ummtaalib

<QUESTION> Could you please explain the difference between Ahad and Mutawatir Hadith? In particular, could you specify how many narrations make a Hadith Mutawatir? Also, are Ahad hadith taken into Aqidah or only Mutawatir? <ANSWER> In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, A Hadith Mutawatir (continuous) is that which is related by whole groups of individuals from whole group of individuals, in multiple contiguous channels of transmission leading back to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give peace), such as that the sheer number of separate channels at each stage of transmission is too many for it to be possible for all to have conspired to fabricate the Hadith. As such, a Hadith is classified as Mutawatir only when it fulfils the following conditions: 1) It is reported by such a large number of narrators that under normal circumstances it would be impossible for them to conspire a lie. 2) Such a number exists throughout the chain of narration, i.e. from the beginning to the end. 3) The reporters must base their report on sense perception, i.e. on something that is heard or seen. 4) That the narration necessitates certain knowledge for the listener. (Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, Sharh Nukhba al-Fikr, P.21). Example of a Mutawatir Hadith is: “Whoever lies about me deliberately must prepare himself for a place in the fire of Hell” (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih muslim). Imam an-Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) states that this narration has been narrated from approximately 200 Companions (Allah be pleased with them all) (Introduction to Sahih Muslim). The Ahad or solitary Hadith (also known as Khabar al-Wahid) is the Hadith which fails to fulfil the requirement of Mutawatir. Ahad Hadith may be sound (sahih), good (hasan) or weak (Da’eef). It is a Hadith which does not impart positive knowledge on its own unless it is supported by extraneous or circumstantial evidence. According to the majority of the four Sunni schools, acting upon Ahad is obligatory even if Ahad fails to engender positive knowledge provided certain conditions are met. As far as establishing matters of Aqidah is concerned, the majority of the scholars are of the view that Ahad may not be relied upon as the basis of belief (aqidah), for matters of belief must be founded in certainty. Therefore, issues that revolve between belief (iman) and disbelief (kufr) can not be proven by Ahad narrations (See: Fawatih al-Rahmut, 2/136). However, this refers to beliefs on which the actual Iman is dependent. As for Ahad narrations pertaining to subsidiary matters which are not essential to belief such as intercession (shafa’ah), etc..., these must be accepted and believed. Anyone who denies them is a sinner (fasiq) but not a Kafir, as he denies something which is not decisively proven (Abu Zahra, Usul al-Fiqh, P.85). None of the previous scholars rejected any belief that was not established by Hadith Mutawatir. In fact, the great Hadith expert, Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani (Allah have mercy on him) states in his monumental commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari that, Ahad narrations are a source of evidence when the Ummah accepts it and acts upon it. It then has the power to become firm belief (Fath al-Bari, V.13, P.234). Many beliefs have been established by Ahad narrations, yet they have not been rejected by the great scholars of this Ummah. Beliefs such as the intercession (shafa’ah) of the blessed Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give peace), descriptions of the angels, Jinn, Jannah, Jahannam, and much more. In conclusion, matters of Aqidah can and have been proven by Ahad narrations and accepted by the majority of the Ummah. Yes, those integrals of Aqidah on which an individual’s Iman depends can not be established by Ahad narrations. As a result, denying beliefs that are proven by Ahad will not constitute Kufr, rather a sin. And Allah Knows Best [Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam Darul Iftaa Leicester , UK

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem A Qur'aan teacher always advised her students to live by this Ayah: وَعَجِلْتُ إِلَيْكَ رَبِّ لِتَرْضَىٰ "And I hurried towards You, O my Lord, so that You be pleased." [Ta Ha 20: 84] She told them, "This Ayah is what moves me. When I hear the Adhaan and I'm in occupied and in the middle of something, I remind myself of this Ayah and so I get up to pray." "When my alarm goes off at 2 a.m. and I want to go back to sleep, I remember: "And I hurried towards You, O my Lord, so that You be pleased." Her husband had the following arrangement with her: On his way home from work he would call her so that she gets the food hot and ready, that he can come home and eat & rest. One day he asked her to make Mahshi (stuffed grape leaves) – which is very time