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He made an oath to fast 30 days consecutively if he watched porn again

Question

Assalamu Alaikum my brothers in islam I am addicted to pornography. I have tried so many times to stop watching the filth but i keep failing. I made a qasam to Allah Swt that if i watch porn again i would fast for 30 days consecutively. However, today i realized that i shouldn't have done that because i get very strong urges to watch porn. So much so that it takes over my whole body. Anyways i told Allah SWT that i want to cancel my oath. After i cancelled it i watched porn again. Do i still have to fast for 30 days still? Please help me with this addiction. It is destroying me...it is lowering my spirituality. I feel like this sin will lead me to the fire... i don't want to disobey The Almighty. I feel like a hypocrite...its the worst feeling to have Fasting is tough on me because i suffer from chronic constipation. Please advise me

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

We ask Allaah to forgive your sin and purify your heart. You have, first of all, to truly feel how bad your current condition is and then hasten to repent by showing remorse for your past sins, seeking forgiveness of Allaah, stopping immediately and resolving never to commit them again.

We advise you to seek the help and aid of Allaah, The Exalted, and demonstrate your absolute neediness of Him; verily, there is no way to attain the blessing of guidance or repentance except with the help and grace of Allaah, The Exalted.

You are also advised to do righteous deeds and acts of obedience to Allaah so as to make amends for your past sins; verily, good deeds do away with evil ones. Perform the obligatory acts of worship – especially the five obligatory prayers in their due times in congregation – for they are a protective shield against falling into the abyss of doing what Allaah, The Exalted, hates.

If you try to ponder over the evil consequences of the sins and their unfortunate outcome in the worldly life and the Hereafter, you should find it easy to give them up. You should also keep the company of righteous people who remind you if you are heedless and encourage you if you are heedful (of your Lord). You should keep away from bad friends because one tends to follow the example of his companions. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 89267.

You should also devote yourself to the Quran; listen, recite, and ponder over its verses. Verily, the Quran is a source of light and healing for the hearts. We also advise you to get married for it would help you lower your gaze (from looking at what is prohibited) and guard your chastity.

As for breaking your oath, you have the choice either to fulfill the oath and fast thirty days or offer expiation for breaking the oath. Allaah, The Exalted, says about the expiation for breaking the oath (what means): {... So, its expiation is the feeding of ten needy people from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the freeing of a slave. But whoever cannot find [or afford it] – then a fast of three days [is required]. That is the expiation for oaths when you have sworn...} [Quran 5:89]

Please refer to Fatwa 84596 about the expiation of breaking an oath.

Allaah Knows best.

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