I am a young man who used to watch pornographic films and share them with my friends, but Allaah The Almighty has guided me to the right path and to repentance. I got rid of all the tapes except one that is with a friend of mine who refuses to return it to me, and I have repeatedly advised him. Am I sinful?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

First of all, we congratulate you for your repentance and we ask Allaah The Almighty to accept it from you and to keep you steadfast in your uprightness. You have to always supplicate Allaah The Exalted, especially in prostration, with the Prophet's, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, supplication, which is narrated on the authority of Anas and reads: “Ya Muqallib Al-Quloob Thabbit Qalbi ‘Ala Deenik. (O He who fluctuates the hearts, keep my heart steady upon Your religion)” [At- Tirmithi and Al-Haakim]

Second, in order for repentance to be done correctly, it has to fulfil certain conditions, one of which is to attempt to correct the wrong you have made as long as it caused harm to others besides you. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]. Those - I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.}[Quran2:160] And: {Except for those who repent, correct themselves, hold fast to Allaah and are sincere in their religion for Allaah, for those will be with the believers. And Allaah is going to give the believers a great reward.}[Quran 4:146]

There is no doubt that it is your duty to advise your friend and try to get the tape back from him. You must continue offering advice to him without despairing. If you succeed in getting it back from him, then that is good, otherwise, you have fulfilled your duty and you will not, Allaah willing, be sinful.

At the same time, you must advise everybody you affected with this sin. You have to explain the truth to him in the best possible way. You should be a caller to goodness and virtue in exchange for the period of evil and vice you underwent. You should strive to become one of the close servants of Allaah The Almighty about whom Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allaah and does righteousness and says, "Indeed, I am of the Muslims."}[Quran 41:33]

Al-Hasan Al-Basri pointed out that whoever has these characteristics mentioned in this verse becomes a close servant of Allaah The Almighty and beloved by the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and one of the elite chosen by Allaah The Exalted since he invited people to Allaah The Almighty and responded to Him in what He called him to.

Truly, Allaah The Almighty is the One who guides and directs to the right path.

And Allaah Knows best.