today is gonna be one of those days huh filled with long sighs and looking out the window in longing and having to do things that make it all worse (job applications, sorting old photos, making appointments, doing extra things for Work)

// want to get back on here but I'm also having a hard time getting into his headspace because I cannot interact casually with the concept of violence very much. (Graphic desc in the tags, please scroll if it bothers you.)

List of duaas

1. Ya Allah grant me the companionship of Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, his family and the Sahaba's in Jannathul Firdous al 'áala.

2. Ya Allah make me and my family from amongst the sabiqoon you mention of in Surah Al Waqi'ah. Let the light of our imaan emanate from our chest and from our right hand side.

3. Ya rabb, make me of those who are patient and obedient to You and to my parents.

4. Ya Allah make me of the few You love, You Pardon and You shade on a Day when there is no shade but from Your Majestic Arsh.

5. Oh my Lord, increase me in Yakeen and Tawakkul in you. Let there be no doubt in my belief in Your Oneness, Your Majesty and Power.

6. Ya Rahman, shower your Mercy upon me and save me from disgrace on the Day of Reckoning.

7. Ya Allah Al Wali - The Protecting Friend, protect us from hearts that are not humble, tongues that are not wise, and eyes that have forgotten how to cry.

8. Ya Allah, increase me in Sadaqa-e- Jariya. May the legacy of my good deeds be never-ending.

9. Ya Rabb, perfect my Deen and my Worship. Save me from Faahisha and let me complete half of my Deen with someone whose heart is attached to you.

10. Ya Allah accept my good deeds and increase me in reward and Your Mercy. Wipe away my sins and pardon me completely.

11. Ya Allah, when I die, let my soul and my record of Deeds be with the Illiyeen. Grant me and my loved ones shade under your throne when there will be no shade but yours.

12. Ya Allah grant me, my parents, and family guidance, steadfastness and increase us in Imaan and taqwa. Keep me and my loved ones away from major and minor sins and from everything that earns your displeasure.

13. Ya Razaq increase me in my love for You and Your Prophet sallallähu 'alayhi wa sallam.

14. Ya Jabbar forgive me and my loved ones and increase us in Your Blessings and Provisions.

15. Ya Khaliq lead me to more opportunities to do good and seeking Your Pleasure. Help me expand my knowledge with sincerity and ikhlas.

16. Ya Wahhaab, Purify my intentions for Your Sake alone and let me not show off or take false pride. Save me from arrogance, pride, showing off and reminding of favors.

17. Oh my Creator and Sustainer, do not leave me alone. Bless me with a righteous spouse and children who will be the coolness of our eyes. Fill our hearts with a pure love that is pleasing to you. Bless us with spouses who will guide us towards your pleasure and with whom we will spend an eternity in Jannatul firdous al'aala.

18. Oh my Lord, make me of those who are patient and obedient to You and to my parents.

19. Ya Latfeef, save me from the Fitnah of Dajjal. And save me from becoming a fitna for others

20. Ya Ghafoor, save me and my loved ones from the punishment of the grave and the punishment of the Hell Fire.

dua's to recite after praying ♡

tasbih: - subhanallah x33 - alhamdulillah x33 - Allah akbar x33  - followed by Laa ilaaha ill-Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulku wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (there is none worthy of worship except Allah alone with no partner. to Him belongs all sovereignty and praise, and He has power over everything)

it is narrated by Abu Huraira that if anyone extols Allah after every prayer thirty-three times, and praises Allah thirty-three times, and declares His Greatness thirty-three times, ninety-nine times in all, and says to complete a hundred: “There is no god but Allah, having no partner with Him, to Him belongs sovereignty and to Him is praise due, and He is Potent over everything,” his sins will be forgiven even if these are as abundant as the foam of the sea. (Sahih Muslim 597a)

Istighfar: - astaghfirullah x3

Ayatul Kursi

Hadith: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi at the end of every obligatory prayer, nothing but death will prevent him from entering Paradise."

لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin (There is no God but You, Holy art Thou. I have indeed been of the wrongdoers).

لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّٰهِ ٱلْعَلِيِّ ٱلْعَظِيمِ

Laa hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (There is no strength of power except Allah)

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَسْأَلُكَ حُسْنَ الْخَاتِمَةِ

Allahumma inni asaluka husnul khatima (O Allah, grant me a good and beautiful end to my life).

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ

Allaahumma ‘innee ‘a’oothu bika minal-hammi walhazani, wal’ajzi walkasali, walbukhli waljubni, wa dhala’id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijaal (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from grief and sadness, from weakness and from laziness, from miserliness and from cowardice, from being overcome by debt and overpowered by men, i.e. others).

there are, of course, many others. these are just a select few to avoid overwhelm and to encourage. there is a hadith that says, if, after praying, one stays on their prayer mat and does not break their wudhu (ablution), the angels keep on asking for Allah's blessings and forgiveness for them. they say 'O Allah! Forgive him and be Merciful to him'. (Sahih al-Bukhari 659)

this is why it is important and good to remain in your place for a while after praying and remember Allah. these dua's are good to start with. may Allah make it easy for us all, Ameen

"Another call from Gaza... My four-year-old daughter, who didn't talk to me much until today.

Samar: Hello, Papa

Me: Ah, my dear, my beloved, how are you, my little Simsim (a term of endearment for Samar)?

Samar: Praise be to god... Papa, I made a big gift card, drew for you, wrote you a letter, and put it in my bag to give you as soon as I see you.

Me: My dear, my heart, you're such a sweetheart, may Allah (God) bless your little hands.

Samar: And what have you done for me? What surprise have you prepared for me?

Me: I brought you a new Elisa bed, toys, and many things, and I set up a dollhouse for you, Simsim.

Samar: Thank you... Papa, keep playing with my toys.

Me: Of course, my dear. Come, let's play together.

Samar: Alright, Papa, the party started early.

Me: What party, my love?

Samar: The bombing party... It started early today.

Me: It's okay, my dear. Don't be afraid.

