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Do not grieve at things you failed to get

Question

As'salamualaikum. I am a student and lately I haven't been able to live my life normally, I get very depressed at numerous occassions. I had an assignment that I thought I have completed every task that was given. I just found out that I missed out important questions, a few days later when I have already handed in my assignment. I feel guilty and very sad, as I did not notice about this before. I try to accept this hardship and continue on doing what Allah wants us to do, eg. Solat, Fasting, Reading Al-Quran etc. I get very depressed that I cannot sleep at night, eat 3times a day and I really don't know what to do. I really love Allah and I fear Allah, and I believe that with this I should not be lazy and despair for what has happened. I have read the other Fatwas related to hardship, despair, hope etc. I would like to make a request from you by giving me words of wisdom that I should continue on doing what's right. I have my finals soon and not completing the other task completely is worrying me and I couldn't focus on my other studies. I know that I have done sins in my life. What should I do in order for Allah to provide me with blessings and forgive me on my wrong doings? What should I do so that Allah can help me? Please help. Thank you very much.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Dear sister, fist of all, you should know that the keys for happiness are in the obedience of Allaah and His Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ). Therefore, whoever obeys Allaah and His Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) and performs his religious obligations and stays away from committing prohibitions, will surely be happy in this worldly life; he will have no worries, and he will be happy in the Hereafter. Allaah Says (what means): {So whoever believes and reforms — there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.}[Quran 6:48]. Allaah also Says (what means): {Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer— We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.}[Quran 16:97]. Allaah further Says (what means): {Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allaah hearts are assured.}[Quran 13:28]. Therefore, you should be very keen to perform acts of obedience to Allaah and shun sins, whether great or small, because sinning is the cause of stress and depression.

Furthermore, a Muslim should not give this world more importance than it deserves, and being very sad on a worldly matter which happened could reflect that the heart is attached to this worldly thing. There is no need for stress or depression because of not answering some questions in your homework, and you should work hard now for your future studies and exams. You should know that a person is not always successful in this world, and the one who does not taste failure sometimes, will not know the value of success. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: It is incumbent upon Allaah (or it is the Decree or Way of Allaah) that He lowers or brings down whatever rises high in this world.[Al-Bukhari]. Finally, a Muslim should be keen to do what benefits him, and he should prepare himself to encounter failure at times, and he should know that everything that takes place is predestined by Allaah, and that the real failure is when one fails in the Hereafter.

For more benefit on repentance, please refer to Fatwa 83145, and Fatwa 85820 on the importance of sincerity to Allaah.

Allaah Knows best.

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