Fathwa - Ignore Shaytan's Whispers

Question:
Although I am a young practicing Muslim. I am often beset with doubts.
When i perform ablution, I doubt that I have performed it well, so I
perform it a second time. During prayer, I feel that I may have passed
wind, so I stop my prayer to perform ablution another time. When I go
out to eat, I avoid meat sometimes because I am afraid that the meat
was not slaughtered properly according to Islamic guidelines. I even
avoid eating cookies, for example, because I am afraid that some meat
substance may have been used from meat that was not
slaughteredaccording to Islamic guidelines. My brother - as he became
aware of this problem - advised me not to doubt so much. I have
another problem as well: When I sleep I am not mindful about waking up
to pray.
Answer:
Doubts - that beset the mind concerning worship or matters of belief,
even the essence of Allaah - are fromShaytaan. When the Prophet's
Companions complained to him aboutdoubts that sometimes entered their
hearts, doubts they thought too wicked to speak about, the
ProphetSalallaahu alayhi wasallam)told them that, that was because of
their faith, meaning its purity.
That is becauseShaytaanwhispers doubts about faith only in those
heartsthat are free from any doubt, hoping that thosehearts will obey
him. Meanwhile,Shaytaandoes not need to whisper into a heart thatis
already beset with doubts because he has already successfully
completed his work on that heart.
I advise you to seek refuge in Allaah Almighty fromShaytaan;ignore his
whispers, regardless whether they come to you during prayer, during
ablution, or at any other time. Although these doubts indicate a pure
faith, if they continue, they may also indicate weak willpower.
Try your utmost to ignore his whisperings. When you bring an item home
from the store, do you doubt that it is in your hands? The answer is
obviously no. This is because theShaytaandoes not whisper to manin
these kinds of affairs; he only whispers to him about his worship so
that he can ruin it for him. Also, when you have completed an act of
worship, don't have doubts about whether it was performed
correctly,unless you are sure that there was some defect.
You mentioned your doubts about food; the general ruling on food
isthat it is permissible, so your doubts are not valid. A jewish women
gave the ProphetSalallaahu alayhi wasallamsome lamb to eat at khaybar,
and he ate it. A jewish man invited him to eat and presented him with
barely bread and some other food and he ate it.
InSahih Al-Bukhariit is reported that some Muslims who had recently
accepted Islaam gave some meat as a giftto a group Muslims, who said,
"O Messenger of Allaah, some people brought us meat, and we do not
know whether they said Allaah's Name over it (when they slaughtered
it) or not?" The Messenger of AllaahSalallaahu alayhi wasallamsaid to
them,
"Say the Name of Allaah and eat."(Al-Bukhari no.5507)
Therefore, the general rule concerning meat slaughtered by people
whose slaughtered animals are lawful is thatit is lawful, unless there
is proof indicating the contrary. To forbid what Allaah Almighty has
made lawful is making restrictions over people without reason.
The last problem you mentioned is also fromShaytaan. In
aHadithrecorded inSahih Al-Bukhari, a man was described to the
Messenger of AllaahSalallaahu alayhi wasallam- a man who would not
wake up to pray on time. The Messenger of AllaahSalallaahu alayhi
wasallamsaid,
That is a man in whose ears the Shaytaan has urinated(Al-Bukhari
no.3270 and Muslim no.774)
Shaytaansometimes makes sleep very heavy for somebody, so that
hedoesn't wake up for the morning prayer. You canovercome this problem
by using an alarm clock or by asking somebody to wake you up.