Dealing with OCD, Doubts and Wasawis | Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari
Summary
TLDRThe speaker addresses the issue of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and doubts, particularly in the context of Islamic practices like ablution, prayer, and purity. They emphasize that these doubts, often amplified by Shaitaan (Satan), can make religious practices unnecessarily difficult, leading to frustration and even suicidal thoughts. The speaker advises combating these doubts with willpower, consistent prayer, and seeking protection from Allah through specific Quranic verses. The key message is to fight these doubts head-on and trust in Allah's mercy.
Takeaways
- 🧠 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in religious practices, especially related to ablution and prayer, is a common issue that affects many people.
- 🔁 Individuals with OCD may repeatedly perform religious rituals, like ablution, due to doubts about their validity, leading to excessive time spent on these acts.
- 💔 OCD can cause significant distress, leading some to doubt their religious obligations, such as worrying about the validity of their marriage or ablution.
- 🙏 The speaker emphasizes that OCD and obsessive doubts, particularly related to religious practices, are both a mental illness and a tactic used by Shaitaan (Satan) to create misgivings.
- 🛡️ The Quran advises seeking protection from these misgivings through prayer, specifically by reciting Surah An-Nas, which asks for protection from the evil whisperer.
- 💪 Overcoming OCD requires willpower and a deliberate effort to resist the doubts and misgivings, treating them as an enemy that must be fought against.
- 🤲 The speaker encourages making du'a (supplication) to ask Allah for help in removing doubts and misgivings from the heart and mind.
- 📜 Islamic teachings emphasize that the objective of religious practices is submission to Allah, not perfection in the ritual itself, and that Allah is merciful and understanding.
- 🚫 Repeatedly questioning the validity of one's religious acts, such as whether ablution was properly performed, can lead to unnecessary hardship and is not encouraged in Islam.
- 💡 The speaker suggests practical solutions, like setting a time limit for ablution and sticking to it, to help resist the urge to repeat religious rituals unnecessarily.
Q & A
What is the main topic addressed in the video script?
-The main topic addressed in the video script is the issue of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and religious doubts (waswasa) in the context of Islamic practices.
How does the speaker relate OCD and religious doubts (waswasa) to Islamic teachings?
-The speaker explains that religious doubts (waswasa) and OCD can be influenced by Shaytan (Satan) to make religious practices seem overly difficult and burdensome. These doubts can affect a person's performance of ablution (wudu), prayer (Salah), and other religious duties.
What example does the speaker give to illustrate the impact of OCD on religious practices?
-The speaker gives the example of individuals who spend excessive amounts of time performing ablution (wudu), sometimes up to an hour, due to obsessive thoughts that certain parts of their body are not properly washed.
What solution does the speaker offer to combat OCD and waswasa in religious practices?
-The speaker suggests two main solutions: making dua (supplication) to Allah and reciting Surah Al-Nas for protection, and fighting the doubts head-on with willpower by setting time limits for ablution and prayer and refusing to give in to obsessive thoughts.
What is the significance of Surah Al-Nas in dealing with OCD and waswasa?
-Surah Al-Nas is significant because it is a prayer for protection from the evil whispers of Shaytan (Satan), which are believed to be a source of waswasa and OCD-related thoughts.
How does the speaker suggest one should respond to repeated doubts during religious practices?
-The speaker suggests that when doubts arise repeatedly, one should consciously ignore them and continue with their practice, trusting that Allah will accept their efforts even if some minor detail is overlooked.
What does the speaker say about the role of Shaytan in causing religious doubts?
-The speaker states that Shaytan uses waswasa to create doubts in the minds of practicing Muslims, particularly in areas like purity, prayer, and religious rituals, to make these practices seem difficult and overwhelming.
What is the purpose of Islamic rules according to the speaker?
-According to the speaker, the purpose of Islamic rules is not to make life difficult but to bring peace and tranquility to believers. They are meant to be followed with sincere effort, not to cause anxiety or excessive stress.
How does the speaker address the concern of people feeling their prayer is invalid due to OCD?
