The content of this article has been adapted from the Porn Addiction YouTube Series by Raja Zia ul Haq.

In this series of articles, we have discussed the causes, effects, and cures of porn addiction. We now discuss one final fact in this concluding article: giving up porn addiction requires perseverance.

There will be times when you err. Having vowed not to watch porn, you might slip a few times. That’s when you are most likely to give up on your efforts and decide you can never overcome this addiction. However, this is a trap laid by Satan to divert you from your efforts. You must stay adamant in those moments; forgive yourself for having fallen and renew your resolve to keep fighting porn.

Winning the war against porn addiction requires winning many small battles. You are obviously going to lose a few battles as well. But if you persevere and stick to your long-term goal of overcoming this addiction, you will succeed, InshaAllah. 

Most importantly, never think that Allah will not forgive you for repeatedly falling prey to this sin. He is aware of your intention and struggle. You just need to keep trying and turning to Him for help, guidance, and forgiveness. He says in the Quran:

“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves (by sinning), do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Al-Zumar 39:53)

This beautiful ayah offers us great hope: no sin, including watching porn, is too great to be forgiven in the sight of Allah. You just need to keep turning to Him. If you sin a hundred times, then seek His forgiveness a hundred and one times. 

“Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” (Al-Baqarah 2:222)

Always remember that Allah loves the sinners who repent. In fact, He created Hell for sinners and Paradise for sinners: Hell, for those sinners who do not repent, and Paradise, for those sinners who do repent. As the Prophet ﷺ informed us:

“Every child of Adam commits sin, and the best of sinners are those who repent.” (Ibn Majah 4,251 – Hasan)

Some students of Imam Al-Basri came to him and said that they were in a constant cycle of sinning and repenting to the extent that they felt ashamed to appear before Allah during salat. So, they suggested, they should stop praying for a while and focus solely on overcoming sin. However, Imam Al-Basri replied that this was exactly what Satan wanted them to do – to give up their obligatory worship, abandon acts of piety, and despair of Allah’s mercy.

So, do turn to Him every time you err, regardless of the frequency or magnitude of your sins. Allah is exceedingly Forgiving and Merciful. But to attain His forgiveness and mercy, keep trying to overcome porn addiction, and every time you fall, quickly rise again and continue your battle. 

Lastly, remember that whenever Allah has prescribed something as haram, He has declared a lot more as halal as compensation. So, we need to enjoy the lawful pleasures of this life, and abstain from what is harmful and prohibited, to lead a life of purpose and contentment.

This article is an extract from the e-book titled “Breaking the Chains: An Islamic Guide to Overcoming Porn Addiction”. Click on the image below to download this e-book for free!