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Waswasah in Islam: How Shaytan Misleads Through Doubts
Shaitan has a very specific and dangerous weapon that he uses to mislead many people. He has thousands of ways to push people toward misguidance and sin, but there is one method he uses frequently that leaves a person completely distressed. Often, the person doesn’t even realize that what they are experiencing is a satanic game; they might feel they have a medical illness causing these feelings. By now, you might have guessed what I am talking about: Waswasah.
Yes, many people are familiar with Waswasah. It is something that pushes you into a state of constant doubt, regardless of the situation. You might have noticed, for example, that when you stand up for Salah, you often forget how many Rak’ahs you have performed. In Dhuhr, there are 4 Rak’ahs. You might have performed all four, but due to Shaitan’s whispers, you become forgetful and feel as if you only prayed three. Or sometimes, you feel like you might have prayed five. This is just a small example. Waswasah can happen in every act of worship, and it can become so severe that it starts creating doubts about your Deen (religion) itself.
In today’s article, we will completely understand the psychology behind this and learn what the solution to this problem is.
What Is Waswasah?
Waswasah is an Arabic word that means “to whisper softly and repeatedly.” It is often referred to in relation to Shaitan because he uses it to mislead humans, involve them in doubts, and weaken their Iman (faith). Shaitan has been using Waswasah since before the beginning of this world. You must have heard the story of Hazrat Adam and Hawa (alaihis salam)—how Shaitan misled them and prompted them to eat from the forbidden tree even though Allah had clearly forbidden it. What Shaitan did to them is called Waswasah.
“From the evil of the whisperer who withdraws—who whispers in the hearts of mankind.” (Surah An-Nas 114:4-5)
This verse clearly shows that Shaitan whispers. He cannot force anyone, but he can compel people by repeatedly putting them into a state of doubt. If people refuse to listen and do not fall for Shaitan’s whispers, he will eventually stop, even if he doesn’t want to.
How Shaitan Uses Doubts (Not Just Direct Sins)
Shaitan does not always make us commit direct sins. Besides direct sins, he makes us sinners through Riya (showing off), which I have written about in a previous article. On the other hand, he misleads us by throwing us into Waswasah. Here are some examples:
- Doubting whether you performed Wudu correctly.
- Doubting whether you made the proper Niyyah (intention) before Salah.
- Doubting whether you performed Ghusl (ritual bath) correctly.
- Doubting whether you made a mistake during Salah.
When a person repeatedly faces these doubts in their worship, they feel tired and exhausted. They become victims of these thoughts and gradually drift away from worship. They start finding things difficult, even though Allah has made the Deen easy for us. In modern scientific language, many people refer to this severe form of Waswasah as OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder).
Shaitan does not use this method on everyone. He first studies a person and understands them. Once he identifies a weakness, he attacks it. No one in this world is perfect. Our aim is to perform worship perfectly, but Allah has clearly said that our job as humans is only to make the effort. You should make your full effort and leave the perfection to Allah. You must try your best to come out of these whispers because if you respond to them even once, they will not leave you alone.
Solution For Waswasah
The solution is simple: you must make a firm intention that you will not let these whispers overpower you, no matter what. There are many Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ď·ş that you should read:
“Satan comes to one of you and says, ‘Who created this? Who created that?’ until he says, ‘Who created your Lord?’ When he reaches that stage, one should seek refuge in Allah.”
A companion came to Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and said:
“Messenger of Allah, the Devil intervenes between me and my prayer and my reciting of the Qur’an and he confounds me.” Thereupon Allah’s Messenger ď·ş said: “That is (the doing of a) devil who is known as Khinzab. When you perceive its effect, seek refuge with Allah from it and spit (dryly) three times to your left.” The companion said: “I did that and Allah dispelled that from me.” — Sahih Muslim 2203
For example, if you are performing Wudu and you have done it once, but then you get a doubt that it wasn’t correct, you might go a second or third time. If after the third time the doubt comes again, do not go back. Complete your worship (Salah). There are generally up to three opportunities to clear a doubt; if you do it more than that, you are doing it to please Shaitan rather than Allah. For any doubt regarding worship, a maximum of three repetitions is permitted—not more.
Conclusion
In this article, I have explained how you can protect yourself from Shaitan’s Waswasah. As mentioned earlier, Shaitan studies a person first and works on their weaknesses. You may have noticed that not everyone has this problem. The only way to escape this is self-control, having Tawakkul (trust) in Allah, and seeking His help. Do not let this overpower you, because gradually it can make your life miserable and turn into a clinical illness called OCD.
That is all for today. We will meet again with a new topic. Take care of yourself and your family. May Allah forgive all our sins and accept our supplications. Ameen.