-The speaker reassures that Allah is merciful and does not seek to punish believers for unintentional mistakes in their prayers. If someone is genuinely trying to follow the rules but is troubled by doubts, their efforts are what matter most.
What advice does the speaker give to someone who struggles with the belief that they have invalidated their prayer or ablution?
-The speaker advises that one should firmly set a time limit for ablution and prayer, complete the practice according to that limit, and then move on without overthinking. The speaker emphasizes that this approach helps in fighting off the doubts planted by Shaytan.
Outlines
🧠 Addressing OCD and Misgivings in Islamic Practice
The speaker discusses the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related misgivings (waswas) among Muslims, particularly concerning religious practices like ablution (wudu) and prayer (salah). Many individuals struggle with doubts, often repeating actions to ensure they are done correctly, leading to distress and disruption of their spiritual routines. The speaker emphasizes that such doubts are a form of spiritual trial, often instigated by Shaitaan (Satan), and provides an example of a man who persistently questioned the validity of his marriage due to these doubts.
🔮 Seeking Protection from Evil Influences
This section highlights the importance of seeking protection from the evil whisperings (waswas) that lead to doubts and obsessive behaviors. The speaker references the Quranic Surah An-Nas, which is recited to seek refuge from the mischief of Shaitaan. The discussion extends to the broader impact of these doubts on various aspects of life, including beliefs in black magic and marital distrust, and underscores the necessity of combatting such thoughts through prayer and reliance on Allah.
🕌 Balancing Religious Obligations with Practicality
The speaker explains that the rules of Islam are not meant to be burdensome but are designed to encourage submission to Allah. A distinction is made between neglectful individuals and those who sincerely try to follow religious practices despite difficulties. The speaker reassures that Allah values the effort and intention behind acts of worship rather than perfection in their execution. An example from a hadith illustrates how the Prophet Muhammad advised a man with OCD tendencies to ignore baseless doubts during prayer.
⚔️ Fighting Against Doubts and Misgivings
In this section, the speaker advises listeners to confront and combat the doubts and misgivings that arise during religious practices. Emphasizing the importance of willpower, the speaker recounts a story of a scholar who overcame his own doubts by refusing to entertain them. The speaker stresses that entertaining such doubts only strengthens them, making it crucial to resist and dismiss them early on to prevent them from becoming a lifelong issue.
🌟 The Role of Islam in Promoting Inner Peace
The final section concludes by emphasizing that Islam is meant to bring peace and ease into believers' lives, not to create anxiety or hardship. The speaker reiterates that once religious practices, such as prayer, become sources of stress and doubt, it is likely due to the influence of Shaitaan. The recommended remedy is to fight these doubts and trust in Allah’s mercy, while also reciting protective verses from the Quran, particularly Surah An-Nas, to seek protection from these spiritual trials.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
💡Waswasa
💡Ablution (Wudu)
💡Shaitaan (Satan)
💡Prayer (Salah)
💡Doubts
💡Purity (Taharah)
💡Willpower
💡Sharia (Islamic Law)
💡Dua (Supplication)
Highlights
The speaker addresses the common issue of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) related to Islamic rituals like ablution (wudu), purity, and prayer.
Many people with OCD spend excessive time performing ablution, doubting whether certain body parts have been washed properly, often leading to prolonged rituals.
Some individuals frequently redo their wudu or prayer because they think it is invalidated, leading to extreme distress and even contacting scholars repeatedly for reassurance.
A case is mentioned where a brother called a scholar daily for over 20 days, concerned he may have divorced his wife unintentionally due to intrusive thoughts.
The speaker describes a woman who became suicidal due to her compulsive fear of impurity, leading her to excessively wash everything in her house multiple times.
OCD in Islamic practices often stems from 'waswas' (misgivings) instigated by Shaitaan (Satan), who targets practicing Muslims with different tactics than those who are non-practicing.
Shaitaan uses doubts to make Islamic obligations seem difficult and burdensome, potentially leading individuals to give up practicing their faith altogether.
The speaker advises using duas, specifically Surah An-Nas and Surah Al-Falaq, to seek protection from waswas and doubts.
A key solution is to actively resist these doubts by treating them as the enemy and refusing to entertain them, which requires strong willpower.
The speaker highlights that Islamic rules are not intended to cause hardship; the objective is submission to Allah, not perfection in the minutiae of rituals.
An anecdote is shared about a man who was told by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to ignore his doubts about breaking wind unless he could smell or hear it, showing the importance of not letting doubts dominate.
OCD sufferers are encouraged to limit their wudu to a fixed time, like seven minutes, and to stop questioning it after completing it, trusting that Allah accepts their efforts.
Islamic rituals like prayer and fasting are meant to bring peace, not difficulty; if these practices become overwhelmingly hard due to doubts, it is likely due to Shaitaan's influence.
The speaker stresses that once you resist doubts and Shaitaan realizes he cannot deceive you, the doubts will diminish over time.
In conclusion, the speaker advises consistent dua, recitation of protective verses, and strong resistance to doubts to overcome OCD and waswas in Islamic practices.
Transcripts
this is me learn your walking smell that
money for him and hamdulillah help it I
mean what so that was my dad while he
was a PhD man into a bad respected
brothers and sisters salaam aleikum wa
rahmatullah wa barakato I would like to
discuss with you today a very important
issue that I feel many of our brothers
and sisters are faced with I have had so
many people over the years contacting me
by email or telephone or asking me in
person about this issue and this issue
is regarding obsessive-compulsive
disorder OCD or doubts was always worse
worse so many people find themselves in
this difficulty I've had people who have
complained that they spend half an hour
some people even an hour performing will
do an ablution so they continuously
think that certain parts of their body
are dry maybe the elbow has not been
washed or tohis left dry or water hasn't
reached this part of the body or that
part of the body so consciously they
like spend 30 minutes 40 minutes
sometimes they went even an hour there
are people who continues to keep on
thinking that they will do ablution is
invalidated because they think they've
passed gas or air or wind and is broken
there are people who spend long hours in
prayer not for for sure and
concentration that's good but they keep
on thinking that they haven't recited
properly or certain words or letters
have not been uttered or pronounced
properly in Salah or maybe you know they
think halfway through the wood who is
broken is invalidated so they go back
and perform ablution and they come back
and I remember there was this one
brother who contacted me once he
actually good 2025 days continuously
every single day he phoned me and I
would give him the same answer every day
but he was still not convinced and the
next day he would call me and ask
the same question he kept on thinking
that he has divorced his wife because in
Islam as you know that palapa and
divorce is given by the husband and it's
uttered by the husband pronounced by the
husband and it can be very easily
pronounced but a lot of people find
themselves in this obsessive compulsive
disorder situation in what's wasa
misgivings that maybe I attended it
maybe he said that I go into the
bathroom and I'm taking aweso and I'm
taking a bath and I think that I've said
aloud to my wife and I'm so scared is my
marriage
over every day for 20 odd days or more
he kept on calling and asking the same
question I remember there was an older
lady sister she came to my office she
became suicidal she came with her son
and the son was saying that like we
can't control her because she thinks
everything is impure ledges in her house
so she washes you know the towels two or
three times and then she thinks that the
tower touched the you know the walls
she starts washing the wall it's touched
the soul versus she starts scrubbing the
sofa
she takes like 20 minutes washing her
hands and this is not you know covered
19 washing hands this is just be pre
covered 19 washing hands so she thinks
she thought everything that gets touched
you know with her shoes and she actually
became suicidal this this could lead to
even to that degree that people can
become suicidal and it's to do with not
just you know cleanliness but a lot of
these issues are to do with purity with
Wu do with the hotel with Salah with the
prayer of the place of offering Salah so
a lot of people ask this and this
actually is basically really it's an
illness but also it is from shape on it
is from Iblees you see share party
beliefs is very astute very clever he he
traps people in different ways so for
the non practicing people he
chops them and and he puts his what
salsa in a different way with people who
are practicing he uses a different play
he has different you know ways of
trapping them he's not going to go to a
practicing person and say okay you know
what don't pray because they are
practicing so he uses different ways and
this is also what's versa
Puran was service or worse was he's from
Japan and this is why the last surah of
the Quran surah tecna's went to be
recite mean Cheryl was wersal on us we
seek the protection of Allah Allah say
our dog our penis
Malik anus healer him nurse mil shall
relieve us was I see I won't translate
the whole surah but we are seeking the
protection of Allah subhana Allah from
the evil of the myths giver from the
evil of the one who is placing this was
worse into the hearts the one who is
pulling these doubts another word in
Arabic sometimes used for this is one
what a means like just doubts and
thoughts like maybe this is not right
maybe this has happened maybe this like
I said it could be about purity it could
be about do it could be about a whistle
it could be about salah also about Falak
like I said sometimes it could also be
about Sarah that every time something
goes wrong you think someone's done
black magic some people have this like
they start doubting everyone so there
are married people married men and they
every time they just think that their
wife isn't involved in some sort of
illicit relationship they doubt but why
who were you on the phone with why were
you looking that way you're walking
outside of I was nine men staring that
she's like your whole life becomes a
misery because it consumes you
so Sahara's well black magic people
start thinking everything is black
magical someone's doing this and
someone's doing that so this was for one
or misgiving or OCD once you start
believing in them and you start giving
them importance and you don't try to
stop them then it actually continues
continuous continuous
and especially with matters of Dean this
is a ploy of share time the end result
is that you start thinking you will
think that Dean is so difficult to
practice because you're taking one hour
to perform the whole prayer half an hour
to do you know it becomes really really
difficult so at the end you'll think
that I just can't be bothered with all
of this this is too difficult and you
just leave brain so what is the solution
with with this what is the solution
there's two things one is what I just
mentioned that makes a lot of do a lot
of hand I'll recite in abundance sort of
tune us that should be a habit anyway
before going to sleep but after prayers
and always making dua to allah recite
surah al Gabriel fella but specifically
soul upon us and ask Allah subhana WA
Ta'ala to protect you and protect us and
ask Allah that Allah remove this illness
of doubt from me for with your mercy and
insha'Allah Allah subhana Allah will
remove it but the second very important
way to deal with this is that and this
is the most effective way the most
effective way which is that you have to
we have to fight with this doubt that
comes into into our minds and hearts
head-on you have to fight it
it's like consider it to be your enemy
so really fight it fight against it
there's no other other than the door to
Allah there's no other real practical
solution then fighting it will power you
will need the will power you will you
will have to have willpower you will
have to say okay I don't care I'm going
to fight it I will mention one thing
here which I've mentioned a lot of the
time the look we have to keep this in
mind and I've mentioned this before as
well that all these rules of Islam they
don't then they are not the objective
I love subhana WA Ta'ala that doesn't
become more right
because we pray or we fast or we give
the cut actually the hadith says that if
all of you know an Akuma hello Kumba in
Sakuma Jinnah come attack up I'll be
rigidly minkum masada fee Maliki Shia if
every single human being from a Damaris
salat wa salam peace be upon him till
the last person they all became really
pious and righteous like full-on taqwa
and have the heart of the most righteous
person amongst all of them which is the
messenger sort of lost - Allah Allah
says that will not increase my kingdom
one little bit and if all of you that
first one of you and the last one of you
the hints the human of you the jinn of
you if all of you became like the worst
like all of us how the beloved all Allah
says if all hadith Qudsi if all of you
became like the one who has the most
wretched heart like a breeze for example
Allah says mana pasa there can be
militia that doesn't decrease anything
from my kingdom
so Allah doesn't get anything from us
praying and not praying all these rules
are not the objective they're not
objective Allah subhana WA Ta'ala only
wants to see from a submission now look
if there's one person who is heedless if
there's a person who doesn't give
importance to do I don't care I don't