Samar: I'm scared, I'm scared... No, no, I'm not scared.

Me: Why aren't you scared?

Samar: I'm sitting in my grandma's lap, and she tells me we're under God's protection.

Me: May God protect you, my dear, and keep you safe. Come back to me unharmed.

Samar: Papa, I'm not mad at you for bringing us to Gaza, but there's a war.

Me: What do you mean, a war?

Samar: Remember when we were in America, and we used to say, "God, protect us from a war"?

Me: Yes, I remember.

Samar: This is war.

Me: I'm sorry, my dear. You're brave, you're not afraid.

Samar: Papa, Mama says they're bombing the old houses to rebuild them.

Me: Yes, my dear.

Samar: Our house is new, right?

Me: Yes, my love. Don't think about the bombing, go play.

Samar: Yes, I played a new game with my cousins. It's called "Governor, Executioner"... I hit them, but they kiss me.

Me: Who did you play with?

Samar: I played with your father.

Me: No, It's Jaddi (Jaddi in arabic means my grandpa)

Samar: Yes, and I played with Abdullah... Papa, I prayed... I prayed with Abdullah.

Me: May God protect you, my dear, and keep you. You're Papa's clever sweetheart. What else did you play?

Samar: I made a tent in the house so that when the bombing happens, I can run and hide in it.

Papa, I miss you and love you. And the call ended...

Come hide in my heart, Papa.

I'm waiting for the gift card, my dear."

Now, with the complete isolation of Gaza by the occupation, through cutting off the internet, electricity, and communication networks, he won't even be able to communicate with his daughter...

His heart will continue to burn with fear as the rockets relentlessly strike Gaza without mercy.

In this image, there's Samar's father, Mahmoud, and her mother, Nour.

In this image, Mahmoud kisses his mother's head (Samar's grandmother, who she was in her lap during the call, and she was comforting her, saying, "We are under God's protection.") on his graduation day from medical school.

this image features Samar's grandparent, as mentioned in the call, who was playing with her.

Telegram

Dua for parents. (Surah Al-Isra 17-24)

‎رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا

‎Rabbir hamhuma kama Rabbayani Sagheera

‎"My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small."

‎May Allah make us look after our parents and treat them with kindness!

How fascinating love it would be, in which you fear your beloved.

What a fascinating love it would be if you feared your beloved. Subhan'Allah! The real love. For the sake of Allah, in Divine love, i.e., Allah's Love, The love of Allāh ﷻ also includes the love of our prophet Muhammadﷺ, and all the prophets (عَلَيْهِ ٱلصَّلَاةُ وَٱلسَّلَامُ), and the Khulafa-e-Rashideen◌ؓ, Azwaj-e-Mutahirat◌ؓ, Ummahat-ul-Momineen◌ؓ, Ahl al-Bayt-e-Athaar◌ؓ, Shuhuda-e-Karbala◌ؓ, Ashra-Mubashra◌ؓ, Baqiya-tu-Sahaba Ikram (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), Hazrat e Tab'in Tabe Tab'in, Shuhuda-e-Islam, Mufassireen, Muhadiseen ؒ , Awliya-Ikram ؒ Ajma'in (رضوان الله أجمعين) and our parents, brothers, sisters, family, relatives, neighbours, friends, the entire Ummah and all the living beings. Subhan'Allah!

"And those who truly believe, love Allah intensely."[Al-Baqarah | 2:165] Subhan'Allah! In which you also love the other lovers of your beloved. Not like any other metaphorical love, i.e., love for Allah ﷻ's creation. In which you detest other lovers of your beloved. Well, how can one's heart not love Allah, our Lord, the Almighty, the most compassionate and merciful, to whom belong the most beautiful names? To whom you can't thank enough, even if you spend your whole life in prostration. That heﷻis not in need of our worship, yet he showers us all with his abundant blessings. Allahu-Akbar! Heﷻ is "al-Shakur", rewarding our few deeds with limitless happiness, even though he's the one who gifted us the ability to carry out those very deeds. In fact,

it is said that fear denotes abstaining not only from all that is forbidden but also from those deeds from which it is advisable to refrain. According to a scholar, fear forces a traveller on the spiritual path to hold back and refrain from displeasing Allah. Just like when you love someone, you are afraid of making them upset with you or refrain from doing anything that will displease them. Also, just like lovers who are unable to meet, they send letters, and the lover reads them over and over. Qur'an-e-Kareem is also like a love letter from Allāh ﷻ. From the beloved to you. so that we read it over and over again. Subhan'Allah! It implants fear in our hearts concerning our end. The Qur'an warns us to be steadfast in our belief and practice of Islam. May Allahﷻ guide us all. Many verses of the Qur'an cause hearts to tremble with fear and are like threads with which to knit the lace of life. "And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it."[Al-Zilzal | 99:8]