consuming. You wrap many of them and put the pot of them on the stove to cook. She had just three more to wrap before she could put them on the stove to cook. But the Adhaan commenced... So she left the three remaining grape-leaves (which would have taken her 5 minutes) and she went to pray. Her husband kept calling& calling her phone but there was no answer. He came home and found her in Sujood and that the food was not ready. He saw that there were only three grape-leaves left. He was upset and said, "You could have just finished them and put the pot to cook, then pray!" No response. He went to her to discover she had died in her Sujood! SubhaanAllaah, had she waited like any of us to "finish whats in her hand" she would have died in the kitchen! But a person dies upon what they lived on and they are resurrected on what they died on. Gems of Guidance

A Christian complains about prohibition of Muslims celebrating or congratulating people at Christmas Why do you condemn the celebration of the what Christians think is birth of the son of God (Allah)? We should be teaching respect for other peoples and religions. Yet with such condemnation and calling it falsehood, it makes it difficult for rational, honest, and respectful persons to communicate. Praise be to the One God, who begets not, nor is begotten. You seem to have misinterpreted the condemnation of celebration of Christmas as a matter of disrespect for Christians. In reality, it is out of respect for Allah and Jesus and the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them. It is an integral part of our faith to reject celebrations that have not been prescribed and/or that have a basis in falsehood, as inevitably they lead to misguidance and alterations in faith, as has happened with Christianity. There is nothing "radical" or "fringe" about this. It is our basic right to protect our faith and practice from distortion and falsehood. Surely no one has a right to condemn us for this. Do you think Encyclopedia Britannica is rational and honest? Please read what they have to say about Christmas: Excerpts quoted directly from www.britannica.com : The word Christmas is derived from the Old English Cristes maesse, "Christ's Mass." : ( There is no certain tradition of the date of Christ's birth. Christian chronographers of the 3rd century believed that the creation of the world took place at the spring equinox, then reckoned as March 25; hence the new creation in the incarnation (i.e., the conception) and death of Christ must therefore have occurred on the same day, with his birth following nine months later at the winter solstice, December 25). ... According to a Roman almanac, the Christian festival of Christmas was celebrated in Rome by AD 336... ( The reason why Christmas came to be celebrated on December 25 remains uncertain, but most probably the reason is that early Christians wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the "birthday of the unconquered sun" ) (natalis solis invicti); this festival celebrated the winter solstice, when the days again begin to lengthen and the sun begins to climb higher in the sky. The traditional customs connected with Christmas have accordingly developed from several sources as a result of the coincidence of the celebration of the birth of Christ with the pagan agricultural and solar observances at midwinter. In the Roman world the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchange of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness. On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. To these observances were added the www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/idxref/0/0,5716,266282... and Celtic Yule rites when the Teutonic tribes penetrated into Gaul, Britain, and central Europe. Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, and gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian. Since the European Middle Ages, evergreens, as symbols of survival, have been associated with Christmas... [end quote] So as any rational person can see, there is no sound basis for Christmas, nor did Jesus (peace be upon him) or his true followers celebrate Christmas or ask anyone to celebrate Christmas, nor was there any record of anyone calling themselves Christians celebrating Christmas until several hundred years after Jesus. So were the companions of Jesus more righteously guided in not celebrating Christmas or are the people of today? So if you want to respect Jesus, peace be upon him, as Muslims do, don't celebrate some fabricated event that was chosen to coincide with pagan festivals and copy pagan customs. Do you honestly think God, or even Jesus himself, would approve or condemn such a thing? If you say approve, then obviously you are not interested in the truth. We ask Allaah, the One, Singular God, with no partners or sons, the God of all creation and mankind, to guide us all to the path of guidance and sincerity.

