I know you’re struggling right now because you’ve just broken another promise you made with Allah Taala and watched another bad film on the internet.
You just can’t help yourself, right?
You’ve repented so many times but you fall into this trap again, watch porn, and maturbate only to regret later.
You’re sick of yourself and think you’re a hypocrite.
And worst of all, you probably think Allah will not forgive you anymore.
But deep down in your heart, you still have hope that Allah will forgive you for watching bad things online.
But will He? I’ll explain this very important question in this article.
The Rules & Conditions Of Tawbah And Repentance In Islam
Allah SWT is the most merciful.
More merciful than our mothers or all the mothers combined.
But He’s also the greatest ruler of all. And His orders should not be taken lightly.
So, will he forgive you for watching zina or maturbating to pornography on the internet? Yes, He can.
Allah says in the Quran Surah Zumar
قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيم
Translation: Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not hope to lose in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. 1 He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
In Surah Baqarah, Allah SWT says
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلتَّوَّٰبِينَ
Translation: Indeed, Allāh loves those who are constantly repentant
But scholars have described four very clear conditions for Tawbah and repentance in Islam.
If you fulfill these conditions, Allah can forgive any sin he wants. But without meeting these conditions and taken Allah’s mercy for granted, you’re only digging a hole for yourself.
Here are the conditions for tawbah.
Condition #1: Be Ashamed Of Yourself
There’s no Tawbah or repentance without being ashamed of your actions.
You must deeply regret your actions and understand that you’ve violated the limits of the most merciful yet the most powerful Lord of lords.
If he wants, he can crush you in a second, take away everything you have, snatch your health and wealth, and leave you with nothing at all.
Yet, He watches your sin and is merciful enough to give you another opportunity.
So, show regret and truly believe you’ve done something awful.
Condition #2: Leave The Sin
Once you regret it, get away from that sin immediately. There’s no Tawbah while committing a sin.
If you’re a porn addict or routinely watch bad things on the internet, you must first close the browser window before repenting.
You can’t keep watching and say Tawbah Tawbah at the same time.
Don’t make a mockery of Tawbah.
It’s a lifeline from Allah.
Don’t take it for granted.
Condition #3: Make Sincere Intention To Never Repeat That Sin
This is the crux of Tawbah.
You must make the most sincere intention to never repeat this sin again.
Remember, the condition is to make the intention at that moment.
It doesn’t mean you won’t repeat that mistake. You might still do it.
But at the time of Tawbah, you should have no plans of doing it again.
Your intention should be sincere.
So, let’s say you’ve broken your Tawbah a millionth time. But don’t lose hope, make Tawbah again even if you fear you’ll do it again.
Fear doesn’t negate Tawbah, the intention to sin again does.
So, tell your inner voice when it says that you’ll sin again. Tell it I don’t have any intention to sin again. But if I do it again, I’ll repent again.
Then do your best not to break your Tawbah.
Condition #4: Fulfil The Rights Of The Affected Persons
The final condition of Tawbah in Islam is to apologize and make it up to the person you’ve wronged. If you’ve stolen something from someone, return it and apologize.
If you’ve said bad things to someone, ask for mercy and kindness.
Allah SWT forgives His right. But He doesn’t forgive the rights of other creatures until you make it up to them.
Will Allah Forgive Me for Watching Pornography & Zina Repeatedly
If you make Tawbah and repent from your sins following the four conditions I’ve mentioned, Allah SWT has promised to forgive His servants even if they do it a million times.
This includes grave sins like watching pornography or movies with zina on the internet. These are some of the worst sins because they destroy your heart, fill it with filth, and take you away from Allah.
But even then, if you repent by fulfilling the conditions of Tawbvah, Allah SWT is the most merciful and will insha Allah forgive you.
Here’s a Dua you should frequently read.
But please don’t take this for granted.
Every time you sin, you destroy a part of yourself. You have a limited life. Every second you waste in sins is a missed opportunity. It destroys your health, your peace of mind, and your relationship with Allah.
Don’t be a hypocrite.
Allah has given you everything. You have food, a house, a family, health, and everything you want.
Don’t be ungrateful by wasting the opportunity Allah has given you.
I Repeat The Same Sin, I Can’t Stop – What Should I Do?
You make tawbha but break it. You promise Allah not to watch bad things online again but your break your promise.
What’s the way out of this vicious cycle?
If you sincerely want to leave a sin (like watching pornography or masturbating), you must take practical steps for it.
Here are a few suggestions
- Identify the times, places, and sources that trigger the urge for pornography in you. Is it early morning when you’re alone in your room, late at night when everyone’s sleeping, or in the toilet when you have your smartphone? Whatever it is, start distancing from those scenarios so that you don’t fall prey to your Nafs.
- Stop using the internet unnecessarily. And when you use it, do it in a public place.
- Start visiting any pious scholar in your community. Sit in their lectures, discuss your condition with them.
- Be regular in your prayers and seek Allah’s help by making dua.
- Read about the ill effects of masturbation and pornography on your mental and physical health.
- Read the Holy Quran regularly.
- Get married quickly. If you’re already married, improve your relationship with your wife and fulfill your sexual needs with her, not a mobile screen.
The longer you’ve been watching porn and masturbating, the harder you’ll find to quit it. But there’s no other choice. You must keep striving and trying your best.
Never lose hope.
Because we can get tired of sinning but Allah cannot get tired of forgiving us if we make sincere Tawbah fulfilling the conditions I’ve mentioned.
But again, Allah is the most powerful and He can instantly take everything away from you.
So, don’t take His mercy for granted.
Instead, be grateful, and try your best never to violate your promise to Him.