that Allah SWT might punish her no matter what. How can I help her? (Please do not post this question [2] ). Jazak Allahu khayran . Anonymous Pakistan Answer: You are right to say that God is all forgiving. It is His promise that when a person sincerely repents for his sins, He will not only forgive his sins - even if they are as grave as ascribing partners to Him, committing fornication and/or murder - but will also substitute his sins with good deeds. So we should never lose hope in God's abounding mercy, benevolence and wisdom. After sincere "Tawbah" [3] , instilling hopelessness is a weapon of Satan, which he uses to deviate us from the straight path leading to our Merciful Creator. Believe me, "Tawbah" is like a drainage system. Just as the drainage system drains all the filth, similarly "Tawbah" wipes out the effects of all sins. However, there are two conditions for Tawbah to be acceptable: sincere repentance and a strong commitment that the person would try his best to refrain from the sin that he has committed. If your friend has fulfilled these requisites, then there is absolutely no reason to lose hope in God's mercy. Imagine the intensity of sins, which some of the companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) had committed before accepting Islam, but we all know that after their forgiveness they had been given the glad tidings of Jannah . I think your friend is facing psychological pressure and this pressure, on the one side depicts the gravity of her problem, whereas on the other hand it also shows her sincerity. And, remember, God loves sincere people. Try to solve her problem psychologically. Predictions, like that of the referred Maulana, have nothing to do with the situation. Some times, we do say similar things about our friends, sons or daughters and if they come true it does not mean that it has come true due to our prediction. Prediction is just like a guess, which might and might not be true. The schemes and laws of God are not based on predictions and guesses. Moreover, we do not do a thing just because it was written in our destiny. Destiny is just the name of God's ultimate knowledge. And it is obvious; He knows each and every thing. Man has been given the authority and power to do good or bad deeds according to his freewill and that is why he would be rewarded and held accountable for these deeds in the Hereafter. Remember, we are all here for a test. Our Creator wants to know who returns to Him with a record of good deeds and who is laden with the burden of bad deeds. We are being tested in this world under different circumstances. Our duty is nothing but to obey our Creator under all circumstances, trying to know sincerely the requirements of obedience and submission under every situation. Your friend should live her life with a new enthusiasm, based on a rejuvenated trust in God's mercy. Sincere repentance shall make her as innocent as a new born. Regards, Siddiq Bukhary. February 19, 2003 [1] i.e., a religious person. [2] In view of this request, this question is being posted without the name of the sender. [3] i.e., repentance.