Question Summary:
Severe wasaawis (whisperings) in Salaah/ Conditional intentions

Question Detail:

Assalamu Alaikum,

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Brother in Islam,

At the outset, you need to determine whether you are performing an act of Ibadah through wudhu and Salaah or you are worshipping your feelings.

If you intend making ibadah through wudhu and Salaah, then that is the order of Allah which has to be fulfilled with the rules of Shariah.

You cannot perform an act of ibadah with your rules. That is not ibadah. In fact it is worshipping your feelings.

Shariah clearly states once you commence your Salaah, you will have to continue.

If you break your Salaah for all the reasons you mentioned, that is not Salaah. You are following your feelings under the misconception that you are perfecting your Salaah. You are wrong in doing so and thinking so.

Condition your mind before making wudhu and performing Salaah that you will continue until the end. If need be, write a note in your wudhu area or Salaah area. Continue wudhu, Salaah until completed. If you are distracted focus on the note to strengthen your thought and proceed.

This will gradually form into a habit. Remember, perform wudhu and Salaah and worship Allah.

Don’t worship your thoughts and feelings.

There is a maxim in jurisprudence:

اليقين لا يزول بالشك 

Certainty is not dispelled by doubt.

There are many ways to deal with Wasaawis (evil whisperings):

(1)  Constantly recite the undermentioned supplication recommended by Rasulullah Sallalahu Alai Wasalam for removing these whisperings. The supplication (dua) is as follows:

اَللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ وَسَاوِسَ قلبي خَشْيَتَكَ وذِكْرَكَ واجْعَلْ همتي وهَوَايَ فِيْمَا تُحِبُّ وتَرْضَى

“O Allah! Make Your fear and remembrance the obsession of my mind and divert my will and courage to the performance of deeds that please You.”

(Al Hizbul Aa’zam)

(2) Recite the Ta’awwudh as much as possible. 

(3) Recite the following Du’aa:

لا حول ولا قوة الا بالله

There is no power to neither do any good nor prevent any evil except in Allah

 (4) Whenever any doubt/waswasa arises, tell yourself that your Salaah, wudhu, ghusl and everything else is correct and valid no matter what Shaytani whisperings enter the mind. As a remedy, tell yourself that every action of mine is valid irrespective of the evil whisperings. This may be difficult for the first few times, but it will become much easier after effort and hard work.

(5) Implore Allah Taalah in Du’aa to alleviate you from your predicament. Du’aa is the most powerful weapon of the believer.

(6) Read the book “Combating the whisperings of Shaytaan” by HadhratMoulanaYunus Patel Saheb (RahmatullahiAlayhi).

Kindly refer to the following link to download the book:http://islamicexorcism.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/combating-the-whisperings-of-shaytaan.pdf

My beloved Ustaadh Hadhrat Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb Hafidhaullah advises:

When you are on a highway filled with smoke that obscures the road, you will not worry to remove the smoke. You will focus on the road and drive through the smoke. You will pay attention on the road and not at the smoke.

The wasaawis are like the smoke. Ignore the wasaawis and work through them even though your work might feel obscured. Do not get caught up with the trick of Shaytan.

May Almighty Allah alleviate you from your predicament. Aameen.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Muhammad I.V Patel

Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.