Correspondence of Hazrat Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (rahimahullah)
Condition:
I constantly feel my heart to be a target for sins. I am unable to protect my heart. Thoughts about others apart from Allah Ta‘ala are coming profusely to me. I feel as though my heart is very impure.
Answer:
Thousands of thoughts of sinning can come to a person but this is not a sin. In other words, it is not a sin for such thoughts to come, but a sin to bring such thoughts. When such thoughts come to you, occupy yourself in some lawful activity, lawful conversation, or study a book. Neither occupy yourself in these thoughts nor try to chase them away.
Condition:
Hazrat, even if a slight thought of my past sins comes to me, then even after repenting and seeking forgiveness thousands of times, I feel as though my nafs has enjoyed this (thinking of past sins). When I talk of my past sins I am referring to sins like not safeguarding my gaze at all and not observing shar‘ee purdah in the least. For some time I attended a school where there was intermingling of boys and girls. Even if I think slightly of this, my heart changes and I fear repeating these sins again.
Answer:
Constantly make du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala for steadfastness. Allah Ta‘ala never deprives those who make du‘aa to Him. It is not a sin to think of past sins, but a sin to take enjoyment from constantly thinking of them. The treatment for this is the same as mentioned above, viz. occupy yourself in some lawful activity or conversation.
Condition:
When I heard that Allah Ta‘ala does not like impure and filthy hearts, I experienced a strange condition. My heart is very impure and filthy. Make du‘aa for the purity of my heart and that Allah Ta‘ala embraces my heart, aameen.
Answer:
The person who is particular about abstaining from sins does not have an impure heart. The heart does not become impure by thoughts which come on their own. All you have to do is not to occupy yourself in these thoughts. If you still feel that the nafs stole some enjoyment, seek forgiveness and continue with your tasks. Do not remain caught up in this perplexity. Allah Ta‘ala is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy. (Solutions to Spiritual Maladies for the Lovers of Allah Ta‘ala, pg. 596-598)