and Say: "Shall We tell you who will be the greatest losers by their works? Those whose efforts have been wasted in the life of the world while they thought they were doing good. " [Al-Kahf | 18:103-4] Allahu Akbar! May Allah ﷻ grant us all forgiveness and protection against Shaytan and his deceptions. And may he ﷻ make it easy for us to fight against our Nafs and to oppose our desires and sins. Allahumma Ameen! How happy and prosperous are those who knit the laces of their lives with these threads? With such warnings, the Qur'an orients us toward the Hereafter and encourages us to consider it more important than anything else. In his luminous speech, Allah the Almighty uses fear as a whip to force us into His presence and honour us with His company. Like a mother's reproofs to her child that draws him or her to her warm, affectionate arms, this whip attracts the believer toward the depths of Divine Mercy and enriches him or her with Allāh ﷻ's blessings and bounties that He compels humanity to deserve and receive out of His Mercy and Graciousness. Subhan'Allah! How can one's heart not melt out in the love of their lord? Indeed, One whose heart is full of fear and awe of the Almighty cannot be afraid of others and is therefore freed from all useless and suffocating fear. In His luminous, hope-giving speech, the Almighty Allāh ﷻ tells people not to fear anything or anyone other than Him: "Have no fear of them. Fear Me, if you are true believers." [Aal-Imran | 3:175] "They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what we have provided them, they spend." [As-Sajda | 32:16]. Heﷻ praises those who design their lives according to their fear of God use their willpower carefully and strive to avoid sins. Such sensitive and careful souls fly in the heavens with the Almighty's approval and pleasure. Also, those holding Him in reverence drink the sweet, enlivening water of nearness, which comes from taking refuge in Him. One who fears God sometimes sighs and sometimes weeps, especially when alone, in an attempt to extinguish the pain of being separate from Him as well as the fire of Hell, which is the greatest distance between him and Allāh ﷻ. Allahu Akbar! Why do we not fear him? Is our love for Allah just words and no action? May Allahﷻ protect us! And shedding tears is the most effective way of putting out the fires of Hell. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to put it in words. Cry your heart out to Allāhﷻ, because the thing is, even if you don’t understand it yourself, Allah does. Indeed, "whether you conceal what is in your hearts or reveal it, Allah will know it. He knows what is in the heavens and what is on the earth. Allah is powerful over everything." [ Aal-Imran | 3:29] Indeed, imagine a single teardrop that occurs whilst you’re repenting. Just one single teardrop, that rolled from your eyes down to your cheeks whilst you begged Allāh for forgiveness for your sins. Imagine that this one drop of water, was enough for Allāh ﷻ to extinguish all of the fire and torment that was awaiting you for the sins that you committed. We just have to repent with sincerity. Surely, Allah ﷻ loves to forgive. You know, every tear that falls from your eyes in repentance to Him makes your heart feel lighter, happier.Istighfaar can do that. It raises you in rank even more than when you first fell. And his mercy is greater and ever nearer to the one who comes to him with a repentant heart. So repent and allow your heart to blossom. Subhan'Allah! Lately, I read a quote: "I know of no better love story than that of a forgiving Rabb and a repentant slave." Also, you don't have to tell anyone that I cried in the love of Allāh ﷻ or I please him in alone or anything. When you love someone, you hide it. I know, love can't stay hidden for long. People around you get to know about it through your actions. But just don't express it to others with your own tongue. Yk!

However, don’t allow your emotions to overwhelm you into falling into the traps of Shaytaan. causing you to drift away from your deen, your beloved. Keep your head up and cope in beneficial ways. Sit with the Quran and recite or listen to recitations, get up and pray and make your sujood longer than usual. Find comfort in Ibaadah and know that Allāh ﷻ knows and Allāh ﷻ does not burden a soul more than it can bear. Trials and afflictions are to improve us and make us stronger. Think back on the difficult times in the past? Did you not come out stronger and wiser? Patience is key. Hold onto the rope of Allah with patience and aim for his mercy and love, which eventually leads you to Paradise. In-Sha-Allah! "Fa Inni Qareeb": 'I am near. I respond to the call' - Allāh ﷻ guarantees that he will respond to the one who calls. Subhan'Allah! How foolish of us to think that he won't respond to our supplications. "Na'auzubillah!" (We seek refuge in Allah.) Also, if someone doesn't have anyone to speak to, pour your heart out in front of your lord, may it be in Tahajjud. Subhan'Allah! Talk to Allāh ﷻ, your beloved. He is the "Al-Wali" (the Protective Friend) of those who believe. Heﷻ surely will turn the darkness of your life into light. May Allāh ﷻ grant us all patience, self-control, and strength. May Allahﷻ honour us and not humiliate us in this world and especially in the hereafter. May Allahﷻ cure all of our illnesses, our distresses, our pains and grant us the best of healing. May Allah ﷻ replace our anxieties, our worries, our fears, our depression and our problems with peace, contentment and barakah! "Allahumma inni as'aluka hubbaka, wa hubba man yuhibbuka, wal-'amalalladhi yuballighuni hubbaka." (O Allah! I ask for your love, the love of those who love you, and deeds that will cause me to attain your love.

Ameen allahumma ameen!✨

Fi-Aman-illah 🍂

𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒔 ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

First off, giving up an old bad habit is difficult, that I know; however, it is not impossible. I've had a lot of difficulties in my life where I repeated the same habit over and over again and I thought for me I would never overcome them. But you know what changed? trying. I tried my best every day and even if I failed, I slowly accepted that I am not perfect and I am only human. That is who we are, and that is why Allah the Almighty is so merciful, because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala himself knows we humans will slip up and fall. But listen, it's not impossible and as annoying as it is, as long as you keep trying, keep having that good intentions of becoming better and to do better; trust me those habits will be history.

Whenever we do something for the sake of our lord, everything works out, everything clicks together. These habits you have won't be vanished for one day of course, or a week, it's a process--a journey that we all need to accept. Think of it as a fitness journey, you won't get fit in one day. These things take time and after feeling so negative about myself I realized as long as you try, asking Allah for help, and doing the most you can--it is possible.

I hope these tips do help you, and everyone is different as everyone has different struggles and bad habits. These will either help you or guide you to overcome those habits in your own way. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make it easy for us.

⤑ 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑶𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑵𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒛

I have seen a video of someone asking a scholar why do I still commit these bad deeds/habits if I am performing my five daily prayers? and the answer to this was the quality of your namaz. Do you rush into prayer, are you zoning out, are you not on time for namaz, and etc.

There is of course a lot to this but the quality of your namaz and how much time you spend with our lord does affect our hearts.

One of many ways to re-connect with our lord to become better with our daily prayers are:

Performing your prayers on time (I understand how our laziness could get in the way or how we are so into whatever we were doing before and cannot detach ourselves from this but, a quote I read and did help me at times like this was "Put your time and effort to Allah, and Allah will put his time and effort to you too.")

Recite a dua/surah after your namaz (Ayetel kursi, a repentance dua, La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul hamdu, yuhyi wa yumitu, wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir, and etc.)

