Assalaamu alaykum. For some years now, a feeling of religious guilt has been blocking my mind. Before starting the story, I have two cousins, whom I will name A and B. When I was studying in grade six, a gang of boys of about six, including those two cousins, used to buy and watch porn cd`s. And when this came to my knowledge, cousin B told me that they would show those videos, and he asked me to promise that if I tell it others or our parents, then education would not come to me. At that age, I had never seen such movies, and I touched his hand to promise, and only then would they show it to me. I had done an ‘Umrah before al this happened. So after some years, they two had a chance to go to ‘Umrah, and after coming from ‘Umrah, cousin B told me that their sin was erased by the ‘Umrah while I had watched porn after my ‘Umrah. So I felt guilty and thought about the expense that was made on me for my ‘Umrah by my parents, so I decided to tell my mom about it. I did, and now cousin A knows that I told my parents, and I forgot to apologize for breaking my promise to him. Now, for some years, whenever I am studying, that promise (if I told to anyone about seeing porn then education would not come) comes to my mind and blocks it from concentrating, and I feel depressed and feel like I cannot study. Can we break such a promise due to feeling guilt? I kindly request a fatwa about this issue.

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The teachings of Islam command concealing the sins of a Muslim, and this is either recommended or obligatory with a difference of opinion among the scholars.

However, it is not permissible to give the sinner a covenant or promise to conceal his sin in return for joining him in committing it. Since you were young when you watched those films, then we hope that you are not sinful because you were not yet held accountable for your actions. Please refer to fatwa 83431.

What we advise you to do now is to start a new page in the rest of your life by amending what is between you and Allah and forgetting about those sins while being cautious not to fall into them again in the future.

Your ‘Umrah is not invalidated just because of having watched those films, and both the good deeds and the bad deeds will be put in the scales on the Day of Judgment.

Allah knows best.