Advice for one afflicted with excessive intrusive thoughts
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Our sister has a long question at the end of her letter, the summary of which is: she is prone to excessive intrusive thoughts during prayer. What do you advise her, O Shaykh?
Answer: It is obligatory for you to fear Allah the Exalted, and to beware of obeying the enemy of Allah, Shaytan; for he is a clear enemy, as Allah the Exalted said: [Fatiha: 6], and Allah sent down a separate surah concerning him, which is His saying the Exalted: [An-Nas: 1-4], and he is Shaytan.
So it is obligatory for you to fight him and to beware of his schemes and intrusive thoughts, and not to yield to him. For when a person yields to the enemy of Allah, he becomes hopeful of him and occupies him with his ablution, his prayer, and his other states. But you must reject his intrusive thoughts. When you have performed your ablution, let it be sufficient and do not repeat the ablution. Do not say: "I fear such and such, I fear such and such." No; when you have finished and washed your feet, let it be sufficient and go to prayer.
And when you have prayed, do not repeat the prayer. Do not say: "I fear I shortened such and such, I fear such and such." Leave these intrusive thoughts. And when you have said the takbir, do not repeat the takbir. The takbir that has been said is sufficient, and do not say: "I fear, I fear." All of this is from the enemy of Allah.
The point of this is that it is obligatory for you to fight the enemy of Allah with a strong, severe fight until you are free from him, and so that he does not become hopeful of you thereafter. But if you give him softness and negligence with him, he will become hopeful of you, and he will harm you with great harm, and perhaps he will make you like the other insane in your actions; for he has overcome you with intrusive thoughts. So fear Allah and beware of the enemy of Allah.
And I also say: “I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan.” Seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, and ask Allah to protect you from the evil of Allah’s enemy, and to help you in fighting him. Keep in mind the greatness of Allah and the obligation to obey His command to seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan and not to submit to his whispers. This is what helps you to obey Allah and to abandon the whispers.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Answer: It is obligatory for you to fear Allah the Exalted, and to beware of obeying the enemy of Allah, Shaytan; for he is a clear enemy, as Allah the Exalted said:
Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze.
إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا إِنَّمَا يَدْعُوا حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُوا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ(1) Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, (2) The Sovereign of mankind. (3) The God of mankind, (4) From the evil of the retreating whisperer -
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ إِلَهِ النَّاسِ مِنْ شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِSo it is obligatory for you to fight him and to beware of his schemes and intrusive thoughts, and not to yield to him. For when a person yields to the enemy of Allah, he becomes hopeful of him and occupies him with his ablution, his prayer, and his other states. But you must reject his intrusive thoughts. When you have performed your ablution, let it be sufficient and do not repeat the ablution. Do not say: "I fear such and such, I fear such and such." No; when you have finished and washed your feet, let it be sufficient and go to prayer.
And when you have prayed, do not repeat the prayer. Do not say: "I fear I shortened such and such, I fear such and such." Leave these intrusive thoughts. And when you have said the takbir, do not repeat the takbir. The takbir that has been said is sufficient, and do not say: "I fear, I fear." All of this is from the enemy of Allah.
The point of this is that it is obligatory for you to fight the enemy of Allah with a strong, severe fight until you are free from him, and so that he does not become hopeful of you thereafter. But if you give him softness and negligence with him, he will become hopeful of you, and he will harm you with great harm, and perhaps he will make you like the other insane in your actions; for he has overcome you with intrusive thoughts. So fear Allah and beware of the enemy of Allah.
And I also say: “I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan.” Seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, and ask Allah to protect you from the evil of Allah’s enemy, and to help you in fighting him. Keep in mind the greatness of Allah and the obligation to obey His command to seek refuge in Allah from Shaytan and not to submit to his whispers. This is what helps you to obey Allah and to abandon the whispers.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.