The Easy Way to Escape and Return Home for Youth

The Easy Way to Escape and Return Home for Youth

In a rich family, younger son was stubborn. He asked his father for his inheritance early. He knew it belonged to him and he wanted it right then. His father agreed. The young man took the funds and left home. He went out and started partying, living wild, spending it on all kinds of wrong things. Eventually the money ran out. There was a great famine in the land. Nowhere to get food. He ended up working in a dirty, smelly place, having to eat bad food or no food to survive. It was nobody's fault except his own, he brought the trouble on himself.

Sitting there: dirty, smelly, feeling depressed, he began to think about home. He said, "Even the farmhands that work for my father, eat three meals a day, here I'm starving. I'm going to go back home and see if my father will hire me, as one of his staff". He had his big speech, all lined up. He had already practiced what he was going to say. "Father! I have disobeyed you and did against religion. I am no longer worthy to be called your son, I don't deserve to live in the house, I'm just requesting you to hire me as one of your farmhands". The son returned home. You can imagine how nervous he was. He had practiced this speech again and again.

When his father saw him a long way off, he took off running toward the son. I'm sure the son thought, "Oh, great, he's so upset, he's not even going to allow me back on the property, he's going to come out here and berate (speak angrily) me and tell me how foolish I've been". But when the father got to the son, he grabbed him and hugged him. Wouldn't let him go, gave his son a kiss. I can see the father weeping tears of joy, so excited. Now it was the son's big moment to give his speech, he knew this would either make him or break him. He started off, "Father! I'm unworthy to be called your son. I've dishonored the family name, I've made so many mistakes". He did it so passionately, so genuinely, but father wasn't listening.

Right in the middle of his big speech, when the son was pouring out his heart, telling how unworthy he was, the father was no more paying attention. He looked over at his staff and said, "Quick, go get the best robe (ceremonial gown) and put it on my son. Go get a ring for his finger, shoes for his feet and kill the fatted calf. We're gonna have a party, my son was lost, but now he's found". I can see the son thinking, "Dad, I'm trying to tell you, how unworthy I feel, how sorry I am, but you're not even listening".

Are you telling Allah (SWT) everything wrong with you, how many mistakes you've made, how you don't deserve to be blessed? "O Creator! I blew it again. I don't see how you could even love me". Let me tell you? Allah (SWT) is not listening. You are wasting your breath. This can save you a lot of time and emotional energy. You are not worthy because of what you did or didn't do, you're worthy because of who created you. You don't have to go to Allah (SWT) and try to convince him to forgive you, convince him that you know you're not good enough, you're just a weak worm of the dust - he tunes all that out. If you want Allah (SWT) to not only hear, but to listen, then go to Him with the language of asking for blessings. "O Creator! Your mercy is bigger than my mistakes. You're not holding my past against me. I believe, I'm forgiven, I'm redeemed".

Don't go through life beating yourself up, dwelling on your mistakes and failures. The moment you ask Allah (SWT) to forgive you, He forgave you. You don't have to keep going back to Allah (SWT) and saying, "I'm sorry for what I did, I'm just so undisciplined. I know I don't deserve your goodness". I can imagine, Allah (SWT) turning to the angel Gibraeel and saying, "If someone's saying something, I hear it, but I'm not tuned into that". When you're telling Allah (SWT) all the times, you fail, how you don't deserve to be blessed, Allah (SWT) is not saying, "Good, I'm glad you finally feel unworthy. I'm glad you're finally down on yourself". He's not paying attention. All that's doing is making you feel bad about yourself, it's keeping you from expecting His favor.

When you need mercy don't go to Allah (SWT) guilty, condemned, weak - go boldly, go with confidence, knowing that you're forgiven, knowing that Allah (SWT) is for you. Yes, you may have blown it, but like this young man, Allah (SWT) is running towards you right now. Not to condemn you, not to make you guilty, but to love you. "Well, Hussain shouldn't I tell God how bad I was and how unworthy I feel"? You can, but he's not listening. Allah (SWT) listens to the language of what we need from Him. He doesn't listen when we're beating ourselves up, telling him what we don't deserve.

The enemy would love for you to live feeling condemned, he'll remind you of all the times you haven't measured up. It may not be something big, but even small things. "You didn't spend enough time with your children last week. You should've work it out. You've got mad at your neighbor. You were late to school". There's always some reason that we can feel bad about who we are. If you give in to these lies, you'll go through life feeling wrong on the inside. Now I found: most people accept condemnation easier than they accept mercy. They believe the lies from the accuser more than they believe what Allah (SWT) says about them, that they're forgiven, that they're redeem, that they're made worthy.

When you make a mistake: go to Allah (SWT), ask for forgiveness, and then move on. Don't keep asking again and again, bringing up the same failures. The first time you ask Allah (SWT) to forgive you, He'd not only forgave you, He doesn't remember it anymore. When you go back and ask Allah (SWT) again and again, He says, "What are you talking about? I have no account of that". When Allah (SWT) forgave you, He deleted your files. He doesn't have a big server up in heaven, where He's keeping a backup copy, just in case He changes his mind. He has no account of what you keep asking Him for forgiveness.

Now, you know who is keeping a record? You know who has 47 backup copies? The enemy! the accuser. He'll remind you of everything you've done wrong for the last 30 years. If someone is bringing up negative things from your past in your thoughts, you can be assured, it is not Allah (SWT). 
In this story, the young man didn't even ask for forgiveness. Just the fact that he turned from his old way, the fact that he came home, that was enough for his father to forgive him. You may not have done everything perfect in life, you can find plenty of reasons to live guilty, feel unworthy, but just the fact that you left the old path of mistake, is a sign that you've turned toward Allah (SWT), it's a sign that you've headed toward right place. Now father is running towards his son.

