When I do Salah or intendto do good deeds I often get very evil
thoughts in my mind. When I concentrate in Salah, and try to focus on
the meaning of the words, evil thoughts enter my mind, which make evil
suggestions about everything including Allah. I feel very
frustratedand angry about this. I know that none forgives sins except
Allah alone, but because of my thoughts I feel that there is nothing
worse than to have evil thoughts about Allah. After Salah I ask
Allah's forgiveness, but feel very bad because I want to stop these
evil thoughts, but I can't stop them. These thoughts spoil my
enjoyment of Salah, and also make me feel as though I am doomed.
Please advise me.
Praise be to Allaah.
Evil whispers during prayer and at other times come from the Shaytaan,
who is keen to misguide the Muslim and deprive him of good and keep it
far away from him. One ofthe Sahaabah complained to the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about waswaas during
prayer, and he said: "The Shaytaan comes between me and my prayers and
my recitation, confusing me therein." The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "That is a devil called
Khanzab. If he affects you seek refuge in Allah from him and spit
drily to your left three times." He [the Sahaabi] said, I did that and
Allaah took him awayfrom me.
(Narrated by Muslim, 2203)
Proper focus (khushoo') is the essence of prayer. Prayer without
proper focus is like a body without a soul. The following are two of
the things that help one to develop the proper focus:
1 - Striving to think aboutwhat you are saying and doing, pondering
the meanings of the Qur'aan, dhikr and du'aa's that youare reciting;
bearing in mind that you are conversing with Allaah as if you can see
Him. For when the worshipper stands to pray, he is speaking to his
Lord, and ihsaan means worshipping Allaah as if you are seeing Him,
and knowing that even though you cannot see Him, He sees you. Every
time a person experiencesthe sweetness of prayer, he will be more
inclined to do it. [?]. This depends of the strength of one's faith -
and there are many means of strengthening one's faith. Hence the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Of the
things of your world, women and perfume have been made dear to me, and
my joy is in prayer." According to another hadeeth he said, "Let us
relax, O Bilal, with prayer," and he did not say, Give us a break from
it.
2 - Striving to ward off the things that may distract you during
prayer, namely thinking about things that are irrelevant or
distracting. Waswaas affects each person differently, because waswaas
has to do with a person's level ofdoubts and desires and the degree to
which a person is attached to other things or is fearing other things.
(From Majmoo' Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, 22/605)
With regard to what you say about the waswaas reaching such a great
level that you have begunto experience waswaas that makes you think
about Allaah in ways that are not appropriate, theseare evil whispers
from theShaytaan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries to turn you away
(O Muhammad) (from doing good), then seek refuge inAllaah. Verily, He
is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower"
[Fussilat 41:36]
Some of the Sahaabah complained about the waswaas that was bothering
[?] them. Some of the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) cameto the Prophet (peace
andblessings of Allaah be upon him) and said to him, 'We find in
ourselves thoughts that are too terrible to speak of.' He said, 'Are
you really having such thoughts?' They said, 'Yes.' He said, 'That is
a clear sign of faith.'" (Narrated by Muslim). (Narrated by Muslim,
132 from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah).
Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on this hadeeth: "The Prophet's
words, 'That is a clear signof faith' means, the fact that think of
this waswaas as something terrible is a clear sign of faith, for if
you dare not utter it and you are so afraid of it and of speaking of
it, let alone believing it, this is the sign of one who has achieved
perfect faith andwho is free of doubt."
And it was said that what it means is that the Shaytaan only whispers
tothose whom he despairs of tempting, because he isunable to tempt
them. As for the kaafir, he can approach him in any manner he wants
and is not restricted to waswaas,rather he can play with him however
he wants. Based on this, what the hadeeth means is that thecause of
waswaas is pure faith, or that waswaas is asign of pure faith. :->
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