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Disturbed By Waswaas (whispers From The Shaytaan) - AbuMubarak - 09-26-2004
Question:
When I do Salah or intend to do good deeds I often get very evil
thoughts in my mind. When I concentrate in Salah, and try to focus
on the meaning of the words, evil thoughts enter my mind, which make
evil suggestions about everything including Allah. I feel very
frustrated and angry about this. I know that none forgives sins
except Allah alone, but because of my thoughts I feel that there is
nothing worse than to have evil thoughts about Allah. After Salah I
ask Allah's forgiveness, but feel very bad because I want to stop
these evil thoughts, but I can't stop them. These thoughts spoil my
enjoyment of Salah, and also make me feel as though I am doomed.
Please advise me.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Evil whispers during prayer and at other times come from the
Shaytaan, who is keen to misguide the Muslim and deprive him of good
and keep it far away from him. One of the Sahaabah complained to the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
about waswaas during prayer, and he said: "The Shaytaan comes
between me and my prayers and my recitation, confusing me therein."
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "That is a devil called Khanzab. If he affects you seek refuge
in Allah from him and spit drily to your left three times." He [the
Sahaabi] said, I did that and Allaah took him away from me.
(Narrated by Muslim, 2203)
Proper focus (khushoo') is the essence of prayer. Prayer without
proper focus is like a body without a soul. The following are two of
the things that help one to develop the proper focus:
1 _ Striving to think about what you are saying and doing, pondering
the meanings of the Qur'aan, dhikr and du'aa's that you are
reciting; bearing in mind that you are conversing with Allaah as if
you can see Him. For when the worshipper stands to pray, he is
speaking to his Lord, and ihsaan means worshipping Allaah as if you
are seeing Him, and knowing that even though you cannot see Him, He
sees you. Every time a person experiences the sweetness of prayer,
he will be more inclined to do it. [?]. This depends of the strength
of one's faith _ and there are many means of strengthening one's
faith. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said, "Of the things of your world, women and perfume have been made
dear to me, and my joy is in prayer." According to another hadeeth
he said, "Let us relax, O Bilal, with prayer," and he did not say,
Give us a break from it.
2 _ Striving to ward off the things that may distract you during
prayer, namely thinking about things that are irrelevant or
distracting. Waswaas affects each person differently, because
waswaas has to do with a person's level of doubts and desires and
the degree to which a person is attached to other things or is
fearing other things.
(From Majmoo' Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, 22/605)
With regard to what you say about the waswaas reaching such a great
level that you have begun to experience waswaas that makes you think
about Allaah in ways that are not appropriate, these are evil
whispers from the Shaytaan. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries to turn you away
(O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily,
He is the AllHearer, the AllKnower"
[Fussilat 41:36]
Some of the Sahaabah complained about the waswaas that was bothering
[?] them. Some of the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said to him, `We find in
ourselves thoughts that are too terrible to speak of.' He said, `Are
you really having such thoughts?' They said, `Yes.' He said, `That
is a clear sign of faith.'" (Narrated by Muslim). (Narrated by
Muslim, 132 from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah).
Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on this hadeeth: "The Prophet's
words, `That is a clear sign of faith' means, the fact that think of
this waswaas as something terrible is a clear sign of faith, for if
you dare not utter it and you are so afraid of it and of speaking of
it, let alone believing it, this is the sign of one who has achieved
perfect faith and who is free of doubt."
And it was said that what it means is that the Shaytaan only
whispers to those whom he despairs of tempting, because he is unable
to tempt them. As for the kaafir, he can approach him in any manner
he wants and is not restricted to waswaas, rather he can play with
him however he wants. Based on this, what the hadeeth means is that
the cause of waswaas is pure faith, or that waswaas is a sign of
pure faith. See also question no. 12315
The fact that you hate that and your heart recoils from it is a
clear sign of faith. Waswaas happens to everyone who turns to Allaah
by reciting dhikr etc. It is inevitable, but you have to be
steadfast and patient, and persevere with your dhikr and prayer, and
not give up, because in this way you will ward off the plot of the
Shaytaan. "Ever feeble indeed is the plot of Shaytaan" [al-Nisa'
4:76 _ interpretation of the meaning]. Every time a person wants to
turn to Allaah, waswaas brings other matters to mind. The Shaytaan
is like a bandit: every time a person wants to move towards Allaah,
he wants to block the way. Hence when it was said to one of the
salaf that the Jews and Christians say, "We do not experience
waswaas," he said, "They are speaking the truth, for what would the
Shaytaan do with a house in ruins?"
(From Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, 22/608).
The remedy:
1 _ If you feel that you are being affected by this waswaas,
say, "Aamantu Billaahi wa Rasoolihi (I believe in Allaah and His
Messenger)." It was narrated from `Aa'ishah that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
Shaytaan comes to one of you and says, `Who created you?' And he
says `Allaah.' Then the Shaytaan says, `Who created Allaah?' If that
happens to any one of you, let him say, Aamantu Billaahi wa Rusulihi
(I believe in Allaah and His Messenger). Then that will go away from
him."
(Narrated by Ahmad, 25671; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in al-
Saheehah, 116).
2 _ Try to stop thinking about that as much as possible, and keep
busy with things that will distract you from it.
Finally we advise you to keep on turning to Allaah in all
situations, and to ask Him for help, and to beseech Him, and to ask
Him to make you steadfast until death, and to cause you to die doing
righteous deeds… And Allaah knows best.
The above question and answer were taken from: Islam Questions and
Answers: Volume 1, Basic Tenets of Faith: Belief - Part 1 (eBook
format: Pages = 580 Dimensions: 9.00 x 6.00 358k; Paperback
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