You may have your big speech all lined up, you're ready to tell Allah (SWT), how unworthy you are, how you don't deserve to be blessed. Save your speech, he's not listening, there's no use beating yourself up, living condemned. Allah (SWT)'s mercy has covered everything you've done wrong. If you want to get Allah (SWT)'s attention, start speaking the language of belief, "O Creator, thank you that my files have been deleted. Thank you that you're not counting my wrongdoings against me. Thank you that I'm covered by your mercy".

But too often we think we have to pay Allah (SWT) back for our mistakes. If it's something big, we have to beat ourselves up for six months. Lost my temper, told my co-worker off, I've got to be down on myself for couple of weeks. Pray to Allah (SWT) again and again, "O Creator! I blew it. I don't know what's wrong with me". The whole time Allah (SWT) is hearing you, but he's not listening.
The way to honor Allah (SWT) is not by being down on yourselves, living guilty, feeling unworthy: it's by receiving his mercy, it's by getting up when you fall and trying again, it's by still believing for his mercy, still expecting his blessings. Even though you've spent some time in the bad, smelly place, even though you've made poor choices, you have that boldness to put on your robe of righteousness, you put on that crown of being son, you enjoy the party that your father arranged, because you came back home.

Suppose son said, "Dad, I don't deserve these new clothes. Let me just wear the old ones, that I've worn in the bad, smelly workplace. I don't deserve this ring that represents I'm in the family, don't arrange a party for me. Just let me live out in the barn, I need to pay you back for all this trouble". The father would have said, "What are you talking about? Are you kidding? You're my son, I want to be good to you". The way to please Allah (SWT) is by receiving his mercy.

Sitting in the bad, smelly place, this young man made a decision, that changed the course of his life. He said, "Let me arise and go to my father's house". He was saying, "Yes, I've made mistakes. Yes, I brought this trouble on myself, but I'm not going to let one bad thing ruin the rest of my life, I'm not going to sit here condemned, I'm going to arise".

Now you may have made some poor choices, you're not where you thought you would be in life. The accuser, the enemy is telling you, "It's too late. You've blown it too bad, just sit on the sidelines". No, you are one decision away from seeing Allah (SWT) show out in your life. The plan He has for you is not canceled because you spent time in the bad, smelly workplace. Those decisions didn't disqualify you from his forgiveness. All you have to do, is arise, shake off that guilt, quit believe in the lies that you've seen your best days, and start heading towards your father's house. Start making decisions that obey Allah (SWT), break away from things that are causing you to compromise, to be less than your best. It's not too late, you're not too far off course, Allah (SWT) has amazing things in your future, if you dare to arise.

Now, I believe, one reason this young man had the boldness to go back home was: deep down he knew who he was, he knew what family he belong to. When you understand your position, it will change your condition. When you understand: the purpose of your creation. We are not created to live condemned, guilty, defeated life. Allah (SWT) created us to be victorious, to reign in life, to leave our mark. Now our condition may be way down low, because we've made poor choices. We don't think we deserve to be forgiven, it was our fault. The right attitude is: "I may have made mistakes, but I understand my position. The Creator of the universe is my Creator. I may not feel worthy, but I know, he's made me worthy, so I'm going to arise and I'm going to Him". With Him there's mercy for every mistake. With Him there's no judgment, no condemnation, no putting you on a guilt trip.

It's interesting, when the son came back home, his father never once brought up the sons past. He never once said, "I'll forgive you, but you don't deserve it. I'll let you live here, but I'll always remember what you did". There was no judgment, only mercy. When the father could have been upset, he was full of kindness. When there could have been a big argument, instead there was a big party. What keeps some people away from Allah (SWT), is they have the wrong image of Him. They think when they come back home, there'll be all this guilt, "I told you so, look how foolish you've been". That's not the way Allah (SWT) is. When you come back, there'll be a party, there'll be a celebration.

Now, you may have made mistakes, the accuser, the enemy is telling you, "Stay away, stay in the bad, smelly place, Allah (SWT) would never accept you". But, I believe, deep down, like this young man, you know who you are, you know Allah (SWT)'s calling is on your life. You can feel His call. Why don't you arise? Let today be a new beginning, no more living guilty, beating yourself up, telling Allah (SWT) everything you've done wrong. He's already forgiven you.

When the son in the story returned home, imagine the next week, he went to his father and said, "Dad! I'm sorry for what I've done, please forgive me". The dad said, "Son! you're forgiven, don't worry about it". The next day he comes, "Dad! I can't believe, I left you. Please forgive me". The father says, "Son! I forgave you". What if the son kept coming week after week, month after month? Even though the son had good intentions, the father would get frustrated, say "Son, you're wasting your time. I've forgiven you. Now, do me a favor, believe in my forgiveness".

I know people that ask Allah (SWT) to forgive them for the same thing over and over, it happened 20 years ago and they're still bringing it up. They think they're showing Allah (SWT) that they're sorry, but Allah (SWT) is not listening. "Well, Hussain! I'm doing it, because I feel this guilt, this remorse". The guilt is not from Allah (SWT), that's the accuser. The language of belief is, "I may feel guilty, but I know, I am forgiven". You can't go by how you feel, because feelings don't tell us the truth all the time. You have to go by what you know. "O Creator! you said I'm forgiven, so I believe that I'm forgiven".