How to Get Rid of Waswas (Obsessive Doubts)

Your Eminence, I just remembered a message that reached the program via this email, known as electronic mail. The sender of this message is one of the brothers who indicated his name at the end of the message by saying: three, three, one thousand and four hundred and eight. What I was able to understand from that message, due to the poor quality of the image, is that our brother has been afflicted with waswas (obsessive doubts) in many matters, the most important of which is wudu (ablution). His condition has reached the point where he leaves those who follow him and count the number of times he washes his limbs, and he argues about the expected answer. He even says: "You will say, Your Eminence: Fear Allah as much as you are able. So how can I be able?" He says that doctors have summarized his illness as obsessive-compulsive waswas. He asks for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: These waswas (obsessive doubts) that some people are afflicted with in wudu (ablution) or in prayer or in other matters are all from Shaytan. Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has guided us to seek refuge in Him from him, and He said: : [An-Nas:1-4]. So you must seek refuge in Allah from the evil of this enemy constantly, during wudu (ablution), during prayer, and in other matters of your life. If he attacks you with waswas (obsessive doubts), he is your enemy, as Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: [Fatir:6]. And He said: : [Al-A'raf:200]. So you must seek refuge in Allah during wudu (ablution) and during prayer. Fight him with a strong fight. If you perform wudu (ablution), do not go back and say: "I did not perform wudu (ablution)." You see your hands washed, and you see your face washed... you see your feet washed. You lie to your eyes and return to obeying Shaytan. Be steadfast when you perform wudu (ablution); do not go back once, twice, or three times. The limit is three. If you wash a limb three times, it is finished; do not add anything to this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not exceed three. It was reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: . So you have no right to increase. If you rinse your mouth and sniff water once, twice, or three times, praise be to Allah... that is sufficient. Do not have waswas (obsessive doubts) and beware.
And if you wash your face three times, that is the limit with the water passing over it: three times. And so, if you wash your face and your hands, likewise, the right and the left, each one three times. It is sufficient for the water to cover it once or twice, but three is the limit. Then wipe your head with your ears once with water. Then wash your feet, the right one three times and the left one three times. It is permissible twice, and it is permissible once if the water covers them. Do not obey Shaytan; it is necessary to have a war with the enemy of Allah. Be strong. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . Do not be weak against Shaytan, your enemy. If one of the people came to argue with you or demand something from you, would you not be strong in repelling the evil from you in the dispute? Or if he wanted to hit you, would you not be strong in repelling him? This one is more harmful; this one is wicked, wanting your destruction, wanting to put you in the Fire. So it is necessary that you be strong in fighting him in wudu (ablution) and in prayer and in everything. Bring your mind to the forefront, know that you are being opposed, that he is your adversary, that he is your enemy, and that he is at war with you. How can you comply with him? It is necessary to have strength, and it is necessary to seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan until you are safe from his evil and his schemes. Ask your Lord for well-being from his evil, and be strong. Do not be lenient with that, and do not yield to him by saying: "I am afraid, I am afraid, I did not complete it." No, be decisive that you have completed it and that you have performed the obligatory duty, and move on to the second limb, and so on. And when you have completed it, do not go back and say: "I did not perform wudu (ablution)" or "I did not pray." No—praise be to Allah—be decisive that you did it, so that your enemy does not overcome you, so that he does not take control of you and make you among the insane. We ask Allah for you success and guidance. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. Do you advise him with specific adhkar (remembrances), Your Eminence, perhaps Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, will cure him of this affliction?
The Shaykh: We advise him, yes, we advise him to say after every prayer, when he has finished the dhikr (remembrance), to recite Ayat al-Kursi (the Verse of the Throne), and to recite (Say: He is Allah, the One) along with the two Mu'awwidhat (chapters of seeking refuge) after every prayer. This is among the causes of safety. And he repeats (Say: He is Allah, the One) and the two Mu'awwidhat three times after Maghrib and Fajr. And when he sleeps, he recites Ayat al-Kursi (the Verse of the Throne) as well, and recites (Say: He is Allah, the One) and the two Mu'awwidhat three times when sleeping. All of this is among the causes of safety. And if he feels something, he says: "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan." And if it becomes severe for him, he spits to his left three times, saying: "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan," and it will go away from him, if Allah wills, if he is strong. Yes.
The presenter: You emphasize strength, Your Eminence...?
The Shaykh: Yes, strength is necessary. He is an enemy, and an enemy requires strength; because if the enemy sees weakness in his opponent, he takes control of him, attacks him, and takes his weapon. So it is necessary that he be strong so that he can repel him and ward him off with the strength of his faith, the strength of his taqwa (mindfulness of Allah), his trust in Allah, and his faith in Him, and that He, Glorified and Exalted is He, is with those who fear Him, with those who do good. Allah says: [Al-Baqarah:194]. Whoever fears Allah, He is with him, helping him against his enemy. And He says: [Al-Anfal:46]. He is patient in fighting him, and strength in his jihad (struggle) until he is safe from his schemes.
The presenter: The aspects of strength are numerous, Your Eminence. You mentioned some of them now. Add to them for our brother, perhaps Allah will benefit from this meeting?
Answer: He should be strong in everything. Strong in his prayer... in his fasting... in his wudu (ablution)... in his dhikr (remembrance) of Allah... in his leaving of the forbidden... in his caution regarding waswas (obsessive doubts) and his fighting them, and his knowledge that they are invalid, and that they are from the enemy of Allah, so that he discards them, and so that he opposes them, and so that he fears them with the utmost fear. Thus, the believer is always strong in all his matters.
The presenter: Do you see among the causes of strength, or as part of strength, that he should keep away those who watch him during his wudu (ablution)? There is no need for them?
Answer: Yes, there is no need for them. He should keep them away and does not need this. As long as he is sane, with a mind, if he were insane, he would have no prayer. As long as he has a mind and knows that he is sane, he should not let Shaytan overcome him. And he should not have anyone present to count for him, neither in his prayer nor in his wudu (ablution); he counts for himself, he himself, and there is no need for anyone, unless he sees himself as insane. For the insane, the pen is lifted.
The presenter: May Allah benefit you... May Allah benefit you.