Perform your wudhu 15-10 minutes earlier (Let me tell you when I did this it was so effective. When you perform wudhu earlier, you are in a clear-minded state and are purified. Along with you being on time for namaz, this additionally helps you become more focused during namaz)

Perform Dhikr (Subhanallah, Alhamdullilah, Astaghfirullah, La illaha illallah, Allahu Akbar)

Learn the meaning of what you are reciting (When you learn and understand the meaning of the surah/dua's you are reciting, being focused becomes easier and the connection becomes stronger)

⤑ 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

Create distractions for yourself to not commit those deeds/habits!

Do what you love and enjoy (Go back to those hobbies you used to enjoy! or hang out with your friends and family.)

Educate yourself (Look up interesting things; Learn something new; Watch an islamic podcast)

Get to work (If you have any outstanding work or homework, get straight to it.)

Learn a new surah (Let's say you REALLY have nothing else to do, then what better way to spend that time in something worthy--learning a surah!)

Go outside and enjoy nature!

⤑ 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑯𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒔

Along with giving up those bad habits, create new good habits to incorporate in your day-to-day life!

Each day, add something in your routine--even if its small! For instance, get back to that skin care routine you were so lazy to do; or go on that walk you kept saying later to; or even folding your clothes and organizing your closet. Each time you add a good habit to do, you become distracted to those bad habits, have less time do commit them, and on the long run you are creating habits for a better difference!

With this in mind, please do not do everything at once. To prevent a negative on-going cycle, just like that book "Atomic Habits" said, that "If you can get 1% better each day for one year, you'll end up with 37 times better by the time you're done."

A habit to always include and progress even more is repentance! Recite and repeat Astaghfirullah; Ya Gaffar and Ya Gafoor; as well as the repentance surah's! Before doing anything, always say Bismillah and whether you're doing chores or scrolling on your phone, always say Astaghfirullah. This helps you be more aware of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala!

And lastly, remember you can do it!

: ̗̀➛ Allahumma musarrifal-qulubi, sarrif qulubana 'ala ta'atika

O Allah! Controller of the hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience.

Hi, do you have any tips on how to be comfortable being a Muslim while being queer?

I've been trying to do that for a very long time, focusing on my faith in Allah, but it's a bit hard and I always get demotivated randomly :(

Hey! Salam! Sorry for the kind of late response, moving houses has been hectic. This will be a long response (sorry), so I will put it under the cut.

I want to preface this by saying every queer person is different. I don't know the specifics of your identity so I am going to cover both sexual queerness and gender queerness.

My biggest obstacle in nurturing my relationship with Allah was believing that the way I am was haram, and even that I was cursed by Allah. I no longer believe this, but it was a long road.

Sexuality

I don't believe that homosexuality is haram. The common claim that the story of Lut is about homosexuality is full of holes and inconsistencies and it's largely based on the Christian religious tradition, even if the grammar of the Qur'an doesn't align with the Christian tradition (eg. the Qur'an uses the word "banaat" for Prophet Lut's (as) daughters. Bannat is plural, meaning 3 or more daughters, and in the traditional telling Lut (as) has 2 daughters).

Here is a really good study by Nahida Nisa:

I recommend reading all of Nahida's things because she's an amazing writer.

And a video from Dr. Shehnaz Haqaani's (PhD, Islamic Studies) podcast "What The Patriarchy":

and you can find her blog here

These articles from the blog, Lamp of Islam are also pretty good. He is a hardcore Qur'anist with some strange opinions, so peruse his blog with caution.

Letting go of the belief that the way I am was haram and that Allah had cursed me was the most critical part of fixing my iman and overall nurturing my relationship with Allah.

Also, it doesn't make any sense that The All-Merciful, Allah would make someone with an innate attraction to the same gender and then forbid them from "acting on it".

The Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa salam) never punished anyone for homosexuality, after his death, his companions debated whether or not to punish homosexuals and they could not come to a conclusion.

Gender

The Qur'an seems to acknowledge the differences between sex and gender. For example, the word for 'man' in the Qur'an is rijal and the word for 'male' is dhukran. And the word for 'woman' is nisa, but the word for 'female' is untsa. You can read Lamp of Islam's article on the meanings of these words here.

There also may be a vague reference to intersex and/or gender non-conforming people in verse 42:50.

There are also some hadith that seem to imply that gender non-conforming people were accepted around Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu alayhi wa salam). Prophet Muhammad's (Salla Allahu alayhi wa salam) wife Umm Salama (Radi Allahu anha) had a seemingly close friend who was then called a 'mukhanath', named Hit, who was described as a 'male who exhibited effeminate traits' was was welcome into the private women's section of the Prophet's (Salla Allahu alayhi wa salam) home. Today this person might have been a gay man (who displayed effeminate traits by accepting the "woman's role" (🙄) in relationships), or, more likely IMO, this person would be considered a trans woman today.

Hit was punished by the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa salam), but not for their sexuality/gender expression, they were punished for describing a woman's body to a man, which was possible because they were allowed into both men's and women's spaces. The punishment of Hit is often used as 'evidence' to support homophobia and transphobia, but they neglect to mention the specific reason that Hit was punished.

You can read more about queerness in Islamic history here.

The link above takes you to Muslims For Progressive Values, they also offer marriage services for queer Muslims and interfaith couples, specifically for Muslim women seeking to marry non-Muslim men.

Here is a link to MPV's video series, but massive trigger warning for the comment section.

And a second MPV video series.

And another article from MPV.

More Tips

As I said, learning about LGBTQ Islamic History helped me a lot.

Keep your relationship with Allah between you and Him. Only share it with people who you 100% trust, because religion is extremely personal.

Find your people. Whether online or in-person, a community of people like you is important.

Know that Allah knows you, your identity, and the way you feel. Ultimately, Allah is your creator and we will only return to him. And we, as queer people KNOW that this is the way we were created. Nobody can tell you that who you are is false because they have no way to know that.

Block. Block. Block. Block. Block anyone who is being a problem, who might become a problem in the future. Block them all. Block Islamophobic queers, block queerphobic Muslims. Protect your peace and your relationship with Allah at all costs.