Aslaam Alaikum I have some questions relating to the same topic. I firstly like to apologise about the length of the question. Please reply. 1) I am suffering from very bad waswasa of divorce thoughts lately, which come to me without my will or intention. Because i am suffering from waswasa everything i say becomes a real struggle of the mind. If i say something to anyone or read quran or a book, something in my head makes me believe that i am saying these things to my wife. For example i might be getting angry towards my brother but something in my mind makes me believe that i am saying these words to my wife. Or if I have a book or papers or clothes in my hand and something in my head makes me feel that there is a metaphor on there and makes me feel there is intention. What do I do? please tell me how to solve this problem of unintentional thoughts? Everytime I talk or write, something makes me feel that there is intention, but in reality I have no intention. I am struggling. BECAUSE OF THIS CONDITION I FEEL THERE IS A LACK OF SELF CONTROL IN ME AND I AM SCARED THAT BECAUSE OF THIS I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL MY INTENTIONS AND MY THOUGHTS, WHAT DO I DO? 2) At one point I was at my in-laws and I was standing by the door waiting for my wife. My sister in law asked me if I was going, it was just a general/normal question. At first I didn't reply because of these thoughts, because they make me feel that I am aiming it towards my wife, but really I have no intention. So she asked me again and I said 'yes/yeah'. At that moment something in my head made me feel that I am saying 'yes/yeah' to divorce. But really I have no intention and I don't intend to. I would like to know what the ruling would be IF there was intention in saying of 'yes/yeah' to a normal general question as explained, would that count? 3)If someone writes just their signature with intention (in their mind) on plain paper or a business contract or a document or a general printed paper sitting on a table with possible metaphors printed on, would that count? No verbal speech is spoken or anything written by them self or given except the writing of the signature 4) If someone is holding in their hand a bottle of drink Or a receipt or money Or a book Or some clothes Or a general paper for normal use and there might be some possible metaphors already printed on these and then all of a sudden that person gives these to the wife with intention without speaking or saying anything OR has intention whilst holding these, OR puts on a already printed poster with metaphors already written with intention in mind(does not say anything or write ), would that count? Or whilst holding these they look at the metaphors that are already printed on these and have intention in their mind and give these to the wife without speaking, would that count? 5)If someone clicks on a metaphor or the actual statement on the computer using a mouse or clicks on a link which then brings up metaphors or clicks on an actual statement or a link using the mouse on the computer with intention, would that count? No metaphor or statement is written themselves. 6)If someone points to the door or uses other hand actions with intention and dont speak , would that count? 7) If someone say 'friends' or mentions a name or says parent with intention would that count? 8) If someone writes a metaphor without intention. After a moment due to confusion I thought there was intention when I wrote it, but after some thinking I realised there wasn't. So I think I verbally said to myself ' there was no intention at the time of writing the metaphor but the intention came AFTER a short while of writing this word'. And then after some more thinking I then said to myself ' there was no intention at all''. Could you tell me if this would count if I did say this? Also I would like to know If there was no intention at the time of writing the metaphor, but the intention came after 1-2 seconds, would that count? Please note that there was no intention when the metaphor was written. 9) Also I would like to know, if a person WRITES e-mail to find out the ruling and on the e-mail its written that they said or wrote a metaphor with intention, but in reality they didn't say it or write it with intention or the metaphor was never spoken, would that count just because they wrote in the email that they said it or wrote it with intention, when really there was no intention at the time of saying or writing or it was not spoken ? 10) If someone is in doubt and confused about saying a statment or a metaphor to his wife and says 'I said the statement.....etc' and then after some thinking he says I didn't say it and it was all doubt and confusion, would that count just because he said that he said it? 11) If someone says Withdraw/s or return or returned, or (Turja'oon which means returned, would that count? Nothing else is uttered. 12) If someone says Waladaaleen in Surah Fatiha and the intention is on the 'went' word (those who went astray ), would that count? Nothing else is uttered. 13) If someone says location or a name of a place, would that count? Nothing else is uttered. 14) If someone says old or out of date/d, would that count? Nothing else is uttered. 15) If someone says that's enough or 'off, would that count? Nothing else is uttered. 16) If someone says Liberation would that count? 