Reminder: Refrain from sin

Refrain from sin, for sin diminishes your rank before your Lord, clouds the purity of your heart, and steals the radiance from your face. It plants within the soul a darkness that none can dispel except the light of repentance, and a constriction that none can relieve except sincere return to God.
A sin, however small it may appear to its doer, is grave in the sight of Allah, for it is boldness against His limits, heedlessness of His watchfulness, and disregard of His gaze. A person may persist in sin until a rust gathers upon the heart; it hardens after softness, dulls after sensitivity, until one no longer grieves over disobedience nor rejoices in obedience.
Sin is not a fleeting act whose effects vanish with the moment. It leaves subtle traces upon the soul, one’s character, one’s provision, and one’s divine enablement. How many doors of goodness have been closed because of a sin? How many acts of worship have been withheld due to negligence? How many supplications have been veiled because the heart was not pure when they were raised?
Beware of minor sins before the major ones, for mountains are formed from pebbles, and great fires from small sparks. Do not be deceived by Allah’s forbearance and concealment; He grants respite, but He does not neglect. He opens the door of repentance out of mercy towards His servants, not out of inability over them.
No matter how great your sins may be, do not despair. Your Lord is vast in forgiveness. He accepts those who repent, loves those who return, and transforms evil deeds into good for the one who is sincere in turning back to Him. So hasten before death overtakes you. Renew your covenant with Allah in your private moments. Increase in seeking forgiveness, hold yourself to account, keep the company of the righteous, and avoid places of temptation.
Know that true honour lies not in wealth nor in status, but in obedience to Allah. True dignity is found in steadfastness, and whoever leaves something for the sake of Allah, He replaces it with something better.
So turn away from sin, and rise towards your Lord with a humbled heart and a sincere resolve. None who returns to Him is forsaken, and none who seeks refuge in Him is lost. He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

(by: Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi, Oxford, 10 Ramadan 1447)