Allah SWT has created all humans with haya and modesty.
We don’t want to reveal our bodies to others and feel strongly about our privacy.
Then why do we not think the same way when watching others naked in pornographic movies?
If you watch pornography regularly, I’m sure you hesitated a lot the first time you watched it. But then, gradually, you got used to it and now it feels normal.
That’s a dangerous sign for your eeman.
In this article, I’ll share reasons why watching pornography is strongly prohibited in Islam and why you should protect yourself from this menace as a Muslim.
Please share this article with your friends and contacts as a sadqa e jariyah.
What Does Islam Say About Pornography?
Islam values modesty and forbids anything that goes against Haya. So, naturally, pornography in Islam is haram and a major sin.
Scholars say watching pornographic content on the internet is considered Zina (adultery) of the eyes according to the principles described in the hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
ٰ (Muslim) “فَالْعَيْنَانِ زِنَاهُمَا النَّظَرُ”
The adultery of the eye is the lustful look
So, there’s no justification in Islam for watching porn content on your smartphone, computer, or any other device.
It is a major sin which completely destroys your spirituality and weakens your eeman.
Why Is Watching Porn Not Allowed In Islam
Allah SWT loves us more than our mothers. So, he never forbids anything beneficial for us.
As Muslims we must have faith that whatever Allah has declared haram is harmful for us, even if our heart really desires it.
But just to make it easier to stay away from all that’s forbidden, here are a few reasons why watching porn is not allowed in Islam.
Reason #1: Watching Porn Destroys Your Eeman
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said
“وَالْحَيَاءُ شُعْبَةٌ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ”
“Haya (modesty) is a branch of eeman (Islamic faith)”
Losing modesty weakens your eeman which directly impacts all your actions as a Muslim. The more porn you watch, the more obscene you become, resulting in a weak eeman.
And when your eeman is weak, you become lazy in your prayers, do not fulfill other’s rights, and eventually lose the motivation to strive in the path of Allah.
This is why Islam forbids watching porn.
Reason #2: It Damages Your Married Life
Islam emphasizes sexual discipline a lot.
It doesn’t forbid sexual desires because they’re natural. But it shows us the way to fulfill our desires lawfully through a formal marriage.
Porn comes with no limitations.
When you watch too much of it, you start having unrealistic expectations from your spouse. As a result, they become unattractive to you and do not excite you the way porn does.
This ultimately weakens your married life, leads to divorce, and hurts the family system of Islam.
Reason #3: It Sucks Motivation Out Of Your Life
The effects of pornography and dopamine release in the brain are well documented by scientists worldwide. When you’re a regular consumer of pornographic content, your brain gets addicted to the dopamine release, and nothing else motivates you in life.
This turns you into an unproductive, lazy, demotivated individual with no passion or drive.
Islam wants driven individuals with ambitious goals for their personal benefit and the larger benefit of the Ummah.
Porn addiction is a major obstacle in this path which is why it is haram in Islam.
Reason #4: It Destroys Your Mental Health
Many people consume porn to escape their daily stress and briefly enjoy their lives.
But like most drugs, porn destroys your mental health in the long run, even if you enjoy it for a few moments.
This effect is even stronger in Muslims because they’re taught about modesty from a very young age and watching porn makes them feel guilty and ashamed of themselves.
They feel as if they’re living dual lives, one if front of the world and the other in the dark corners of their house.
This takes a toll on their mental health and increases depression and anxiety.
Islam wants Muslims to have a health state of mind so that they can focus on their responsibilities and the bigger challenges in life.
This is why it strictly prohibits porn and discourages all acts of obscenity and Immodesty.
Reason #5: It Deprives You Of The Pleasure Of Worship
One of the biggest reasons why Islam stops its followers from watching pornography and strongly directs them to protect their gaze is because it has a direct impact on the quality of your worship.
Most Muslims today feel deprived of the pleasure of worship. The biggest reason is their indulgence in porn and not protecting their gaze from watching women (other than their wives)
In a hadith, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,
أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ. أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ
Translation: Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good, but if it gets spoilt, the whole body gets spoilt, and that is the heart. (Bukhari)
Watching porn corrupts the heart and fills it with obscenity instead of Allah’s remembrance. So, when you stand in prayer, your heart remembers the same content you watch on your smartphone at night instead of remembering Allah.
This is why you cannot feel any pleasure in reciting the Quran, offering Namaz, or any other worship.
And this is why Rasoolullah ﷺ has taught us a Dua for protection against unlawful sexual desires (including porn)
Reason #6: You Contribute To Human Exploitation
Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry built upon the exploitation of women, girls, and even men from poor backgrounds. It enables human trafficking and glorifies sexual violence.
By watching porn, you contribute to the growth of this industry that is destroying lives worldwide.
Reason #7: You Become A Poor Example For Your Children
Do you want your children to remember you as an undriven, unfocused, lazy, and violent person? Of course not.
But by watching porn regularly, you will ultimately develop all those personality traits and end up being a very poor example for your kids.
Don’t be that person.
You can do much better. So, control your lust and be a real man.
Reason #8: You Start Viewing Women As Objects
The more porn you watch, the more you start women as objects rather than humans. You only value them based on their physique and consider them things to be used rather than people with emotions and unique personalities.
Islam gives women the highest respect in the society and forbids men who are not related to them to not even look at them.
This is why pornography is completely against the values of Islam and all other Abrahamic religions, including Judaism and Christianity.
Reason #9: Excessive Porn Watching Increases The Desire For Sinful Acts
There’s no end to the desires of your Nafs.
After watching for a while, it will stop exciting you. So, you will start looking for more intense content. This is an unlimited cycle.
As a result, you will be drawn into other sins that you once considered highly immoral. You will keep committing bigger sins to please your Nafs until the time of your death.
Reason #10: It Leads To A Bad Khatima (End Of Life)
The things you have in your heart will come out at the time of death. If you’re a porn consumer, your heart is filled with immodesty and obscenity.
Naturally, the same things will come out of your mouth on your deathbed.
Islam wants every person on this planet to die as a sincere Muslim. To achieve that, you must protect your heart from porn.
Protect Your Eeman From Porn As A Muslim
Porn is among the biggest spiritual and moral challenges of our times. It has made Zina so accessible that children, teenagers, and even elderly Muslims have become obsessed with this grave sin.
However, with sincere effort, astaghfar, and dua, you can still protect yourself, your generations, and eeman from this menace.
May Allah SWT protect us all.