Some of the obsessives whose conditions I mentioned come to washing the arms and spend a long time washing them, so when we tell them

The questioner : These are questions regarding the topic of ritual purity and ablution. The honorableThe Shaykh : Some of the obsessives whose conditions I mentioned come to washing the arms and spend a long time washing them, so when we tell him: "This is part of obsessive thoughts," he says: "The arm is cylindrical in shape; I cannot see."

The Shaykh : What is the arm?

The questioner : It is cylindrical in shape; I cannot see whether the water reached the bottom of it or not. So we advise him, but he does not respond. What is your advice for him, and what are the books that address this type of issue?

The Shaykh : Yes, my advice to this brother is to fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and to adhere to the limits prescribed by the Shari'ah. It is reported in the hadith that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Would you accept to be one who does wrong, transgresses, and is unjust? No. And there is no doubt that what this person mentioned about himself, which you have heard, is certainly a case where he has fallen into much of what others have fallen into, meaning that obsessive thoughts have become common among people. I do not know if this has been common for a long time and we were not aware of it, or if this prevalence is new. In any case: he will be affected. If he restricts himself to the prescribed three times without adding more, he will be affected, his chest will feel tight, and he will say that he prayed without ritual purity. We say: There is no harm. Break this limit, and then everything will become easy. If Satan tells you that you did not complete your ritual purity, say: There is no harm, pray. And if you resolve to face this matter with determination, Allah will remove it from you, along with seeking refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan, and patience in bearing the hardship that befalls you.