Here are people that I block quickly: anyone who has outwardly queerphobic or Islamophobic things posted on their page. Salafis and Wahabis. The black flag freaks: those with black flags in their user names/bios. I block people for the comments they leave all the time. Generally, I don't wait for them to do something, I block them on sight.

You mentioned that you struggle with low imaan sometimes. It's important to know that fluctuations of imaan are normal and completely natural. But I'm assuming since you've sent this ask, you always come back, which is what's important.

Here is another video from Dr. Shehnaz Haqaani's (PhD Islamic Studies) Podcast for Muslims who struggle to practice.

And a TikTok from @/soundous.boualam:

My biggest tip for building faith is to start slow.

Pray one prayer a day at first, and wait until that prayer is deeply ingrained into your habits, then add another. I recommend starting with Isha before bed. Don't try to do everything at once. You'll burn yourself out.

Build up the fard actions. Your prayers, primarily.

If you can take on more, add in the dhikr after prayer (subhanallah 33x, alhamdullilah 33x, and allahu akbar 34x). Or add dhikr in throughout your day. I use an app called Azkar that I set to send notifications to remind me to do various worship activities.

When I braid my hair I say alhamdullilah every time I cross a piece over another.

If you can, it might also help to put a poster or picture on your wall with your favorite Qur'an verse, hadith, or Islamic quote on your wall, or make your screensaver a reminder to remember Allah.

You can also buy or make a beaded tasbih bracelet, sometimes having something on your wrist can make it easier to remember.

I also like to spend 20-30 minutes every morning after Fajr to just spend time with Allah, talk to Him, and read the Qur'an.

But also remember that you don't only get rewarded for outright acts of worship. You get rewarded for caring for your body, taking a nap when you're tired, eating food, drinking water, caring for pets, and spending time with family. All of that stuff is worship.

Be easy with yourself. Allah does not want hardship for you (2:185).

And I'll leave you with a Qur'an verse.

It was We Who created man, and We know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him that [his] jugular vein. (50:16)

I hope this helps you some. I love you. Allah loves you. May Allah bless you with peace, imaan, and His abundant guidance and mercy, Allahumma Ameen.

You can ask questions in the comments or in asks if you want.

My mother never taught me how to process emotions. I think, as far as I remember, it wasn't even okay to process emotions or talk about them around her. The only emotion I had for most of my life, in relation to her, was fear. And all these years later, yes, I got over my fear but I still can't " feel " much around her. I'd rather "avoid". Today her brother passed away, my beloved uncle, may Allah swt have mercy upon her soul, and I couldn't have a conversation with her about it. My brother asked if I wanted to talk to her on the phone I said no, maybe some other time. What a shame.

Dua's to recite after praying ♡

• tasbih:

subhanallah x33

alhamdulillah x33

Allah akbar x33 

followed by Laa ilaaha ill-Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulku wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (there is none worthy of worship except Allah alone with no partner. to Him belongs all sovereignty and praise, and He has power over everything)

• Istighfar:

astaghfirullah x3

• Ayatul Kursi

Hadith: Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi at the end of every obligatory prayer, nothing but death will prevent him from entering Paradise."

لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَنَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّلِمِينَ

La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin

(There is no God but You, Holy art Thou. I have indeed been of the wrongdoers).

لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ الْعَلِي الْعَظِيمِ

Laa hawla wa la quwwata illa billah

(There is no strength of power except Allah)

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ حُسْنَ الْخَاتِمَةِ

Allahumma inni asaluka husnul khatima

(O Allah, grant me a good and beautiful end to my life).

There are, of course, many others. these are just a select few to avoid overwhelm and to encourage. there is a hadith that says, if, after praying, one stays on their prayer mat and does not break their wudhu (ablution), the angels keep on asking for Allah's blessings and forgiveness for them. they say 'O Allah! Forgive him and be Merciful to him'. (Sahih al-Bukhari 659)

This is why it is important and good to remain in your place for a while after praying and remember Allah. these dua's are good to start with. may Allah make it easy for us all, Ameen 🕊💌🫀

Allah calls Himself Al-Wahhaab— The Giver of gifts, The Most Liberal Bestower— three times in the Quran. He is the All-Giver who bestows gifts, favors, and blessings upon the whole creation. Al-Wahhaab gives gifts constantly, generously, endlessly, and without expecting anything in return!

The Great Giver, the One who constantly bestows

Wahhaab comes from the root waw-haa-baa, which points to three main meanings. The first meaning is to give for no compensation, to offer as a present, or to bestow and the second is to grant or endow. The third main meaning is to cause something to be.

This root appears 25 times in the Quran in two derived forms. Examples of these forms are:  hab (“grant”) and yahabu (“he grants”).

Linguistically, wahhaab has the structure of intensification and is the intense form of Al-Wahib, the giver. The word hiba means gift. Al-Wahhaab is the source of all gifts, bestowing favors with the most detailed wisdom. His gifts come in the form of moments you experience, scenes you see, things you hear, and as material blessings.

Al-Wahhaab Himself says: Or do they have the depositories of the mercy of your Lord, the Exalted in Might, the Bestower? [Quran, 38:9] He said, My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower. [Quran, 38:35]

How can you recognize a gift?

Rizq (provision) is something that’s written for you, but you have to work for it; it depends in part on your efforts. A gift (hiba) isn’t something directly related to your efforts. A person you missed suddenly calling you or getting something just at the right moment are gifts. Sometimes you give gifts to someone you love and sometimes you give gifts to draw someone closer to you. What does it mean when Al-Wahhaab gives you a gift? It might mean that He gives you a gift so that you can come closer to Him, even though you were going astray.

How Can You Live by This Name?

1. Remember Al-Wahhaab.
When someone gives you a gift, you thank him or her. So what about the Giver of all gifts? The difference between a believer and disbeliever is that the latter lives with the gifts of Allah ‘azza wajal but doesn’t remember Him, while a true believer knows the giver through the gifts. Always be thankful to your maker for everything you get. If you contemplate the universe you get to know Allah; if you realize His gifts, your heart will melt out of love for Him.

