Hope & Returning

Do Not Confuse Feeling Bad With Changing

By Deenulhaqq Editorial Team · Published September 19, 2026

The borrowed projector is still beside the door. You promised to return it after the weekend. Two reminders have arrived, and each time you have felt a rush of embarrassment. You even described yourself as a terrible friend. The projector has not moved.

This imagined situation shows how remorse and repair can become separated. The feeling is real, but the person waiting still cannot use what belongs to them. Their difficulty continues while your attention circles around how badly you feel.

Begin with what is still affected

You do not need to settle every question about your character before responding. Start with the outstanding responsibility: arrange a return the owner can actually receive. A promise to drop it off whenever you happen to pass may simply extend the uncertainty.

A useful message could be: “I kept the projector beyond the time we agreed. Can I bring it back at six this evening, or is tomorrow morning better?” If those times do not work for them, agree on another. The point is to make the return workable for the owner.

Then follow through. Pack the cables, check that the pieces are together, and tell the truth about any damage. These ordinary details are where the situation begins to change. A long explanation of your remorse cannot substitute for them.

Hope makes room for returning

Qur'an 39:53 addresses people who have wronged themselves with a call not to despair of Allah's mercy. The following verse, 39:54, calls them to turn back to their Lord and submit to Him. Read together, the verses place hope alongside a real return.

They do not ask you to prove seriousness by remaining emotionally crushed. Nor does relief erase someone else's outstanding right. In this example, seeking Allah's forgiveness can accompany the practical work of returning the borrowed property.

The owner may still be disappointed. You can acknowledge that without requiring immediate reassurance. Repair is not a transaction in which completing one action purchases their trust or obliges them to make you feel better.

Change the next borrowing decision

After the return, examine the point where the arrangement failed. Did you agree to a date you could not manage? Did you forget to arrange transport? Did you ignore the first reminder because answering felt uncomfortable?

Choose a response to that particular problem. You might arrange the return journey before borrowing again, or decline when you cannot meet the agreed date.

The evidence of change will be practical: an item returned, an accurate explanation given, a later commitment kept. You may still feel regret while doing those things. You do not have to wait for the feeling to disappear before becoming reliable in the matter before you.

This article offers a general reflection and is not a substitute for individualized guidance from a qualified scholar or other appropriate professional.