I Repeatedly Commit Zina, Masturbate, and Watch Pornography, Then Repent and Return to These Sins. Will Allah Accept My Repentance, and How Can I Overcome These Sins?

Secondly: The ruling on masturbation The majority of scholars hold that masturbation is prohibited, and they use as evidence the statement of Allah Almighty:

Thirdly: Does Allah accept the repentance of someone who repeatedly commits the same sin? Yes, Allah accepts the repentance of His servant when he is sincere in it, even if he has committed the same sin many times.

Fourthly: The conditions of sincere repentance

The scholars have mentioned that sincere repentance has three conditions concerning the rights of Allah Almighty: 1. Abandoning the sin: A person must immediately stop committing the sin and must not continue engaging in it. 2. Regretting what has passed: A person must feel sorrow and regret for having disobeyed Allah Almighty 3. Resolving not to return to the sin: A person must sincerely resolve to abandon the sin in the future. If the sin involves the rights of other people, then those rights must be returned to their rightful owners, or their forgiveness must be sought, according to the nature of the right involved. It is important for the questioner to understand that resolving not to return to a sin does not mean guaranteeing that he will never become weak again. Rather, what is required is that he be sincere in his resolve at the time of repentance. If he sincerely repents and is subsequently overcome by his desires, he must renew his repentance and must not despair of Allah's mercy. Fifthly: Statements of the scholars:

Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymin رحمه الله: The ruling on repeatedly repenting from a sin: The Shaykh رحمه الله stated that when a person sincerely repents to Allah with repentance that fulfills its conditions, Allah accepts his repentance. The conditions of repentance are five: 1. Sincerity to Allah Almighty: Repentance must be undertaken for the sake of Allah, not out of fear of people or a desire to gain their approval. 2. Regret over the sin: A person must feel sorrow and remorse for the disobedience he has committed. 3. Abandoning the sin: A person must immediately stop committing the sin and fulfill any obligations he previously neglected if they can still be made up. Repentance is not valid while a person persists in committing the same sin. 4. Resolving not to return to the sin: A person must sincerely resolve never to return to the sin. As for someone who repents while intending to return to the sin whenever the opportunity arises, his repentance is not sincere. 5. Repenting during the period when repentance is accepted: This means before the sun rises from the west and before death approaches and the soul reaches the throat. The Shaykh رحمه الله then explained that if a person sincerely repents but is subsequently overcome by his desires and returns to the sin, his first repentance remains valid and is not invalidated by his return to the sin. However, he must repent from the new sin. Even if he repeats the sin twice, three times, or more, and then sincerely repents each time while fulfilling the conditions of repentance, Allah accepts his repentance, and he should not despair of Allah's mercy. Therefore, the servant must be sincere in his repentance and resolve to abandon the sin. If he falls into it again, he must hasten to renew his repentance. He must not allow the repeated occurrence of the sin to become a reason for abandoning repentance or despairing of the mercy of Allah Almighty. Sixthly: Practical means of overcoming these sins: The questioner should combine sincere repentance with taking practical steps that will help him remain steadfast. Among the most important are: 1. Maintaining the five daily prayers:

2. Lowering the gaze He must refrain from watching pornography, delete pornographic materials, and block websites and accounts that arouse sexual desires. 3. Staying away from the causes of temptation This includes prohibited relationships, being alone with non-mahram women, and situations in which he has become accustomed to falling into sin. 4. Fasting This is especially important for someone who is unable to marry, because the Prophet ﷺ said: "And whoever is unable to marry should fast, for fasting will be a means of restraining his desires." 5. Marriage when financially and physically capable Marriage is among the greatest means of maintaining chastity and lowering the gaze, while also being prepared to fulfill its responsibilities. 6. Occupying one's time with beneficial activities This includes seeking Islamic knowledge, reading the Quran, working, exercising, and keeping the company of righteous people. 7. Frequently making supplication and seeking forgiveness Among the prophetic supplications is: "O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and self-sufficiency." اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى Narrated by Muslim. 8. Seeking professional assistance when necessary If watching pornography has become a compulsive behavior that a person is unable to control despite repeated attempts, there is no harm in seeking assistance from a trustworthy mental health professional while maintaining confidentiality and privacy. If he falls into the sin again, he must not continue committing it on the assumption that he has already ruined his repentance. Rather, he should stop immediately, seek Allah's forgiveness, renew his repentance, and identify the cause that led to his relapse so that he can address it. If he has engaged in a prohibited sexual relationship, he must end that relationship and repent from it, while taking into consideration any rights owed to others or health risks that may have resulted from it. He should also undergo the necessary medical examinations if there is a possibility of having contracted a sexually transmitted infection. Seventhly: It is not permissible to despair of Allah's mercy:

Conclusion: The questioner is obligated to repent sincerely to Allah, eliminate the causes that lead to zina, masturbation, and looking at prohibited things, and strive against his desires to maintain chastity and uprightness. It is not permissible for him to despair of Allah's mercy because he repeatedly commits the same sin. Indeed, Allah accepts the repentance of whoever sincerely turns to Him, even if the sin has been repeated many times, provided that the person regrets it, abandons it, and sincerely resolves not to return to it. He must continue maintaining his prayers, frequently supplicate, fast, seek marriage if he is able, and utilize permissible and practical means to overcome these sins. He must also beware of two grave matters: The first: Feeling secure from Allah's punishment, which leads to taking sins lightly. The second: Despairing of Allah's mercy, which leads to abandoning repentance. Rather, he must combine fear of Allah with hope in His mercy. We ask Allah Almighty to accept the questioner's repentance, forgive his sins, purify his heart, protect his chastity, help him lower his gaze, and grant him purity and steadfastness in obedience to Him.