The Fitnah of Fornication

Question: I have been afflicted with many and major sins, including falling into some prohibited matters, including chasing after women, and flirting with them day and night. I stay up until midnight searching for their phone numbers. And if I can’t find them, I turn to listening to indecent and forbidden things. Even during prayer, I think about fornication, and my prayer goes in vain while I think of how to reach it. When I read the Qur’an, I think of fornication. Every time I try to repent, I become weak in front of any sin big or small. Truly, I feel like I am about to explode from what I’m going through. I ask your Eminence for a cure for my condition and how to escape from it. I am not married and cannot afford to marry. I am unemployed. None of my relatives married me off not even my father, uncle, or maternal uncle. I want to repent and return to Allah, but how can I? My soul weakens before the slightest sin. O Shaykh, make much du‘a for me I feel like I’m going to explode, May Allaah have mercy on you. Please send my question to Al-‘Omaree and tell him to make du‘a for me. Tell him my state is pitiful. I want to repent, I want to return to Allah but how? Shaykh Abee Hudayfah Abdul-Ghani Al-Omaree (حقظه الله) responds: We ask Allah for safety. We ask Allāh to have mercy on your state and to guide you to His obedience. By Allah, I am saddened for your sake and for the sake of other young men like you. Through reading your question, I sensed that there is goodness in you, and I felt that your heart is pure. Your writing shows that you love the religion, that you love Allāh Almighty and His Messenger ﷺ. So here is my advice to you May Allah preserve and bless you: Turn to Allah Almighty with all your being. Turn to Allah As He said: “Indeed, those who fear Allaāh - when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember [Him] and at once they have insight. [Al- A'raf (201)] And Allah also says: "And those who, when they have committed Fâhishah (illegal sexual intercourse) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allâh and ask forgiveness for their sins; - and none can forgive sins but Allâh - and do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know." [Aal Imran(135)] Know that if someone becomes addicted to these acts and gets deeply attached to them, and treats them as insignificant they become addicted in a way that is difficult to break free from, unless Allah wills, and unless the repentance is strong. So avoid such behaviour as much as you can. Strive against your soul. If Allah sees sincerity in your heart, He will save you from this trial, this sorrow, this sadness. Turn to Allah and know that Allah loves you when you return to Him. He rejoices in your repentance. Will you not bring joy to your Lord by returning to Him? He is in no need of you or your prayer or your worship. But Allah rejoices more at the repentance of His servant than a man who finds his lost camel in the desert, as narrated in the authentic hadith from Anas. Return to Allah. “O you who believe! Repent to Allah with sincere repentance.” Go back to your Lord. Fall in prostration before Allah and say: “O Lord, I am before You. O Lord, I am exhausted. O Lord, I am distressed. O Lord, I am sad.” Call upon your Lord. Humble yourself and break down before Him. That phone which draws you closer to sin and zina stay away from it. Throw it away. Burn it. You don’t need it. Avoid bad company the people of evil stay far away from them. Instead, go to the gatherings of righteous people. Fast frequently not just Mondays and Thursdays. Fast for two, three, four, even five months. Fast May Allaah bless you until your desires calm down, until those thoughts about women subside. May Allah protect you. May Allah bless you. May Allah protect our youth. O Allah, protect the youth of the Muslims. O Allah, protect the youth of the Muslims. O Lord of the worlds.