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How can a repentant woman rid herself of lust and achieve forgiveness for her sin, and is what she did considered fornication, given her fear of hardness of heart and lack of remorse?

2 min readAlso available in العربية

A Muslim must be mindful of Allah, fear Him, and avoid sins. Looking at nude pictures and a woman photographing herself for non-mahram men is forbidden by Islamic law. It is a path to adultery and causes the heart to become attached to immorality. The eye is a trust for which the servant will be questioned on the Day of Judgment, just as the limbs will bear witness against their owners. These actions are considered metaphorical adultery and a prelude to actual adultery.

Immediate repentance is required, involving remorse and a firm resolve not to return to the sin, as well as modesty before Allah and fear of His wrath. One must always be conscious of Allah's constant watchfulness, that He knows secret thoughts and private counsels, and that His presence is greater than any shame before humans.

To overcome this, one must: 1. Turn to Allah through supplication and seek sincere repentance. 2. Increase good deeds, especially the obligatory ones, wear the prescribed Islamic head covering (hijab), and lower one's gaze. 3. Read the Qur’an, for it is a healing for hearts. 4. Strengthen faith and righteous deeds. 5. Avoid sins, repent, and seek forgiveness. 6. Increase the recitation of reported supplications such as, "O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and self-sufficiency." 7. Ask for prayers from one's parents. 8. Read books of encouragement and warning that remind of the horrors of the Hereafter. 9. Preserve the obligatory prayers and voluntary ones, for they restrain from immorality and evil. 10. Increase in the remembrance of Allah and fasting. 11. Realize that the eye is a blessing from Allah to be used in His obedience. 12. Utilize computer devices for good and avoid being alone with them to cut off the path for Satan. 13. Conceal the sin and do not disclose it.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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