The Return

Lost in the Darkness

Sifat was once a boy full of faith. In his childhood, his mother taught him the Qur’an, took him to the mosque, and raised him with love for Islam. But as he grew older and moved into the bustling life of the city, something shifted. Slowly, his priorities changed.

University life was exciting. New friends, new freedom, and a world full of distractions. Gradually, his prayers stopped. He spent nights playing video games, scrolling endlessly through social media, and listening to music that numbed his soul.

His mother often said, “My son, don’t forget Allah. This world is temporary—it will deceive you one day.”

Sifat would reply, “Amma, I’m not doing anything bad. Just having some fun.”

But he didn’t realize how far “fun” had taken him from the One who created him. Even during Ramadan, he would eat Suhoor but skip fasting. The call to Eid prayer felt like noise. Nothing moved his heart anymore.

The Dream That Shook Him

One night, Sifat had a terrifying dream.

He found himself in a dark, cold place—like a grave. The silence was deafening. Suddenly, a deep voice echoed around him:

“Did you think We created you without purpose, and that you would not return to Us?”

(Qur’an 23:115)

He turned to run, but he couldn’t move. Then, in front of him appeared a book—his book of deeds. Page after page was blank. No prayers. No fasting. No repentance.

One line kept flashing in red: “You had time. But you wasted it.”

He screamed, “Please! Just give me one more chance!”

And then he woke up, sweating, shaking, gasping for breath.

A New Morning

The Fajr adhan echoed from a distant mosque.

For the first time in years, Sifat felt it inside him. The words weren’t just sounds—they were a call, a message, a lifeline.

“Come to prayer… Come to success…”

He sat at the edge of his bed and whispered, “Ya Allah… I’ve gone too far. But I want to return. Forgive me.

”

The First Step Back.

The first few days were awkward. Sifat felt strange going to the mosque again. Some old friends mocked him.

“Oh, look who’s become a saint now,” they laughed.

But this time, he didn’t care.

He knew Shaytan would try to hold him back. He stayed firm. He cried in secret, asking Allah to guide him.

One night he whispered, “You promised to forgive those who repent. I’m here now, Ya Rabb. Please accept me.”

A Sermon That Changed Everything

One Friday, the Imam recited a hadith during the khutbah:

“The one who repents sincerely from sin is like one who never sinned at all.”

(Reported in Ibn Majah)

Tears welled up in Sifat’s eyes. It was as if the message was sent directly to him. He wasn’t doomed. His life wasn’t over. This—this was his second chance.

. Becoming a Voice of Change

Sifat didn’t stop at personal transformation. He started sharing his journey online.

He launched a YouTube channel called “The Call to Come Back”, and his first video was titled:

“When You Think It’s Too Late, Allah Is Still Waiting.”

The video went viral.

Hundreds of young people messaged him:

“Bro, your story gave me hope. I started praying again.”

One message said, “I was about to give up. Then I watched your video. Now I’m making wudhu after two years.”

Sifat smiled through his tears.

“Ya Allah,” he whispered, “how Merciful You are.”

A Mother's Dua

One night, he noticed his mother silently crying.

“Amma, what’s wrong?” he asked, alarmed.

She replied, “Nothing’s wrong, my son. These are tears of joy. Every night I prayed for you to return to Allah. And today… I see the light back in your eyes.”

He hugged her tight and said, “Your duas saved me, Amma.”

(A Letter to the Lost)

Later, Sifat wrote an open letter on his blog. It read:

**“Dear brothers and sisters,

If you feel lost, know that you’re not alone. I was once there too—drowning in distractions, numb to prayer, blind to the truth.

But Allah never gave up on me.

No matter how far you’ve gone, the door of mercy is wide open. Just take a step, and you’ll feel Him pulling you closer.

True peace is not in music, fame, or likes. It’s in sujood. It’s in remembering the One who never forgot you.

Don’t wait for a scary dream or a tragedy to wake you up.

Return now. Before it’s too late.

— A sinner who came back.”

A Life Rewritten

Years passed. Sifat was no longer the lost boy of yesterday. He now led prayer circles, taught young men how to find purpose, and spent nights crying in gratitude.

He wasn’t perfect. But he was trying. And in that trying—was beauty.

He often said,

“I’m not a saint. I’m just a servant who remembered who his Master is.”

The Light That Lasts

One evening, he stood outside a hospital after visiting a sick friend. The sky was calm. The wind soft.

He looked up and whispered:

“Ya Allah… let my final breath be on Your path. Let me die with ‘La ilaha illallah’ on my lips.”

And in his heart, he knew:

His return had rewritten his story.

Forever.