17) If someone says 'To move briskly or spiritedly' , to it, would that count? Nothing else is uttered. 18) If someone asks that have you any child and that person says 'not yet' with intention, would that count? Do metaphors need to be said directly to the person or indirectly? If I have confused you please ask me.Please forgive me if this is in length and strange. 19) If a person asks another person to write a word that is a possible metaphor with the intention in the MIND but does not say the intention to the person and only asks to write the word, can that happen? 20)If someone say an address or the first line for an address, would that count? Please reply. Jazakalla Answer Bismillah Al-jawab billahi at-taufeeq (the answer with Allah's guidance) 1) It appears that you are suffering from a medical condition that affects the balance of your thought and mind. We advise that you consult a Doctor/Physicians and once he diagnoses your illness, you should make two people your witness that you are suffering from this illness and you have no intention of divorcing your wife. Curing Wasawis (pl. of Waswasa): Waswasa is from the Shaitan one should treat it with contempt and pay no attention to such thoughts and do not bother. If one gives a little attention to such thoughts, the Shaytan feels honoured. It has achieved its purpose of diverting one’s mind in wrong. One should never give into that. Simply treat such thoughts with contempt and ignore them. "We sent down in the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe." (17:82) Recite ‘Laa hawla walaa Quwwata Illaa Billaah’ abundantly. Recite Istighfaar as much as possible. Recite Ta’awudh (A’oodhu Billaah). Recite La Ilaha IllAllahu Muhammadur Rasulullah. Recite Muawwazatain (Surah Naas and Falaq), Surah Fatiha and Ayatul Kursi. 2) Talaq will not count. Because the question asked was not related in the context of divorce. 3, 7) Talaq will not take place. Because the mentioned metaphors are not intended to mean divorce. 4, 5) Talaq will not take effect. Because the Talaq must initiate from the husband either in verbal or written. 6) Talaq will not count. However, if one utters divorce saying like this, and uses gestures with fingers i.e. thumb, shahadah and middle fingers, then three divorce will take effect. (see more: Al Hidayah). If a person is dumb, his Talaq will be with gestures. (Al Hidayah) 8) If one has written a metaphor which is intended for divorce and made the intention aswell, Talaq will take effect. Thus, Talaq takes affect when it is clearly uttered or written and allusively uttered or written with the intention made at the same time. (Al Hidayah) 9) Talaaq will not take place. This is because, no thought of your wife or divorcing her was occuring in your mind rather you was just inquiring a Mas'alah with regards to Talaq. 10) If you are in doubt, Talaq will not take place. "Al Yaqeen La Yazulu Bish Shak" (Certainty is not invalidated by doubt) (Al Ashbah Wan Nazair Pg. 60) Dispute between husband and wife with Talaq:http://www.muftisays.com/qa/question/3851/is-this-divorce-valid-or-not.html 11) the word 'withdraw' and 'return', if intention was made then Talaq will take effect. 12) Talaq will not count. Because, the word 'Wa Ladhwaleen' (those who went astray) does not intend to mean divorce. The remaining questions has already been answered, please view this links: http://www.muftisays.com/qa/question/4120/single-words-of-divorce.html And Only Allah Ta'ala Knows Best. -------------------------------------- Moulana Qamruz Zaman London, UK muftisays.com

Cleanliness and Waswasah after Relieving Oneself – 3 Questions Question: During the day I sometimes feel that small drops (usually one or two drops have come out from my private parts for no reason at all. I just wanted to know that do I have to change my underwear before I pray namaz if the drops are less than a coin. Also if I am out and about and want to pray namaz, what do I need to do/how shall I clean myself/underwear in order for my namaz to be correct/counted if such drops occur? If you are in the toilet and by accident the toilet water splashes onto your body, do you become napaak and need ghusl? If no what do you need to do to clean your body from the splashes that have gone on your body and how do you clean yourself? Also how can you avoid situations like this? When you do istibraa (by walking, coughing) and you sprinkle water on your underwater to get rid of doubts what if drops come out and you don’t know due to the sprinkled water, does your namaz count? Jazakallah. May Allah reward you, your family and teachers abundantly. Answer: In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. Clean yourself thoroughly, then do not fall into the trap of waswasah – tie a tissue around your private part, so anything that comes out can be absorbed by the tissue – you are a young man, your bladder is still healthy, it is in old age that it starts to leak. So don’t worry too much about the drops. Sometimes we feel that something has come out but when we check, nothing is there. Also, urine is najaasat-e-ghaleeza, but one 50p coin measure is pardoned. Therefore, if you have to pray in the underwear, your salah will still be valid. (However, this does not mean that wuzu will not break by a 50p coin measure of najaasat dropping out. Even if a drop does coe out after wuzu, that wuzu will break.) Once najaasat has fallen in the toilet basin the water has become napaak. Therefore, the splashes are napaak. Whatever the splashes touch becomes napaak. However, you don’t need to have a full ghusl, you only need to wash those parts which have become napaak – to avoid this put some tissue in the basin before istinja. Better still, use an Asian toilet as there will be less possibilities of splashes in there. Water should never be sprinkled during the istibraa otherwise the najaasat will spread. Sprinkling water is only to get rid of any waswasah, whispering of the Shaytaan. It is permissible for such a person and he should do this after istibraa, and after wuzu. Source