2. Be a true giver.
Al-Ghazali said: Whoever bestows gifts with an eye to some interest to be realized by it sooner or later, either appreciation, affection or release from blame, or acquiring distinction of mention— he is neither a giver nor generous, but rather engaged in transaction and recompense . . . But the one who sacrifices all he owns, even his life, for the sake of Allah alone— such a one is worthy of being named giver and generous. Make your way of giving an act of ‘ibaadah (worship). How? Give gifts or favors for the sake of Allah ‘azza wa jall and not to get something in return.

3. Use the gifts of Al-Wahhaab in the right way.
Thank Al-Wahhaab by using His gifts to please Him. An example is the mobile phone; Al-Wahhaab gave you this technology, so use it for sharing knowledge and not for wasting time. If He gives you a nice afternoon with friends, don’t use it for backbiting or spending time in places of immoral behaviour.

4. Learn from the love of the companions.
Ja’far’s right hand, may Allah be pleased with him, was chopped off in battle, so he held the Islamic flag with his left hand. Another blow chopped off his left hand, so he held the flag up with his upper arms and held it there until he died. What love could drive him to sacrifice his life? Read about and learn from this and other great role models and sacrifice for Al-Wahhaab out of deep love.

5. Ask al-Wahhaab.
Amazingly, using this ism (name), there are more than one Quranic invocations; you will find the prophets, peace upon them, asking Al-Wahhaab for mercy, offspring, etcetera, ending with innaka anta al-Wahhaab– verily You are Al-Wahhaab. Look for these ayaat, memorize them, and use them in your daily life.

5. Don’t praise yourself.
Sometimes we say, I got married, worked hard, and got a beautiful house. Or we say, I gave my child a good upbringing, that’s why he is so good-mannered— I made my son like that! Don’t forget it was Al-Wahhaab who bestowed these favors on you. Your child is given to you as a gift from Al-Wahhaab. And We granted him (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob, each of whom did We guide; and before him, We did guide Noah, and among his progeny, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the good-doers. [Quran, 6:84]

6. Ponder what Al-Wahhaab has given you.
First of all, He gave you your existence. Then think of the greatest gift Al-Wahhaab gave you: guidance. Think about water, which is scentless and colourless. Imagine if water were sticky— how could you wash yourself? Look at your memory and how Allah gave foods a nice smell. All of these are gifts of Al-Wahhaab; ponder them.

7. Give gifts to others.
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, Give gifts, for this will increase your mutual love [Muslim]. No human being gives anything for nothing, even if it’s that we give to gain the reward of Allah ‘azza wa jall by it. The only One Who gives asking for nothing in return is Al-Wahhaab. If a human being gives you a gift, It is Al-Wahhaab who inspired him to give you what he has given you! So first thank Allah ‘azza wa jall for inspiring people to help you, and then be grateful to the people by doing a favor for them, or, if you can’t, by saying jazakAllahu khayran or barakAllahu feek(i).

O Allah, Al-Wahhaab, we know You are the Giver of all gifts. Make us of those who are grateful for Your gifts and use them to please You, and adorn us with love for You. Make us ponder Your gifts, inspire us to give gifts to others, and give us from Your mercy that overwhelms us in this present world and the world to come. Verily, You are the best giver of gifts, ameen!

And Allah knows best.

“ I used to wish I was born when the light of the Ummah, our beloved prophet ‎ﷺ, was alive. I used to wish I was of the companions who accompanied him through the day, journeyed with through the night and struggled and sacrificed with through the trials. How deprived, I thought, I was to be born in this time. A time where fitnan is high and there is no Islamic authority for the believers. A time when some from this Ummah have chosen to oppose the sunnah of our beloved. The most knowledgeable of this Ummah have become only donkeys with books and the rulers have exited Islam. How easy it would have been to be where RasulAllah breathed and lived. I don’t deny and will never deny how that time was the best time in our history. The sahaba will always be better than us for their achievements. I’m not worth the dust left from their steps. However, seeing my state as one of the weakest slaves of Allah, would I have been one of his followers ? Would I have been of those who believed in him or would I have turned my back? How great of a خسارة I would have been in if I was a hypocrite in the time of the prophet ‎ﷺ. However, I have been blessed by my lord to live in a time similar to the Sahaba. I don’t have RasulAllah ‎ﷺ but then maybe my reward will be very great because of it. If my Lord showers me with his Endless Mercy and enters me into Jannah, I can tell him ‎ﷺ : “I was amongst believers that believed in you when we didn’t see you. We studied your life so we may walk the same path as you. We lived in a time where there was no authority and the hypocrites rejoiced. Yet, our Lord had mercy upon us and made us from those who went forth in establishing it once again. The captives were many and when we couldn’t physically free them, we used our voices and the technology Allah blessed us with to be their advocates. We helped the deen you and the Sahaba shed blood for by imitating you exactly. We did our best to not be hasty and endure the harm inflicted upon us on this blessed path to gain the ultimate rewrad. We truly wanted to deserve being missed by you, ya RasulAllah”. صلى الله عليه وسلم

~Notes of a traveler

what to do when you've committed a sin

oftentimes when committing a sin, it can be very easy to fall into a state of hopelessness, extreme guilt, shame and anxiety. The Prophet ﷺ said that "regretting (a sin) is repentance" (Sunan Ibn Majah 4252), and this shows that guilt is a good thing - a feeling that comes along with regret that drives you forward to ensure you don't commit the same sin again.

however, letting guilt and shame consume you entirely to the point where you've lost hope in Allah's Mercy and in yourself and end up sitting in a place of despair is not productive. as long as you're alive, you can still make amends and do good deeds in the hope of attaining the Pleasure of Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ .

