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[immensely]

I thank you both immensely for your efforts in trying to make this clear to me.
Praise be to Allah!

But I do agree that despairing of Allah's mercy (in my opinion) is attributing a quality to Allah that we have no authority of doing, for this, it maybe a form of Shirk. And from 3:90 (my own opinion) i feel its referring to an element of stubbornness/defiance or be it (again in my opinion) to increase in denial.

I think I need to stop over stressing. The very first thing I did when I felt this way was I prayed for forgiveness, if i had lost all hope why did i even bother seeking forgiveness. But yes during the time of prayer i did have overpowering feelings of despair and i did incline to this most definitely. Maybe this was satan trying to lead me down to this bitter road.

Thank you SO much my dear brother! I love you !!!!!!!!!!

I have despaired of Allah's mercy several times because throughout my life i felt i had fitted into this category of people. Non but the disbelieving people despair of Allah's mercy. Does my despairing mean i am of these individuals.

Salam Alaiykum,
I have another question to ask regarding the following verses:
3:86 How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and had witnessed that the Messenger is true and clear signs had come to them? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
3:87 Those - their recompense will be that upon them is the curse of Allah and the angels and the people, all together,
3:88 Abiding eternally therein. The punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved.
3:89 Except for those who repent after that and correct themselves. For indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
3:90 Indeed, those who reject the message after their belief and then increase in disbelief - never will their [claimed] repentance be accepted, and they are the ones astray.
4:137 Indeed, those who have believed then disbelieved, then believed, then disbelieved, and then increased in disbelief - never will Allah forgive them, nor will He guide them to a way.

What does it mean to increase in disbelief, is it to become stubborn in denial of the truth? Is it to have reached a point where you can no longer accept the truth? Will this person ever want to change their ways or will they never acknowledge and accept the truth, i.e. they will always remain in denial till they die? Or is it something different quite different? The reason I'm asking this is because 3:90 is referring to someone who has disbelieved once and increased thereof whereas in 4:137 the person has disbelieved twice and increased thereof.
I would be very much grateful if someone could shine some light on this.
Regards,
Yusuf.

AOA my dear brothers,
I thank you all wholeheartedly for your responses on this subject. Yes indeed i agree with you Joseph brother that these acts are indeed sinful and i agree with you 'deliverance' that these are acts of transgression. However disbelief i believe can come in many forms. Isn't it reasonable to think that these types of individual, whilst believing in God and his messages are setting up partners with God. Allama parvez in his translation of the Quran has translated (and interpreted) this:
24:3 Zina or illicit sexual intercourse is not an ordinary offence. If you analyze it carefully, the only woman who would agree to such sexual contact[1] is one who does not consider her chastity to be a permanent value; or who becomes subservient to her passions (instead of the Divine Laws) and surrenders to every urge (45:23).  Similarly, the only man who agrees to having such sexual intercourse is one who surrenders to his passions and does not differentiate between human and animal life.  (Thus Zina can only take place when both the man and woman are driven by similar desires[2] ~ 24:26.  If even one of them wants to remain chaste, there is no possibility of such an act ever taking place.  That is why the punishment for Zina is equal for both, the man and the woman.  Such a relationship is forbidden for Momineen.)
In this case the matter being addressed is Zina, where the two individuals have submitted to these passions instead of submission to Allah.  . This is a subject which I have been trying to grasp some understanding of for sometime now.

Salam Alaikum Joseph,
My question is about this verse (45:23) i want to know who it is referring to. Do people who suffer from (unlawful) addictions take their desires as God. Can they be considered as Mushriks. For example can someone who is heavily addicted to cannabis or pornography be deemed as kafirs.
45:23 Sahih International: Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah ? Then will you not be reminded?
Regards,
Yusuf.