He says in his letter to me: My mother is forty-five years old, and whenever she wants to pray, something occurs that prevents her from praying.

The questioner : A letter reached us from Jordan, sent by Khalil ibn Ahmad, saying from Amman: He says in his letter to me: My mother is forty-five years old, and whenever she wants to pray, something comes to her or occurs that prevents her from praying. She has tried treatment many times, but the treatment has not succeeded. Even when she remembers Allah and wants to pray, or is actually praying, she becomes ill and loses consciousness, not knowing what is around her. She loves the Qur'an very much and listens to the Qur'an and the noble Prophetic hadiths. I want to ask: Is the prayer dropped from her in this state? And what is obligatory for her to do? The one who appears to her like a disbelieving devil does not want to let this Muslim woman pray. My mother is pessimistic about the little prayer she performs and feels a great sin regarding that. We ask for your guidance, and may Allah guide you?

The Shaykh : The treatment for this woman is to increase the remembrance of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), seeking refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan, and reciting the Verse of the Throne, because all these causes are what drive the devils away from her and protect her from them. And she should be patient and pray in whatever state she is in, so that she may clear her conscience thereby and break the force of the devil. When he sees that his attempt to prevent her from the obedience of Allah has failed, he retreats, departs, and is driven away from the person. So our advice to her is summarized in two things: first, increasing the remembrance and seeking refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan and reciting the Verse of the Throne; and second, being patient with the hardship she suffers when performing the prayer and doing acts of obedience. By doing so, what she is experiencing will be removed from her, if Allah wills.