Many times we commit a sin and then shaytaan comes to us and whispers something like:
"Allah will never forgive you, you're too bad"
"You keep committing the same sin over and over again - you'll never be forgiven"
"Stop repenting because you're going to commit the sin again in the future"
"What's the point? Keep doing the sin and just carry on because you're a hypocrite"
Well, here are some tools to counter such whispers....
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (39:53)
“O you who believe! Turn to Allaah with sincere repentance! It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)” (66:8)
“And all of you beg Allaah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” (al-Noor 24:31)
“Will they not turn with repentance to Allah and ask His forgiveness? For Allaah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful” (al-Maa'idah 5:74)
“Know they not that Allaah accepts repentance from His slaves and takes the Sadaqaat (alms, charity), and that Allaah Alone is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful?” (al-Tawbah 9:104)
The messenger (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said - “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if you did not commit sin Allaah would do away with you and bring people who would commit sin then pray for forgiveness.” (Narrated by Muslim)
The messenger (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said - “Every son of Adam sins, and the best of those who sin are those who repent.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi)
The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allaah rejoices more over the repentance of His slave than any one of you who finds his camel after having lost it in a desolate land.”
The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allaah will accept the repentance of His slave so long as the death-rattle has not yet reached his throat.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi)
The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “There was among the people who came before you a man who killed ninety-nine people. Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth, and was directed to a hermit, so he went to him, told him that he had killed ninety-nine people, and asked if he could be forgiven. The hermit said, ‘No,’ so he killed him, thus completing one hundred. Then he asked about the most knowledgeable person on earth and was directed to a scholar. He told him that he had killed one hundred people, and asked whether he could be forgiven. The scholar said, ‘Yes, what could possibly come between you and repentance? Go to such-and-such a town, for in it there are people who worship Allaah. Go and worship with them, and do not go back to your own town, for it is a bad place.” So the man set off, but when he was halfway there, the angel of death came to him, and the angels of mercy and the angels of wrath began to argue over him. The angels of mercy said: ‘He had repented and was seeking Allaah.’ The angels of wrath said: ‘He never did any good thing.’ An angel in human form came to them, and they asked him to decide the matter. He said: ‘Measure the distance between the two lands (his home town and the town he was headed for), and whichever of the two he is closest to is the one to which he belongs.’ So they measured the distance, and found that he was closer to the town for which he had been headed, so the angels of mercy took him.” (Agreed upon).
According to another version narrated by Muslim (2716): “He was closer to the righteous town by a handspan, so he was counted among its people.”
According to a version narrated by al-Bukhaari (3470): “Allah commanded (the righteous town) to draw closer and (the evil town) to move away, and he said: “Measure the distance between them,’ and he was found to be closer to (the righteous town) by a handspan, so he was forgiven.”
According to a version narrated by Muslim: “He leaned with his chest towards it”.
Never give up! Never lose hope in the mercy of Allah - Allah loves it when you repent! Repent!