Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question:As salaamu alaykum,
I have a very serious problem with porn addiction. i’ve tried many things for years to stop.
When I stop watching porn for many days – the relapse happens in an extreme way where I seek out the worst kinds of porn (incest etc.). After the sexual release is gone, my brain goes “more normal” and I am only seeking out sexual imagery that is purely based on appearance (no incest). That is why I am seeking permission to just masturbate. If I can do this for some time, to wean myself off of porn, then maybe I can eventually get to the point where I dont masturbate either.
What is the solution that I can actually follow considering I have limited will power?
Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray that this message finds you well, insha’Allah.
I’d highly advise you to consider taking the following program which specialises in assisting people remove such addictions from their lives once and for all. See: purifyyourgaze.com
That, and ask Allah to grant you strength and facilitation. Strive to have more God-consciousness (taqwa) because Allah grants the person of taqwa a way out. Spend less time alone, and cancel your internet subscription so you cannot access such material.
With all of the above, continue repenting from your past, with a firm resolve to never return to the ‘bad old days,’ and pray the Prayer of Need (salat al-hajah) regularly, asking Allah to free you from the shackles of sin. [see: How Does One Perform The Prayer Of Need (salat al-haja)?]
May Allah grant you every well-being and success.
Please also see: “Too Embarrassed to Talk About It”: Pornography Addiction and Some of Its Effects on Muslim Marital Life and: A Reader on Pornography and Masturbation
And Allah alone knows best.
wassalam,
Tabraze Azam
Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani