What is the cure for one who has obsessive doubts regarding the essence of Allah the Exalted?
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Question:
I was afflicted with obsessive doubts, and I became extreme in my religion. I was afflicted with obsessive doubts regarding the essence of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and I began to speak about Allah and mock Him. This has been going on for a long time. So now, O Shaykh, how does one return to Allah, when Allah the Exalted said: [Al Imran: 90]?
Answer:
You must return to Allah through repentance and regret, and when these obsessive doubts occur, you should say: "I believe in Allah and His messengers," and "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided those who are afflicted with obsessive doubts regarding Allah to say: "I believe in Allah and His messengers," and to seek refuge in Allah, and to stop.
It is established in the authentic collections that it was said: "O Messenger of Allah, one of us finds that falling from the sky would be more beloved to him than speaking it"—meaning: the whispering of doubt. He said: Meaning: the essence of faith; because when the enemy saw the strength of faith and the purity of faith, he came with these obsessive doubts to turn the servant away from his religion. So, from the strength of his faith, he sees that if he were to fall from the sky, it would be easier for him than to speak these obsessive doubts, because of their evil in what he believes.
And in the other wording, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:.
So when obsessive doubts come regarding Allah, or the Hereafter, or Paradise, or the Fire, or the resurrection, or the divine decree, or the names and attributes of Allah, say: "I believe in Allah and His messengers." Repeat it until you are reassured, and say: "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan," and stop from them, cast them aside, and occupy yourself with conversation with your brothers, reading, dhikr, studying, and other such occupations. The door of repentance is open. The scholars said regarding: meaning: they increased in disbelief until they died upon disbelief. As long as a person is alive, the door of repentance is open. [Ali 'Imran 3:90] meaning: they remained in disbelief until they died—may Allah grant us safety. So there is no repentance after death upon disbelief; for him is only the Fire—we seek refuge in Allah. But as long as he is alive, his repentance is accepted, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: Mishkat al-Masabih 2329. So a person remains in a space of his religion as long as he does not die upon disbelief. If he repents before the sun rises from the west, and before he gasps for his last breath—before his soul departs—with a sincere repentance, Allah accepts it from him, even if he did what he did.
I was afflicted with obsessive doubts, and I became extreme in my religion. I was afflicted with obsessive doubts regarding the essence of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and I began to speak about Allah and mock Him. This has been going on for a long time. So now, O Shaykh, how does one return to Allah, when Allah the Exalted said:
Indeed, those who reject the message after their belief and then increase in disbelief - never will their [claimed] repentance be accepted, and they are the ones astray.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِمْ ثُمَّ ازْدَادُوا كُفْرًا لَنْ تُقْبَلَ تَوْبَتُهُمْ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الضَّالُّونَAnswer:
You must return to Allah through repentance and regret, and when these obsessive doubts occur, you should say: "I believe in Allah and His messengers," and "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided those who are afflicted with obsessive doubts regarding Allah to say: "I believe in Allah and His messengers," and to seek refuge in Allah, and to stop.
It is established in the authentic collections that it was said: "O Messenger of Allah, one of us finds that falling from the sky would be more beloved to him than speaking it"—meaning: the whispering of doubt. He said:
That is pure faith.
ذاك صريح الإيمانAnd in the other wording, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The people will keep asking questions until one of them says: "This is Allah who created everything, so who created Allah?" He said: "So if one of you finds that, let him say: 'I believe in Allah and His messengers,' let him seek refuge in Allah, and let him stop."
لا يزال الناسُ يتساءلون حتى يقول أحدُهم: هذا الله خلق كلَّ شيءٍ، فمَن خلق الله؟ قال: فإذا وجد أحدُكم ذلك فليقل: آمنتُ بالله ورسله، وليستعذ بالله، ولينتهSo when obsessive doubts come regarding Allah, or the Hereafter, or Paradise, or the Fire, or the resurrection, or the divine decree, or the names and attributes of Allah, say: "I believe in Allah and His messengers." Repeat it until you are reassured, and say: "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan," and stop from them, cast them aside, and occupy yourself with conversation with your brothers, reading, dhikr, studying, and other such occupations. The door of repentance is open. The scholars said regarding:
increased in disbelief
ازْدَادُوا كُفْرًاand then increase in disbelief
ثُمَّ ازْدَادُوا كُفْرًاGod stretches out His hand at night that those who have done evil during the day may repent and stretches out His hand in the day-time that those who have done evil during the night may repent, until [the time when] the sun rises in the west.
إنَّ الله يبسط يدَه في الليل ليتوب مُسيئ النهار، ويبسط يده في النهار ليتوب مُسيئ الليل، حتى تطلع الشمسُ من مغربها
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.