Question Summary:
Advises on Waswasa

Question Detail:

I'm 15 years old and over a year ago I started getting waswasas whilst praying salah!! They went away for a while and now they are back. These thoughts are so horrible, horrible that they make me question whether Allah will actually forgive me even though I know He is the most merciful of all those capable of showing mercy. But it doesnt just stop in salah!! They haunt me the whole day.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I wake up is that such a thought entered my mind. It is ruining my life. I cannot pray, eat, walk or do anything. I just want them to stop. To go away. Sometimes I feel as though it was I that actually thought them, and it starts all over. What can I do? I just want them to go away.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakātuh.
We understand your predicament, may Allah (SubhanahuWaTa’ala) alleviate you from your predicament. Aameen.
There are many ways to deal with Wasawis (evil whisperings):
1. Whenever any doubt/waswasa arises, tell yourself that yourSalaah, 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 mines is valid irrespective of the evil whisperings. This may difficult for the first few times, it will become much easier after effort and hard work.
2. Remind yourself constantly that these thoughts are from Shaytaaan, how can I listen to them and give them credence? How can they be correct and authentic?
3. Implore Allah (SubhanahuWaTa’ala) in Du’aa to alleviate you from your predicament. Du’aa is the most powerful weapon of the believer.
4. All that is needed is resolute courage and firm determination to extricate oneself from such a problem. Never give up hope. Always tell yourself that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
5. Recite the Ta’awwuz as much as possible.
6. Recite the following Du’aa:
لا حول و لا قوة الاالله
“There is no power to neither do any good nor prevent any evil except in Allah”
7. Recite Surah Falaq, Surah Naas and Surah Ikhlaas thrice as much as possible.
8. Allah (SubhanahuWaTa’ala) says in the Qur’an:                                              
الا بذكر الله تطمئن القلوب
“Behold! The hearts attain tranquillity through the Zikr of Allah” (13:28)
 
The above verse expounds on the importance of Zikrullah. Make excessive Zikrullah and Insha’Allah, your heart will find tranquillity and peace from such thoughts. Shaytaan flees from the person who makes Zikrullah.
 
9. 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
                                                                       
Kindly refer to the following link for more details: http://askimam.org/public/question_detail/18724
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best                                       
Mufti Ismail Desai,
Darul Iftaa
Durban, South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.