Islamic Method to Quit Bad Habits and Remain Steadfast on Repentance
Source: Ahkam wa Masail, Vol. 01, in the light of Qur’an and Hadith, p. 496
❖ Question
I am about 24 years old and have been entangled in some bad habits since a very young age, from which I now wish to free myself. Despite repeated efforts, I have failed to abandon them.
At around the age of 7, I developed the habits of masturbation and homosexuality, which worsened with time. For the last six years, I have been trying continuously to get rid of these sins. Please guide me on what I should do to walk on the path of guidance and remain steadfast in repentance.
❖ Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿAmma Baʿd!
Turning to Allah in repentance is a great act, and your continuous efforts prove that you sincerely seek guidance. To protect yourself from these sins and remain firm upon repentance, you must adopt the following:
➊ Remember Allah’s Punishment
- Keep in mind the punishment that Allah ﷻ inflicted upon the people of Lūṭ (AS).
- Their towns were overturned, and stones rained upon them — a sign that this act is extremely detestable to Allah.
➋ Recall the Punishment Prescribed by the Prophet ﷺ
- Always remember the punishment that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prescribed for such sins.
- This deepens the realization of the seriousness of the crime.
➌ Hold Firm to Repentance
- Make sincere repentance and remain steadfast.
- Repeated failures do not mean your repentance is not accepted.
- Continuous repentance and striving to quit sin is beloved to Allah.
➍ Make Frequent Duʿā
- Recite often:
"یَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوْبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِیْ عَلٰی دِیْنِکَ"
(Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Kitāb al-Qadar, Bāb: Mā Jāʾa anna al-Qulūba bayna Uṣbuʿay al-Raḥmān)
➎ Daily Dhikr of Tahlīl
- Every morning, recite at least 100 times:
"لاَ اِلٰہَ اِلاَّ اﷲُ وَحْدَہُ لاَ شَرِیْکَ لَہُ، لَہُ الْمُلْکُ وَلَہُ الْحَمْدُ، وَہُوَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیْئٍ قَدِیْرٌ"
(Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Daʿawāt, Bāb Faḍl al-Tahlīl)
➏ Place Trust in Allah
- If you act upon these instructions with sincerity, Allah’s help will be with you.
- You will be saved from these sins, and Allah will grant you steadfastness upon repentance.
Date: 11/12/1418 AH
هذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