The Deception of Shaytaan ~ Moulana Naeem Motala Saheb DB “he beguiles man … he deceives man … he misleads man …" Shaytaan is insidious by nature! Wicked and cruel! This slinking prompter casts insinuations into mans heart and retreats … He is an open enemy that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala repeatedly cautions us about in the Qur’aan! In his sinister plots to mislead he promised Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala : ”Because You have put me [shaytaan] in error, I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path. Surah Al-A’raf ~ 7:16 ~ ~ ~ Then I [shaytaan] will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You].” Surah Al-A’raf ~ 7:17 In the battle between Shaytaan and Mankind, there are 4 directions in which Shaytaan assaults man > “from before them” He brings doubts in man’s mind and makes him believe that Aakhirat and Resurrection is something very far fetched! “from behind them” Dunya is behind man … He tries to seduce and lure man with the beauty and the glamour of this world! “from the right” ie : from the side of Hasanaat (good deeds) … He prompts man into procrastinating or discarding performing good deeds “from the left” ie : the side of sins & vice …He prompts man to continue persisting in evils and to enjoy the ‘so called’ pleasure derived from sins ~ ~ ~ Although he has been given respite till Qiyamah … It is mentioned in a Hadith that Allah says : “Oh Shaytaan! As long as man has life in his body, I will never shut the doors of Taubah for him “ … SubhaanAllah! … If for some reason we slip, we should remind ourselves of the Kindness and Mercy of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala … Allah says: ‘Fasta’iz billaahi minash shaytaanir rajeem‘ … (Seek refuge in Allah! ) When a person is going through these whisperings of Shaytaan then one should read ~ ‘Aoozu billaahi minash shaytaanir rajeem‘ … One is urged in the Hadith when one becomes overwhelmed by the whisperings of Shaytaan, to read ~ ‘Aamantu billaahi warusulih’ … Download Complete Lecture Here veiledgems

Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas Radiyallahu-Anhu narrated: A man came to Rasulullah Sallallaahu alayhi Wasallam and said: O Apostle of Allah! One of us has thoughts of such a nature that he would rather be reduced to charcoal than speak about them. Rasulullah Sallallaahu alayhi Wasallam said: Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great. Praise be to Allah Who has reduced the guile (deceit) of the devil to just evil promptings. ~ Sunan Abu Dawud (Hadith # 5114) … DOWNLOAD EXPLANATION HERE People go through different types of spiritual problems, but many are plagued by the whisperings of Shaytaan. Various strange, distasteful thoughts come to a persons mind, sometimes even in his Salaah, or whilst reading Quraan or Zikr… A person feels miserable when these disturbing and terrible thoughts enters his mind. These thoughts are not deliberate, but they are cast by Shaytaan and begin to irritate the person. One feels despondent….he feels overwhelmed….he fears that he may lose his Imaan because of these stray whisperings. One is shaken! The simple solution to the problem is to totally IGNORE such thoughts! Do not become affected by such whisperings of Shaytaan. Do not entertain such thoughts. Just ignore them! Don’t let them bother you. You have NOT lost your Imaan. Shaytaan wishes to make us feel miserable and hence casts silly thoughts in our minds. He is our enemy. He desires our failure, but cannot go beyond just casting insinuations … he is absolutely weak compared to the Power of Allah, The Most Great! veiledgems

Question Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, I started practicing Islam three years ago. I started to pray five times, fasting, and last year I decided to wear hijab. I suffered of waswasah (whispers of Satan), I had a lot of evil thoughts about Allah but I could control them and they disappeared. So everything was going Ok. I decided to study Arabic at university (in Italy); because of university sometimes I used to miss my prayers, so after a while I felt guilty, and then I decided to do more dhikr. One day, while studying Arabic literature about the Qur'an and how it could have been invented, I felt like I believed it so I asked Allah to forgive me and I gave it up and started reading Qur'an.. While reading the passage where Allah describes Kafirs(non believers) in surah al Baqarah, I felt like that and I started crying asking Allah's forgiveness, but then a voice in my mind told me that now I am a kafir so I started to feel hopeless, I blamed myself a lot, then I remembered maybe it could be shaytan so I tried to relax; it didn't work. I started to