here is a response I've already made to someone asking me how to let go of shame for past sins, but these are things you can do (in general, of course) but after making a mistake/sinning:

salat al-tawbah (the prayer of repentance) immediately this is the nawafil prayer for when one falls into sin and it is usually two raka'ats. pray this immediately after committing a sin with sincere repentance, putting that guilt into this prayer and weep and ask for forgiveness. regarding this prayer, the Prophet ﷺ has said “There is no slave of Allah who commits a sin then purifies himself well and stands and prays two rakahs, then asks Allah for forgiveness, but Allah will forgive him". (Hisn al-Muslim 140). subhanallah.

sadaqah ◦ give money to charity, create a sadaqah box if you do not already have one and put money inside to increase your good deeds over your bad ones. "Know they not that Allah is He who accepts repentance from His servants and takes their charity, and that Allah is He Who is Oft-Returning with compassion, and is Merciful?" (9:104) - Surah Taubah itself. ◦ if it is a repetitive sin, then say to yourself that every time you commit the sin, you have to put a certain fixed amount in. for example, £10 every time you do xyz and you must put it in every time. keep it at a high amount and it will help you in the future to stop, Insha'Allah.

constant dhikr ◦ i cannot even truly express in words the benefits of doing istighfar in a way that will truly sum it up. it washes away the sins of man to the point where his heart will be purified. it is so important to immerse yourself in doing istighfar day and night as it can protect you and Allah is always prepared to hear the cries of taubah from His people. not a single soul can claim that they can absolve themselves of sin on their own, as only Allah's Mercy can release a man of his sins. Prophets were well aware of this fact, so they also continually sought forgiveness of Allah. make it a plan to recite أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ (astagfirullah waatubu alaiyhi, I seek Allah's forgiveness and I turn to Him in repentance) 100 times daily ◦ i also love the app Azkar - it has morning, evening, sleep and waking up dhikr's that you can just recite while reading them on your phone that has the arabic, transliteration and translation. it is so easy for anyone to follow and so helpful in remembering Allah daily - i highly recommend everyone to download this app

make an action plan after committing the particular sin, make an action plan moving forwards of something you're going to do to seek the Pleasure of Allah and His forgiveness. for example, you tell yourself/Him that you will now wake up for tahajjud every morning for the next 2 weeks (and actually do it) and ask Allah to accept this as an apology and to have Mercy on you. that way, you can even build it as a habit and continue after.

nawafil (voluntary) prayers along with the fard prayers start praying voluntary prayers, like: - 4 raka'at's before asr prayer (The Prophet ﷺ said: "May Allah have mercy upon a man who prays four before Al-Asr." (at-Tirmidhi 430) - tahajjud - 2 raka'at's after the 2 raka'ats of sunnah after zuhr - duha prayer (after sunrise and before zuhr time) etc. doing these extra prayers on top of the obligatory 5 daily prayers will give you more blessings and help you weigh more on the righteous side of the scale

reading Qur'an daily with lengthy recitation this has so many blessings. it's a form of dhikr, the remembrance of Allah, and it helps you to gain His pleasure by doing so. make sure to also read it with translation if arabic is not your first language / a language you understand so that you can listen to what Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ is saying and reflect and act on it too.

may Allah, Al-Ghafoor Ar-Raheem, forgive us all for our sins, accept our good deeds and have Mercy on us all, Allahumma Ameen.

"This is madness" "I want to hit him so hard for doing this, I know that crusaders are desperate but to be this desperate to make their leper a king" "Their king no less fool to go through battlefield".

I was approaching to my destination and my heart filled with warmth. "Seems like Allah has been merciful to me" "Despite my treachery to my people". As I was nearing my destination I saw Reynald de Chaitilion. My blood boiled and I saw red. I closed my eyes for a moment and thought of Baldwin, my habibi I got down from my horse and searched for some one and one man I was very confident to trust. I went towards a man called Raymond III count of Tripoli. I have heard good things about him and I also know that he is open minded when it comes to stranger. I walked confidently towards him wearing my heavy armour. "My lord" I respectfully bent on one of my knee full aware of Frank custom. "I bear important message regarding infidels". Raymond, was all ears "Tell me more about it". Continuing my act I said "I have direct orders from Lord Jocelyn to give the message directly to the king". Raymond, pursed his lips and showed me the way

"My lord, a message from Lord Jocelyn regarding infidels" "The knight in question is waiting outside". Let him enter I commanded and a man soon entered. He bent on one of his knees. "Speak sir knight" "What is it you wish to tell"

"That you are making a mistake and you shouldn't go to battlefield". Baldwin was shocked when he heard that voice. I looked at him with tears streaming down my eyes. "Please why are you doing this". Baldwin not believing said "You dare to question my authority". Angry I took off my helmet and said "How could you be so stupid".

"(Y/N)" Baldwin looked at me in shock. "At first I thought my disease is causing me to to think it was you". "HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID" Baldwin screamed in anger. His scream attracted nearby knights who were rushing inside the tent. Fortunately my reflexes were quick and I hid quickly. The knights hurriedly questioned their king their voice laced in concern. "Your majesty is everything alright?" "We heard you scream". Baldwin embarassed said "Yes, everything is alright".

"My lord" another knight hurriedly entered the tent. "I bear an urgent message from lord balian of ibelian" "I request to discuss this with you alone". Baldwin tilted his head in acknowledgment and the knights left the tent. The knight brought a map with him and was moving towards the table. "Your Grace, we have discussed and important strategy regarding battle of Morningstard". Baldwin moved towards the knight. The knight aware of the king's health requested the king to sit and discuss so as to not to tire him. Baldwin had no choice but to reluctantly agree to it. "As you can see my lord, the ibelian brothers are very well aware of battle ground and they have suggested to use marshy area for -

"Ah!" "Stop please!". Concerned the knight asked "Your Highness, is everything okay?". Baldwin with flushed and angry faced said "Yes, please continue". The knight continued once again "So as I was saying we can used to to our advantage since-"

