Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salaam a lakium. i am 20 years old and i live in teh US. I am trying very hard to stay away from all types of haramm acts but however some times i get so over taken by my lust that i watch pornogrophy and masterbate. I dont know what to do because it just becomes such as over whelming feeling and i feel that i just cant fight it and if i do then not 4 long because i will eventualy give in. I wish i could get married today but i cant due so i try to do what rasool pbuh said and fast. i fast alhumdulillah everyother day and try my best to not even look at girls at all even muslims ones even when i talk 2 them because i really want to stay pure and over come my nufs but i still sometimes cant control my self. Please guide me and tell me what i shoul do because i am very affraid because when i do disobey Allah then i feel like i have lost everything and may disobey Allah even more in other aspects. I can now see how this evil leads to many other evils. so please help me and guide me about what i can do to stay away from such lust. Jazzak Allah khair. 

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Answer:

Stay away from pornography

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

It is indeed good and righteous of you that you have recognized this evil habit as displeasing to the Merciful Lord, and are trying to stay away from it. ‘Fahesha’ or indecency is one of the strongest weapons of the accursed enemy of man, the Shaitaan; who has sworn to mislead and misguide mankind from the Straight Path of Allah Subhanah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 268: The Shaitaan threatens you with poverty and prompts you to adopt indecency (or acts of shamelessness). Allah promises you His Forgiveness and Bounties, and Allah cares for all, and He knows all things.

The only thing that can stop one from acts of indecency, or intentionally disobeying any command of Allah and His Messenger (saws); is the constant fear and consciousness that One Inevitable Day, everyone will be brought forth in the Presence of the All-Mighty Lord to give a full accounting of one’s deeds.

The first thing one needs to do, when he realizes that he has disobeyed any command of Allah and His Messenger (saws), is to immediately turn to the Merciful Lord and seek His Forgiveness and Pardon, and make a solemn covenant that he will not repeat the mistake again. When Shaitaan again tries to prompt the person to disobey the Merciful, the believers must immediately realize the play of Shaitaan, seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaitaan, remember the covenant he has made with His Lord, and abstain from doing any deed that will bring about the Wrath and Anger of Allah Subhanah.

Regardless of what one might have done in the past, never ever should a believer despair of the Boundless and Infinite Mercy of the Merciful Lord; for our Lord is indeed Merciful and Oft-Forgiving towards His believing slaves.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54: (O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

If one has committed a base sin, and has sincerely turned towards his Lord Most Merciful and sought sincere forgiveness; and subsequently his emotions get the better of him and he falls in the same trap of sin, he should again seek the forgiveness of Allah Subhanah. It is expected that one will find their Lord Most Merciful, Oft-Forgiving.

Hadith Qudsi 34

The Messnger of Allah (saws) said that Allah, High and Exalted is He, says: ‘O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great at it.’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2338 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah accepts a servant's repentance till he gives up his spirit in death."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.321 Narrated by Anas bin Malik

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than anyone of you is pleased with finding his camel which he had lost in the desert!"

Dear and Beloved Brother, thus regardless of what you might have done in the past, never ever despair of the Infinite Mercy of the Lord Most Merciful. Our Lord is He Who knows the condition of each of His believing slaves; thus if you were sincere in seeking repentance at the commission of a sin, and subsequently your emotions got the better of you and the Shaytaan inspired your soul to commit the same sin again: seek repentance again, and again, and again, and again! My dear and beloved brother in Islam, whatever you do, never ever despair of His Infinite Mercy!

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said in an authentic narration: ‘All of the Children of Adam (mankind) are sinners, and the best (or most loved) of the sinners in the Sight of Allah is one who is constant in seeking repentance!’

But what one should definitely beware of is to fool or amuse oneself with this limitless Mercy and Grace of Allah Subhanah; and intentionally plan to do evil deeds with the intention to seek repentance after the sin! The All-Knowing Lord is He Who knows even the inner most secrets of our hearts!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verses 17-18:

17 Allah accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and repent soon afterwards; to them will Allah turn in Mercy; for Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom.

18 Of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil until death faces one of them and he says "Now have I repented indeed"; nor of those who die rejecting faith: for them have We prepared a punishment most grievous.

Thus my dear and beloved brother in Islam, regardless of how many times you find yourself succumbing to the whisperings of your avowed enemy, the Shaytaan; and regardless of how many times your emotions get the better of you, and you find yourself helpless in the face of sin….be constant in your faith in your Lord’s Mercy, and be constant in sincerely seeking forgiveness from your Lord, Most Merciful. It is expected that you find your Lord Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

It is indeed unfortunate that we live in a society and an age where one is constantly bombarded by an environment of sin and evil; and no matter how hard one tries, he is always in the face of non-mehram, semi-clad women….in the streets, in the malls, in schools and colleges, in the media, in the books and magazines, on bill-boards, on television, on the internet….everywhere one looks, one is faced with this severe trial! In these trying times, it surely seems that Shaytaan has opened the flood-gates of indecency and ‘fahisha’; and it seems that none can save himself from the enticement of the Shaytaan, except those fortunate few who are steadfast and constant in the Path of their Lord.

Thus my beloved brother, the way to combat these trials is fear Allah as much as you can, and remain constant in the remembrance of the Lord, seeking His Help, His Mercy, and His Guidance! It is imperative that one seeks and stays in the company of righteous and pious God-fearing brothers who spend their time doing good deeds. One other thing you might try is to keep yourself extremely busy, even if it be the point of exhaustion, in good wholesome deeds like seeking knowledge, sports, and serving others by joining some good social service groups who help the unfortunate, the elderly, the physically challenged, or impoverished children, etc. And try as much as you can never to be alone or in solitude; for then Shaytaan gets an opportunity and incites the helpless soul towards his designs of evil!

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 184 Narrated by Mu'adh ibn Jabal

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘Verily the Shaytaan is the enemy of a man just as the wolf is (the enemy) of a flock. He seizes the solitary sheep going astray from the flock or going aside from the flock. So avoid the branching paths; it is essential for you to remain along with the (righteous) community.’

Dear and Beloved Brother in Islam, whatever you do, fear Allah and be constant is seeking help and guidance from the Lord Most Merciful from the evil designs of your and our avowed enemy, the Shaytaan, whose one and only mission of existence is to inspire man to disobey Allah and transgress His Bounds. Thus constantly seek help and guidance from Allah Subhanah, and anytime the Shaytaan inspires and incites your heart towards the transgression of Allah, immediately turn towards Allah Subhanah and seek His Refuge from the whisperings of this avowed enemy of mankind and his evil designs. It is expected that Allah Subhanah will save you and guide you to the Straight Path.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Haa Meem verse 36: And if (at any time) an incitement to discord is made to thee by the Shaytaan, seek refuge in Allah. He is the One Who Hears and Knows all things.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Aaraaf verses 200-201: If a suggestion from Shaytaan assail thy (mind) seek refuge with Allah; for He Heas and Knows (all things). Those who fear Allah, when a thought of evil from the Shaytaan assaults them, bring Allah to remembrance and, lo! They see (aright)!

May Allah Subhanah have Mercy upon you and us and all the believers, and save us all from the evil inspirations of our avowed enemy, the Shaytaan. Ameen.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verses 5-7:

5 O mankind! Certainly the promise of Allah is true. Let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the Shaytaan deceive you about Allah.

6 Verily Shaytaan is an enemy to you: so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his adherents that they may become Companions of the Blazing Fire.

7 For those who reject Allah is a terrible Penalty: but for those who believe and work righteous deeds is Forgiveness, and a Magnificent Reward.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan