Explanation of the condemnation of those who suffer from obsessive thoughts and the state of the one who suffers from them
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The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. The questioner says: Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his book the condemnation of those who suffer from obsessive thoughts, saying: "Let it be known that the Companions..." Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned.
The Shaykh:
Meaning,
The questioner:
In his book on the condemnation of those who suffer from obsessive thoughts, he said: "Let it be known that there was no one among the Companions who suffered from obsessive thoughts."
The Shaykh:
Praise be to Allah.
The questioner:
If obsessive thoughts were a virtue, Allah would not have withheld it from His Messenger and his Companions, who are the best of the creation and the best of the people. Then he said: "If the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had encountered a thousand people suffering from obsessive thoughts, he would have killed them, and if 'Umar had encountered them, he would have struck them." His question is: Does this mean that the one who suffers from obsessive thoughts is a sinner, even though it sometimes happens to him without his choice?
The Shaykh:
No, this is a matter of prudence, meaning it is a warning against obsessive thoughts. It is a warning against obsessive thoughts, not a punishment for the one who suffers from them, that he should be killed. This is a calamity that has befallen the poor man; it is an illness. How could he be killed? But this is a matter of exhorting to abandon obsessive thoughts. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. The questioner says: Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in his book the condemnation of those who suffer from obsessive thoughts, saying: "Let it be known that the Companions..." Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned.
The Shaykh:
Meaning,
The questioner:
In his book on the condemnation of those who suffer from obsessive thoughts, he said: "Let it be known that there was no one among the Companions who suffered from obsessive thoughts."
The Shaykh:
Praise be to Allah.
The questioner:
If obsessive thoughts were a virtue, Allah would not have withheld it from His Messenger and his Companions, who are the best of the creation and the best of the people. Then he said: "If the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) had encountered a thousand people suffering from obsessive thoughts, he would have killed them, and if 'Umar had encountered them, he would have struck them." His question is: Does this mean that the one who suffers from obsessive thoughts is a sinner, even though it sometimes happens to him without his choice?
The Shaykh:
No, this is a matter of prudence, meaning it is a warning against obsessive thoughts. It is a warning against obsessive thoughts, not a punishment for the one who suffers from them, that he should be killed. This is a calamity that has befallen the poor man; it is an illness. How could he be killed? But this is a matter of exhorting to abandon obsessive thoughts. Yes.
Source
شرح إغاثة اللهفان من مصائد الشيطان لابن القيم، فصل في الجواب عما احتج به أهل الوسواس — islamhouse.com (55:03)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.