What should someone do who has sinned a great deal and wants to repent, but feels that God has not forgiven him, and that his prayers are not accepted? How can he atone for his mistakes, such as incest and theft? Should the prescribed punishment be carried out on him? And what should he do to return to his Lord when he sees that his spouse is distancing him from his religion?

We advise sincere repentance and not despairing of Allah's mercy, for He is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful; He accepts repentance and transforms evil deeds into good ones, as mentioned in the Holy Quran. It is necessary to be sincere in one's repentance to Allah, to increase in righteous deeds, to persevere in prayer, and to have a good opinion of Allah, expecting Him to accept repentance and acts of worship. It is imperative to avoid the husband's brother entering upon one and being in seclusion with him due to the danger involved. One should also try to seek forgiveness from the family and return what was taken from them without disclosing the details of the theft, in order to preserve the relationship. The seeking of the prescribed punishment is not a condition for the acceptance of repentance. The husband's demand for adultery is considered a grave sin that permits seeking separation from him, and striving to guide him is obligatory. If he does not respond, one may seek divorce or khul' (divorce at the wife's instance).