I see a lot of us going back to اللة SWT and sincerely asking for forgiveness. And so, He forgives us. “Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” {49:14} But why is it that even after our Lord has forgiven us, we feel the need to rid ourselves with guilt. We burden ourselves with the pain of the mistakes we’ve made and the consequences of them when in reality we should be moving on. These emotions often manifest into something larger such as self hatred and religious insecurity. We think we aren’t good enough for الله SWT. Oftentimes many also start to think that الله SWT doesn’t love them, that He hasn’t forgiven them and that brings more turmoil to our hearts. Instead, we should be taking the opportunity that الله SWT has given us to build ourselves anew. The fact that الله SWT let you be conscious of your wrongdoings is a sign that He wants you to come back to him and repent. It’s a sign that he wants you to become better. But how can you do that if you do not forgive yourself first? Take that first step. Free yourself of your past. Give yourself that gift. You deserve to move on.