DO NOT REGRET THE PAST OR FEAR THE FUTURE

‘Do not keep company with anyone whose state does not inspire you and whose speech does not

lead you to Allah.’ —Ibn Ata’illah (ra)

The past is gone. Do not spend time and energy brooding or worrying about it or fearing the future. Live in the present moment; this is where everything happens. There is no way of rewinding the clock to give ourselves the chance to do it all over again. Now is the only time we have to do what we want to do. ‘Yesterday’ is dead and buried. ‘Tomorrow’ is unborn. TODAY is what we should live for and care about, because today is HERE and NOW and that is all that matters. Tomorrow will be taken care of, if we live TODAY as it should be lived.

Regretting or being sad over the past will not change our present circumstances. Mourning the past will only erase depression, not alter it. The past does not exist; lingering

DO NOT REGRET THE PAST OR FEAR THE FUTURE 

on the past drains our energy, which affects our power of thought about the present and the future.

In Surah al-Hadid, Almighty Allah explains about His Mercy, and forgives the past: ‘O ye that have made a firm commitment to Allah, have Taqwa of Allah and believe in His messenger (noble Messenger Muhammad (S)) and He will bestow on you a double portion of His Mercy. He will provide for you a light by which you shall walk (straight in your path), and Allah will forgive you (your past sins), for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’ ([57]:28).

In Surah al-Anfal we read: ‘Say to the rejecters [of Allah’s Power, Presence and Authority], if they desist [from persecuting the committed Muslims], all that is past shall be forgiven’ ([8]:38).

Almighty Allah speaks about the past and future; He gives us the opportunity to repent while we are alive so we can attract the light of Almighty Allah before death overtakes us. Almighty Allah forgives us for the mistakes we made in the past. He is Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Most Loving, and Most Forgiving. If Almighty Allah can forgive us, He expects us to forgive all those who wronged us. One of His powerful attributes is al-Ghaffaar—Exceedingly Forgiving. Almighty Allah is most Forgiving; we have to adopt His potent qualities. Forgive anyone who harms us, forgive and forget the past.

The action we take in the present will determine our future. Nothing ever happens in the past; it all happens in the now.

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What we do in the now is crucial to our destiny. When the future comes, it comes as the now. Spend time praying; ask Almighty Allah for forgiveness, He will insha’Allah empower us.

In Surah al-Ahzab, Almighty Allah encourages the believers: ‘O you who believe, celebrate the praises of Allah, and do this often, Glorify Him morning and evening. He it is who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of darkness into light; and He is full of mercy to the believers.’ ([33]:41).

And in Surah ad-Duha, Almighty Allah says: ‘The bounty of thy Lord rehearse and proclaim’ ([93]:11).

Repeating any number of the ninety-nine names of Almighty Allah transforms us. All the Prophets, saints, religious leaders, companions and scholars have reached the highest stages through repeating the beautiful names of Almighty Allah and thanking Him all the time for all His Blessings.

Dhikrullah builds the personality and empowers the soul. Seek forgiveness from Almighty Allah, live the now. Almighty Allah wants us to remember death, so socially we may live a life of harmony with our fellow human beings. Spend all our energy serving Almighty Allah and make this a better world for our fellow human beings and the next generation. By constantly remembering death, we ensure that we do not harm or hurt a soul (any human being).

Hadrath Ali (ra) said: ‘Treat people in such a way and live amongst them in such a manner that if you die, they

DO NOT REGRET THE PAST OR FEAR THE FUTURE 

weep over you and if you are alive, they crave for your company.’

Omar Khayyaam, the inimitable philosopher, poet and astronomer, said in one of his Rubayaats: ‘Do you remember the time when you were born? Everyone around you was laughing (with joy) and you were crying. So live such a (meritorious, pious) life, that when the time comes for you to go from this world; everyone around you will be crying, and you will (be going away) laughing.’

By rehearsing and glorifying Almighty Allah’s names during remembrance we will receive His Grace and Guidance.

In Surah al-Baqarah Almighty Allah warns us about Iblees: ‘The evil one threatens you with poverty and seduces you to conduct shameless or indecent acts. Whereas Allah promises you His forgiveness and bounty, Allah is Infinite, All-knowing’ ([2]:268).

Iblees, the evil force, will encourage us to regret the past and fear the future; he will never allow us to live in the now. This is how the evil force tries to control us.

Almighty Allah reminds us to be careful when we have doubt or fear the future; we are being influenced by Iblees. If we grieve for the past or fear the future, we must take refuge in Almighty Allah. The influence of Iblees is stifled when the name of Almighty Allah is recited. Almighty Allah promises success and satisfaction to those who have absolute faith in Him. Almighty Allah knows all our thoughts, because everything is in His power.

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Break the bonds of the past to enjoy the gifts of Almighty Allah (SWT). Almighty Allah asks us to forget the past; Iblees wants us to preserve our past. Remembering the past retards our progress to move forward in life. Iblees discourages us from focusing on the now. Almighty Allah’s power is in the now.

Remember, Iblees wants us to live in the past and fear the future; he encourages fear when we want to give charity or perform an act of kindness, doubts and fear of impoverishment attack us. Iblees wants us to be selfish, greedy and extravagant. Iblees encourages us to do things for show or to boost our ego (nafs).

Almighty Allah’s power is in the now, the present. When we focus our energy and live in the now, the influence of Iblees is neutralized and becomes ineffectual. Almighty Allah promises those who follow His guidance that they will be blessed with success. Almighty Allah will free the righteous from fear of the present or the future and any sorrow in the past.

Recalling the past takes up a lot of our time and attention, affects our thoughts, and creates guilt, pride, resentment, anger, regret and self-pity. Don’t dwell on the past or the future; regretting or grieving the past misleads and derails us from the path of Almighty Allah. To succeed in changing our lives, we must start with ourselves. Until we say goodbye to the old me, we won’t be able to discard the harmful influence of Iblees.

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The present is not the past and it is not the future, the present is right now. This is where we can plan and focus on a brighter future with Almighty Allah’s assistance. The past no longer exists, so focus on the now, live as if today is our last day. When we focus on the now, we build the prosperous future that we aspire to. The devotee’s soul will be free and attract the power of Almighty Allah. Do not spend energy lingering on the past. Dhikr, the remembrance of Almighty Allah, is the refuge in Him that we need to forget the past.

The Power of Almighty Allah is in the now, in the present. Be Grateful to Almighty Allah, live with an Attitude of Gratitude.