Feeling Like a Hypocrite - Assalamu alaykum
Assalamu alaykum, I’m not sure how to put this, and sorry if this turns into a long message. I recently began trying to live more Islamically. At first it felt great. I was doing adhkar, staying up part of the night for qiyam, reading Qur’an and even memorizing a little. I was going to the masjid a few times a week, sometimes twice a day. Now it feels like everything’s falling apart. I can’t force myself to do the fard prayers, I can’t open the Qur’an, and I’ve developed this anger I don’t recognize. Things that used to make me happy don’t anymore, and that calm, gentle side of me seems gone. It’s reached the point where I wonder what’s the point of being Muslim. I hate that I think that, but I don’t know how to shake it. This started after I repeated a sin from early on in my journey. I’ve done it again and again, and for some reason the remorse isn’t as strong as it used to be when I repented before. Even when I try to return to salah it feels hollow. I know Allah’s mercy is greater than our deeds, but I’m struggling to feel worthy of that mercy. Every attempt to do good makes me feel like a hypocrite. I notice every flaw in myself and feel ashamed to stand before Allah. I can make wudu, even stand on the prayer mat, but I can’t bring myself to pray because I’m so embarrassed and because I don’t feel the regret I think I should. (It’s not zina.) Seeing other young Muslims at my university and in the community who seem steady in their faith makes me feel worse - they appear so consistent and confident while I can’t even manage half of what they do. I worry everything I do is riya, even writing these words feels like it might be. It’s made me afraid to learn more or ask questions, because I keep feeling I’m doing it for the wrong reasons. I can’t shake this sense of being a hypocrite. I don’t know what steps to take next. I want to return to Allah sincerely but I’m stuck in this shame and emptiness. Any advice or dua would mean a lot. Jazakam Allahu khayran.