Question:

I have memorized 18 Juz of the Quran, Alhamdulillāh, but I have a serious problem which, being a Hāfiz, should not have happened. I have an addiction to pornography. I do repent sincerely, but my Tawbah (repentance) breaks (by watching it again) due to Shaytānī Waswasā’s (whisperings of the Devil). Please help me in my problem.

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

When dealing with the problem of pornography, you will have to focus on the root causes of your addiction to eliminate it. You will also have to build a firm determination to give it up with the Tawfīq (Divine Ability) of Allāh Ta‛ālā.

After admitting that you have a problem, below are practical steps you should take to eliminate your addiction with the Divine Help of Allāh Ta‛ālā who has power over all things:

• Stay far away from the danger of pornography. This means that you should take all necessary steps to remove the means of watching pornography before the desire comes to do so. If it is a picture or video stored on your computer, hard-drive, etc., delete it immediately. Also, if you have downloaded any pornography, delete all of it as well as your browsing history and bookmarks, and empty your cache. If it is on a CD or DVD, destroy it immediately. If it is the facility of adult programming on television, do everything possible to disconnect the service immediately. Get rid of all pornographic material in your home or office.

• Control your thoughts. The desire to watch pornography begins in a person’s mind by lustful thoughts cast by Shaytān (the Devil). A person desires to watch pornography because he finds it interesting. If the thought of watching pornography comes to your mind, you should control your mind by eradicating the thought of pornography being interesting. The moment the desire to watch it enters your mind, you should think of it to be extremely harmful to watch. You must abhor watching pornography.

• When you are alone and have nothing to do, find something good to do. If you cannot find anything good to do when the evil thoughts come to mind, go outside and take a walk until the evil desire to watch pornography goes away.

• If you are watching pornography on a computer, keep the computer in a place where there is no privacy for the user. Also, use the internet only when necessary. If you do not have anything useful to do on the internet, do not spend your time merely surfing through various websites. Rather turn off the computer and engage in some other useful activity.

• Be proactive if the pornography is displayed unwillingly while browsing the internet. Close the window immediately. When you are browsing the internet, be a responsible individual and exercise restraint from all sites related to pornography in the slightest way.

Seek protection in Allāh Ta‛ālā from Shaytān when he whispers the evil desire of watching pornography in your heart. If after taking all steps to distance yourself from pornography, the desire comes to watch it, recite immediately:

                                                                                                     أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

I seek protection in Allāh Ta‛ālā from Shaytān (the Devil) the accursed.

                                                                              لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيْمِ

There is no strength (to ward off evil) and there is no power (to do good) except by Allāh Ta‛ālā, the most High, the Great.

• If you ever do watch pornography out of weakness, feel guilty and remorseful. Make sincere Tawbah (repentance) from your heart and turn towards Allāh Ta‛ālā. Plead to Him to save you from the evil of your soul and the plots of Shaytān (the Devil). Even if you repeat the sin of watching pornography again and again, do not let the day pass and you have not made Tawbāh (repented) for the sin.

• Develop the quality of Taqwā (consciousness of Allāh Ta‛ālā) within you. This is achieved by performing all your Salāh punctually, reciting Qur’ān often, making Dhikr of Allāh Ta‛ālā and performing other virtuous actions.

• Adopt the company of the pious people. Befriend the ‛Ulamā’ of your locality, remain close to them and take benefit from their discourses. Go out for some time in Tablīgh (in the Path of Allāh Ta‛ālā to propagate Dīn). By changing your environment, you will automatically abhor the sin of pornography and you will eventually find it easy to refrain from it.

 Supplicate to Allāh Ta‛ālā often to help you to overcome your weakness. True power to save yourself from all sin is only from Allāh Ta‛ālā. In your supplications, recite the following Du‛ā, keeping in mind its meaning when reciting it:

اَللَّهُمَّ حَبِّبْ إِلَيْنَا الإِيمَانَ، وَزَيِّنْهُ فِي قُلُوبِنَا، وَكَرِّهْ إِلَيْنَا الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ، وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الرَّاشِدِينَ

 

Oh Allāh! Make Īmān beloved to us and beatify it in our hearts, and make disbelief, sinfulness and disobedience detestable to us, and make us from amongst the rightly-guided ones.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best.

 

Checked and Approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net