How to Treat Addiction to Pornography
Fatwa No: 461662

Question

Asalaamu alaikum. I am someone who is addicted to porn. I have tried many ways to come out of it, but still sometimes I go back to it. These days I started texting a foreigner online. Talking to him helps me mitigate my urges to watch porn. I have never seen him nor talked to him. All I know is he is a muslim. I have got attached to him and I want to marry him. But I don't know if he is already married. He gave me vague answers when I asked him. What should I do?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

We ask Allah, The Exalted, to guide you to repent of watching pornographic films. You should hasten to repent. If you are sincere and true to Allah, The Exalted, He will guide you to repentance and make it easy for you. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {As for he who gives and fears Allah * And believes in the best [reward], * We will ease him toward ease.} [Quran 92:7-5]

We implore Allah, The Exalted, to bless you with a righteous husband to help you with your religious and worldly affairs.

Firstly, it is incumbent on you to repent to Allah, The Exalted, of watching this prohibited content by showing remorse for committing this sin, giving up the sin immediately, and resolving never to do it again in the future. You should know that texting a non-Mahram (marriageable) man online may lead to falling into sins. It could be used by Satan to mislead the doer and tempt him to commit immoral acts. You should beware of such peril. The Islamic Sharee‘ah enjoins the elimination of all means that lead to unfavorable results. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan - indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing.} [Quran 24:21]

Therefore, you should refrain from texting this man for the purpose mentioned in the question, whether he was married or not. Such texting may develop into something graver! You should bear in mind that there is no problem for a Muslim woman to propose to a man who would want to marry her in a decent manner that does not lead to what displeases Allah, The Almighty.

We would like to advise you to avoid whatever may arouse your sexual desires and restrain yourself by observing fasting and busying yourself with useful activities.

Allah knows best.

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