One who is afflicted with gas: when should he leave his prayer, when should he repeat it, how can he overcome this affliction, and is there any advice or guidance for him?
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The questioner : He says: May the Shaykh be honored. A young man is afflicted with excessive gas to the extent that he performs ablution for prayer several times and repeats the prayer as well, until he no longer knows whether it is gas or delusions. What is your advice to him? And what is your guidance? He has reached a point where he is not convinced by his ablution, and he may even have someone stand by him to observe his ablution and prayer. Consequently, his night and day are spent in distress over his condition. He has made things difficult for himself and his family. We ask for a detailed answer. When should a person leave his prayer? When should he repeat it? And how can a person overcome this affliction? May Allah benefit you.
The Shaykh : I say: I ask Allah for this man’s healing and well-being. The cause of what has befallen him is waswas (whispers of doubt). A person imagines that he has broken his purity with any movement in his rear passage or his private part. You find that when he feels this delusion, he goes to squeeze his private part to see if anything comes out or not. It is known that if he does that, something will come out. You find, for example, that he sweats and says that something came out of his rear passage, even though he knows it is sweat and nothing has affected him. The delusion continues with him until he is sometimes convinced that he has broken his purity when he has not. For this reason, we say to this brother, for whom we ask Allah for well-being for us and for him: he should turn away from all of this and avoid all of this. If he resolves in his heart to leave it, Allah will help him. Otherwise, I know that if he resolves in his heart, he will be constrained and remain disturbed, because his soul tells him, “You prayed without ablution,” “You broke your purity during the prayer,” and the like. But if he accustoms himself to it and resolves in his heart, then after that he will be healed from this, if Allah wills. So we ask Allah for healing for us and for him from every ailment, and that He purify our hearts and our bodies. Indeed, He is capable of all things. Yes.
The Shaykh : I say: I ask Allah for this man’s healing and well-being. The cause of what has befallen him is waswas (whispers of doubt). A person imagines that he has broken his purity with any movement in his rear passage or his private part. You find that when he feels this delusion, he goes to squeeze his private part to see if anything comes out or not. It is known that if he does that, something will come out. You find, for example, that he sweats and says that something came out of his rear passage, even though he knows it is sweat and nothing has affected him. The delusion continues with him until he is sometimes convinced that he has broken his purity when he has not. For this reason, we say to this brother, for whom we ask Allah for well-being for us and for him: he should turn away from all of this and avoid all of this. If he resolves in his heart to leave it, Allah will help him. Otherwise, I know that if he resolves in his heart, he will be constrained and remain disturbed, because his soul tells him, “You prayed without ablution,” “You broke your purity during the prayer,” and the like. But if he accustoms himself to it and resolves in his heart, then after that he will be healed from this, if Allah wills. So we ask Allah for healing for us and for him from every ailment, and that He purify our hearts and our bodies. Indeed, He is capable of all things. Yes.