really like this so much burden five
times I have to pray and five times I
have to perform ablution and doesn't
really take it seriously just goes into
the washroom or into the bathroom opens
at tap whatever or whatever I don't care
my hands that washed or not properly
anymore just like tragic my mother just
splash some water like okay it's done
who cares then of course I'll always
take that person to task reason being is
because the person didn't take a large
command seriously is neglectful is in
huff Allah is heedless but there's one
person who genuinely in their heart want
to they want to that person wants to
obey the command of Allah wants to
submit feels bad wants to offer salat
that person washed but one small tiny
speck area was remained who left
they didn't do it intentionally they're
submitting to Allah do you think Allah
is going to Cle on your mama you know
say okay you pray to Allah all your life
wait there's at least 26 prayers that
were not done January 23rd 2018
I saw Salah your left foot was dry your
left toe was dry there was a bit of
water that didn't reach in between your
your toes so therefore that's all I
wasn't valid so there's a crossing there
okay February 2017 Ayesha Priya your
left elbow was drawing so therefore
that's a lot isn't it a lot I'm gonna do
that because we tried because for a lot
that prayer itself is not the objective
the objective is the endeavor that we
are trying we are submitting to Allah
Allah is not not going to check if in
between the fingers here those a slight
bit of dry even if technically you will
do wasn't done but you tried allow and
accept it as though it's done seriously
and this is I'm not making this up this
is from the hadith there's a hadith and
Sunnah be tabooed where a man came to
the messenger sort of lover he was
seldom he said o messenger of allah so
allah who are you send him I have this
doubt a lot
I always keep on thinking that I'm
passing wind or ghasts like my voodoo is
broken all the time so every time I'm
praying and I think oh no I think I've
passed wind think I've passed wind OCD
or outside prayers well I always keep on
thinking that I have invalidated my
ablution will loop so now look what the
messenger sallallahu said and said to
him
this is not the normal ruling but
because when someone is in such a
situation of obsessive-compulsive
disorder or OCD or doubts someone who
has what's worse you have to tell that
person emphatically so the messenger
sallallaahu are you selling said to this
person now we'll do a alam insulting oh
really
don't worry yo Gullu will not be
invalidated until you don't smell
something or you don't hear a sound
Allah means 14
oh dear you don't smell now we all know
there's each more of Domo the hole all
the four methods that if someone farts
or passes wind okay passes gas despite
no sound normally you either get either
oh there's a sound but no smell and if
you get smells silent but you know they
say seven but deadly
so you whether yeah you know you have
either all but if someone did have both
no sound
they passed wind no sound and no smell
but they know hundred percent million
percent of passed wind all them atoms
agree will do is broken but for this
person the messenger sallallaahu ready
will sell him say special ruling for a
person in OCD then look because you have
too many doubts whenever you think
you've passed to wind or not did you
hear anything now I've never heard
anything smell can you smell anything no
that means you haven't fought it now
many times he must have passed wind and
his voodoo may have been actually broken
but because he's trying the messenger
sallallaahu are you sort of said to this
person specifically until you don't hear
a sound well until you don't smell
something your will do is not broken so
it's very very important this is from
sheer pond and Shaitaan puts this what's
worse into the mind you know that saying
that look you know yoga do is not done
you've washed it three times but it's
not enough for you you you know washing
three times the arm that's for normal
people not for you because you don't
wash it properly you need to do it seven
times you need to do so people actually
wash it more than three times and that's
against the Sunnah it's actually like
you could be more cruel because Shaitaan
keeps on putting in the mind and maybe
your elbow is left dry maybe your left
foot is dry maybe this is dry and once
this comes into the heart you will
perform ablution again and you will take
an hour like I said and then itami come
you think this is so difficult and I'm
just continue it so this is why the
remedy or the solution is that whatever
we are finally
of experiencing doubts regarding any
issue regarding which we have these
doubts all this what's worse we must
have absolute willpower like force
yourself to go against it like fight it
and say look I don't care I'm going to
fight it I will do what Islam has told
me to do then leave it and say even if