"No!" "Why are you doing this?" Baldwin breathing started breathing heavily looking up. It looked like he was about to cry. "Your Grace, I think it's best I find a physician- "No continue". The knight gulped seeing the king so furious and then he stared to continue again. Baldwin was listening but he could stop what he was feeling right now. "Ngh!" "Hmgh" "Ah!" "Hah!". Baldwin gripped the edge of the table his knuckles going white his other hand going under the table. Baldwin expression soon turned relaxed. He smiled but when he looked up saw the knight in front of him. His smile froze and said "You may leave". The knight left immediately as if almost afraid of him. Once Baldwin was sure he was out of sight. He pulled me out from under the table and made me sit on his lap."How dare you make me cum in front of my knight" Baldwin yelled angrily. I gave him a cheeky smile and said "To show you how much of my charms works on you". Baldwin was furious. He layed me down on his lap and said "As a punishment you deserve 30 slaps" "Count properly or else I will restart". Baldwin stripped of my clothes of my lower half. His hand started feeling my butt. He grabbed my ass cheeks and I let out a moan. "Smack"

"1"

"Smack"

"2"

This didn't seem like a pain but pleasure instead. I love showing my naked ass and being dominated by my lover. I purposely tried repeating a number so that I could enjoy my humiliation longer. "Do you think that I am some sort of idiot" "I am king of Jerusalem". "Go sit on top of my bed masturbate". I looked at him and tried giving my puppy eyes knowing how he gives in easily"

"Nuh-uh princess, you act like a whore then you get treated as one"

Having no choice I sit on bed and spread my legs. I could see Baldwin's arousal increasing. My fingers entered my fold and Baldwin's breath hitched. I smirked coming up with devious plan. I pinched my clit and shuddered and Baldwin mouth went agape with wide eyes. I closed my eyes and started masturbating imagining that it was Baldwin' finger and not mine. "Please my lord, put your fat cock inside me" "Please make your woman" "I want to give my everything to you". My hand began furiously rubbing with my clit. Just when I was about to reach my release I felt a warm slick sensation down there, I opened my eyes and saw Baldwin eating me out. I moan harder and Baldwin spread my legs wider his tongue playing with long strip of my fold. He seemed to get bored and started exploring my clitoris until he found a hole under it. Dazed and sweaty he used his fingers to open my pussy lips wider. His eyes widened and he smiled saying "So beautiful". His tongue went inside my vagina hole. I arched my back in pleasure. That seemed to boost his confidence and he trusted his tongue in and out in full force causing me to cum. "(Y/N) we need to stop" "If I go one more step ahead, things will never be the same". Getting emotional I said"Please do it, since tonight may be the last night I have you". Baldwin grew frustrated and brought a mirror near the bed I looked confused at the mirror. Baldwin soon started stripping. Once he was nude he climbed on top of bed. He then entered me causing me pain. "Look at the mirror" he commanded. I started at the mirror and then he started moving slowly. "Yes, what will your father think of you, his favourite daughter fucking his enemy" "Giving up yourself like a whore" "Fucking him in his camp while he assembles his army"

"I.. had-th toh, Pleeaase dohn't goh! Yuh wilh loose..! Ah! More! Please, my lord! Treat me like a whore! Make me your fucktoy! Please don't! Ah! Bal, slowh down!

Look yourself in the mirror will I fuck you! He commanded and I saw myself

See yourself filling your womb with the sperm of your enemy. Making your womb filthy with his seeds! I want to fuck you in front of your army and make them watch their dirty little princess or should I keep you in my tent and carry you around with me until you are pregnant and your stomach filling up with my baby? Hmm... Seems like a good idea to then send you to your father

I shaked my head no, "Please my lordh! Show-huh some mercy! Ah! Oh!

Baldwin smirked and said then be a good girl and do as I say, a woman has no say in battlefield. Now look at the mirror and watch yourself be filled with my seeds

I did as instructed. Ah! I am cumming!

Me, too princess! Me too!

We both soon cummed together. I watched my pussy greedily drinking my habibi

Baldwin soon rested his head on my breast. I took this opportunity to voice my concern "You know my father has large army and you have very small army" "My father is experienced general while you are merely sixteen year old leper boy" I was worried about you and thought since maybe tonight might be the last day might as well make love to you one last time before departing for for good"

Baldwin leaned forward and kissed me on my lips and said "Don't worry nothing will happen" "I promise you that I will come back alive and unharmed"

"Will you promise in case if my father looses you will leave him alive and unharmed"

Baldwin hesitated before saying "I promise"

Assalamualaikum, I was wondering if you had any insight on how to stop doing a sin. How do you know your repentance is sincere? I know Allah swt is all merciful and all-forgiving, and I do want to please him, but there are times when I am weak and go back. How do I stop?

Jazakallukhairun for your advice.

Muslim in this world is vulnerable to falling into sin and disobedience. What is required of him – if he does fall into sin – is to hasten to repent and seek forgiveness

Turning to Allah, may He be exalted, in supplication and beseeching Him to avert sins from him. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “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. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” [al-Baqarah 2:186] Striving to control the nafs (self, and its evil inclinations), warding off its intrusive thoughts and trying to purify it by obeying Allah. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it, and inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness, he has succeeded who purifies it, and he has failed who instills it [with corruption]” [ash-Shams 91:7-10] and “And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” [al-'Ankabut 29:69] Reflecting upon the stern warning mentioned in the hadith of Thawban quoted above, and fearing lest it apply to the one who commits those sins when he is alone.

Ibn Hajar mentioned that Qurtubi quoted 23 different definitions of true repentance (al-tawba al-nasuh) in his tafsir. Ibn Hajar mentioned the most important of these:

Umar’s words (Allah be pleased with him) that it is, “To sin and then never to return to it.”

To hate the sin, and the seek forgiveness for it every time it occurs to one, as Hasan al-Basri (Allah have mercy on him) said.

Qatada’s words (Allah have mercy on him), “To be genuine and truthful in one’s repentance,” which is what Imam Bukhari chose as the definition of true repentance in his chapter heading.

To have sincerity in one’s repentance.

To be concerned about one’s repentance not being accepted.

To be such that it does not need another repentance after it.

To be made out of fear and hope, and be accompanied by consistency in worship.

Like the seventh, but with the added condition that one desert those who assisted one in sin.