(The following is a transcription of a speech delivered by Mufti Sufyan)

Many brothers and sisters, they are involved in watching porn, and we know this is ḥarām, unlawful, impermissible, but the question is, how do we stop this porn addiction in this sex-driven society?
 

9 Simple Steps

1. Repent

So the first thing is, we need to ask repentance from Allah. Ask forgiveness from Allah, the Almighty, sincerely and excessively.

2. Get Married

The second thing is we need to get married if we are not married. And remember, getting married is not as easy as saying it because there are financial constraints, there are other commitments where you have to fulfil each other’s rights etc. So if we are young, then we need to make sure we are financially stable. So work towards becoming financially stable by applying for a job, getting a proper job. If we cannot get a proper job, acquire a good education etc. So work towards getting married. Now there are many brothers and sisters that are married and are involved in watching porn, so for them and also for those brothers and sisters that cannot get married straight away due to financial constraints etc., …

3. Fast

The third thing is fasting. We have been encouraged in Ḥadīth that if we cannot get married and we are young, then we should fast, but if we are married and we are involved in watching porn, then we can still act upon this by fasting. Why? Because fasting, when we fast, we don’t eat, we stay hungry, and it is actually food that increases our sexual urge, sexual desires. How? Because food, it creates blood in our body, and blood, it creates semen, and it is through semen that we become sexually active or become more sexually active or our sexual desires are increased etc. So if we fast, then this will not happen or at the least if we cannot fast, …

4. Eat Less

Then eat less, do not overeat, do not eat too much.

5. Avoid Libido Increasing Food

Avoid eating food that increases our sexual desires.

6. Keep Yourself Occupied

Another thing is, keep yourself occupied whether in sports or in generally doing good deeds because if you keep yourself occupied, then it will keep you away from watching porn or unlawful activities as such. Why? Because remember, if you do not keep yourself occupied, then your brain will be idol, and an idol man’s brain is the devil’s workshop. When we stay unoccupied, we keep ourselves idle, then Satan, he whispers thoughts in our minds. Our desires over take us and unfortunately, we then become involved in such unlawful activities. So we need to keep ourselves occupied at all times. Obviously in permissible activities, in good deeds.

7. Do Not Stay on Your Own

Another thing is, do not stay on your own. Make sure you always have other people around you, and obviously people that are of good i.e. good company. So stay in the company of good friends or stay in the company of siblings, brothers and sisters, parents. Even when you are home, then try not to stay on your own in your room. Stay in the company of your brothers, sisters, siblings. Even if you have to do some work, make sure you are in the presence of someone. Sometimes, what happens, if we are young for example, we will be doing homework and then our desires overtake us. We are doing homework and Satan whispers thoughts, and then we become indulged, unfortunately, in these unlawful activities. So do not stay on your own.

8. Use Positive Screensavers

Another thing is, whatever things we use to watch these unlawful things, so whether it is a PC, whether it is a laptop, whether it is our phone, then put such screensavers that remind us of the Hereafter, remind us of Allah, remind us of the Qurʼān and Ḥadīth. So put screensavers such as the Qurʼān, screensavers such as photos of these cameras which have written on them, “Allah is watching”, or screensavers of the graveyard etc. So things that will make us remember Allah, Qurʼān, Ḥadīth, the Hereafter, and keep us away from these sinful things.

9. Remember Allah

Last but not least, the remembrance of Allah is of utmost importance in keeping us away from such unlawful activities. And remember, under the remembrance of Allah, we have the five-time daily prayers, so being punctual with the five time daily prayers, this is a must because Allah, the Almighty, mentions in the Qurʼān that it is ṣalāh, the five time daily ṣalāh that keeps us away from unlawful activities. So we need to keep ourselves occupied in the remembrance of Allah through being punctual with our five time daily prayers, reciting the Qurʼān on a daily basis, listening to Islamic lectures, staying in the company of good people that talk about Allah, the Almighty, so sitting in speeches of pious and good scholars. So we need to make sure we remember Allah excessively, as much as possible.