Means of Treating Satanic Whispers During Worship and Other Matters

This is also from the suffering, confused sister (M. M. N.) from Makkah al-Mukarramah. She says in her letter: I ask the program to present this letter to His Eminence Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Baz, may Allah guide him to what He loves and is pleased with. I am a believing girl who believes in Allah and His oneness, and I perform His acts of obedience, striving for everything that brings me closer to Him. However, I live in a continuous cycle of distress, in a constant struggle with my own self. This is the self that commands evil, which is the cause of my confusion and suffering in my life, and in which I never find tranquility in any of my deeds, especially in worship, and above all in the prayer. When I stand to perform it, I do not find the required humility and submission. Various thoughts come to me that make me interrupt the recitation, but I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, I ask Allah for forgiveness, and then I continue. I do not last moments before I return to the same state, and I remain like that until I finish. Afterwards, I feel that my prayer is not accepted, and that all my deeds are not accepted from me. I have cried a lot and asked for forgiveness a lot, and I have repented to Allah more than once, but I find my self leading me to sins. I am now living in torment, anxiety, confusion, and fear. I fear that my life will end while I am in this state, and I fear that my life will end without me having gained anything from it, knowing that I was not like this before. So I ask His Eminence to advise me on what I must do so that I may return to how I was before. May Allah guide you to what He loves and is pleased with?
Answer:
First: I ask Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, to grant the questioner success in what brings His pleasure, to rectify her heart and her deeds, to guide her to the best of matters, to grant her steadfastness, uprightness, righteousness, and soundness, and to show her the good that brings tranquility and happiness in this world and the Hereafter.
My advice is that you, O questioner, should increase your reading of the Noble Qur'an, with reflection and understanding at appropriate times, along with studying books of the Sunnah and books of tafsir that benefit you, such as: Riyaad al-Saaliheen, such as: Bulugh al-Maraam, such as: al-Waabil al-Saayib, such as: Tafsir Ibn Kathir, and al-Baghawi, and Ibn Jarir. These are beneficial tafsirs, and Tafsir al-Shawkani, so that you benefit and so that you occupy your time with what benefits you.
Another matter is keeping the company of the righteous from your family, and finding comfort in them, whether a father and mother or righteous sisters. You should also occupy some time with them. If you are not married, you should strive to get married, even if you propose to him yourself. You look among your relatives for one who is good and one who is suitable for you, from the sons of your paternal uncle, or the sons of your maternal uncle, or others whom you know. Then you ask your father or another of your awliya (guardians) to mediate in this, and you say: I have heard such and such about him, and I have heard such and such about him, not out of suspicion, but by inquiring about him and getting to know him. If you know that he is righteous and good, you say to your father or another of your awliya: You are asking for so-and-so to marry you. And you advise him not to be extravagant in the mahr (bridal gift) or in the walimah (wedding feast), and that they should be lenient with him regarding the mahr and the walimah. All of this is among the causes of calm, among the causes of steadfastness, and among the causes of the removal of these whispers and bad thoughts.
If you are married, then praise be to Allah, and you must live with him well, treat him with kindness, and deal with him in a good manner. You should strive for the causes of affection and love with him, and fulfilling the lawful desire, along with paying attention to what was mentioned before regarding reading the Noble Qur'an with reflection, increasing dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and istighfar (seeking forgiveness), increasing seeking refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, and frequently saying: La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (There is no power and no strength except with Allah). Along with studying beneficial and useful books, all of this is among the causes of removing the anxiety and whispers that may harm you that I mentioned. I ask Allah for you guidance and success, and the rectification of intention and deeds.
The presenter: Thank you, may Allah reward you.