it's not done now don't worry Allah is
not going to worry about this and check
your left nail or whatever allow it
accept it because I have done what is in
my capacity so if you're performing will
do three times or should just fix
yourself a time like okay my will do
will be no longer than seven minutes
stop watch seven minutes and each organ
you could say like I'll fix my time fix
yourself like five minutes maybe even
you know whatever you think and you say
okay one two three that's it now I will
not even think about this finish done if
something was left dry a lot off already
no problem although we forgive you
because in your heart you want to do it
too remember
the issue is that for Allah it's not
done will do and it's not the Salah
anyway I've mentioned many times the
same Salah becomes Haram to pray at
sunrise and sunset fasting in Ramadan is
further than fasting on eight days
sinful so it's not the fasted soap and
it's not the pride so it's the effort
it's the submission so do that and then
after that force yourself to go against
any doubt that comes and say this doubt
mmm that's the shitty part now and I'm
not going to entertain these doubts I'm
going to fight it
there was this one sheikh from the
subcontinent chef
no no no she that man can go Here I am
Allah Allah he's mentioned and I
remember this story that once he said
that I performed what we'll do ablution
I performed my will do and then I
started walking after a while doubt came
into my mind that you know my right
elbow is probably I didn't wash that I
think the water did reach that so I said
okay
you know this doubt has come in to the
minded let me go and wash it so hear him
back to the bathroom and he just made
sure that he washed his right elbow and
then he went away he started walking
again and after a few minutes another
dart came to his mind that I think I
didn't even wash my left elbow so he
said look this is a doubt why not just
go wash your left elbow as well so he
said he went back to the bathroom and
took some water and washed his left
elbow and then he started walking to the
play place of Prayer he walked a bit of
distance and slightly another dart came
to mind and he said the doubt was that I
think my left ankle was left dry and I
didn't put water right so when the
thought came the third time he said to
himself - mmm okay now I know this is
this is Shaitaan it's you he spoke to
himself and he said okay now this is you
who've come to spoil my will doing my
prayer don't worry
today I will offer my prayer without
will do he actually said this said it's
you okay now I know if there's the first
time okay maybe we add out came into our
mind second time but now after right
elbow left elbow now left ankle then
you're gonna go - now I know who it is
today I'm going to offer sort out with
all will do no problem and Allah will
accept my soul of inaudible now this is
how he dealt with it and he performed
your Salah and he said that look if I
entertained that third doubt he would
have reached to the fourth doubt would
have taken me to the fifth doubt and it
would have become a lifelong issue a
problem for all all his life every will
do but you see once you go against it
and you fight it and Shaitaan knows that
this person is not going to be deceived
by this you should speak to shape and
shape on you by I'm going to perform
somehow without wood we'll do today just
fight it once you fight it
then inshallah Shaitaan will just run
away and won't come and trouble you okay
so this is the main solution of dealing
with waswas with
OCD doubts 1 all these things let come
to the mind whether it's to do with
whether is to do with uttering Lala
whether it's about black magic with
whether it's about prayer you know
doubts about pray etcetera and you know
raka I'm praying it just follow the
filling which is mentioned in the books
of fact about what happens if you have a
bit of doubt but you don't have to keep
on repeating you see Dean and Islam the
rules of Islam have not been prescribed
to make our life a nightmare Islam is to
bring peace to our hearts bring peace
and happiness and bomani 'no salah is
not there to make things difficult for
us
once salah starts becoming difficult
then that means that this is from
Shaitaan once Salah becomes difficult in
a sense that you know it's it's a
struggle because you know you're really
fighting against all these doubts they
remember this is share pond who has come
to take you away away from your Salah so
fight it and inshallah pray make dua to
Allah as well and recite surah Tunis I
mean shout really was worse and her
nurse and lady you were Swiss official
duty nurse Mina Jannetty would not keep
on reciting that as well in abundance
may Allah Allah protects us Oh inshallah
remove these doubts and these was was
from our hearts and our minds are
colorful music O'Hara Salaam alaikum wa
rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh
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