question Allah a lot. I had a lot of doubts in my mind. It was scary and I felt really hopeless, and suddenly I felt like I believed not in Allah anymore. Now my doubts have almost disappeared; I continue praying but still have this feeling as I can't believe in Allah anymore, but anyway I fear hell a lot, every day I suffer from anxiety, I feel like Allah has abandoned me (I hope I am wrong).. I can't get close to him anymore. The more I try to convince myself I am a Muslim the more I am confused. Sometimes I know I believe with my brain but my heart seems dead. My question is how can I get rid of this confusion? It seems like shaytan has won. And you cannot imagine how sad and depressed I am. I wonder if I am still a Muslim or not and in the meantime I don't want to be a kafir, but any way I am confused. And I fear hell.I wonder if it was a trial for me or if Allah doesn't want to guide me anymore? How can I get free from guilt and from this tremendous confusion? Answered by Abd. Lateef Krauss Abdullah is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Social Science Study’s Community Education and Youth Studies Laboratory, Universiti Putra Malaysia Thank you for writing us. When you are confronted with doubts regarding knowledge issues, you cannot merely wish them to go away. You have to ask Allah to guide you to the truth of the matter, and then (tie your camel) by going out and taking those questions you have to a scholar to get clarity about them. As a Muslim your heart is attracted to truth, and thus you need to seek it, especially when issues like this arise where you have been presented with certain arguments about the Qur'an that you don't have the answers for. The only way you will achieve peace on this matter is by resolving the questions in your mind via knowledge. Thus I encourage you to seek out a Muslim scholar (a real one) that can answer your questions one by one in relation to what you read in that article. Shaytan is preying on the doubts that have crept into your heart from your reading of that Arabic literature questioning the authenticity of the Qur'an; however, you never had those questions answered and this doubt is lingering in your heart. Merely reading the Qur'an or doing zikr will not provide the remedy you need until you are able to have your questions answered with true knowledge. You will not feel at peace until you return to a state of complete surrender to the truth of Islam, and that requires having conviction of it as the truth through knowledge. So my advice to you is to contact a scholar, sit with him/her, and have all your questions about the Qur'an that were raised by this piece you read answered. Knowledge is priceless in this deen and absolutely essential to our iman.

Answered by Sidi Faraz A. Khan Question: I know it is haram to say kufr things with your mouth, but what if you only say it in your heart/mind? Is this haram? I am not talking about waswas but i mean if someone intentionally makes a kufr/shirk statement in their mind only (for example if they swear at Allah) but they do not verbalize it. What is the ruling for this? Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah, I pray this finds you in the best of health and faith. Bad Thoughts versus Kufr Bad thoughts alone do not render a person outside of Islam. Many times people get bad thoughts of kufr/shirk, which is not sinful and by no means entails disbelief, as the person doesn’t actually hold those thoughts to be true. However, the devil will play tricks on the person and make him think that perhaps he willingly and intentionally held those thoughts, which he did not. Imam Tahawi states in his primer of creed, “A servant is not considered to have left his faith except by denying that which originally caused him to enter it.” i.e., his very belief in Allah’s oneness, or the resulting faith in all that is necessarily known of the religion. [Maydani, Sharh al-Tahawiyya] And again, thoughts of such denial do not entail kufr; rather, kufr results only when the thoughts are accepted in the heart as true and transformed willingly into concrete beliefs. To do so—Allah forbid—is not only haram, but also renders one outside of Islam. This holds whether one holds the belief only in one’s mind/heart, or actually expresses it verbally. The only difference between the two is that when done verbally, the Islamic court classically would convict one of apostasy, as opposed to if one kept it internal. In such a case, one would need to make tawba and renew one’s shahada, and seek the means to increase one’s iman. Having said that, it is highly unlikely that a Muslim, especially if concerned about his/her religion, would leave Islam. Even Muslims who openly sin and trangress hold dearly to iman in their hearts, let alone those who practice. The real problem, then, is usually baseless misgivings. Dealing with the Devil and His Whisperings One must be vigilant and not give in to baseless misgivings (waswasa). The devil is a trickster, and deceit is his profession. He has been in business for as long as humans have existed. He is cunning and crafty, and he works very hard to achieve his goals. He has many tactics, at the top of the list being baseless misgivings and creating doubts in our minds and hearts. He wants us to become confused, obsessed, and compulsive to the extent that it destroys us. He knows our psychological makeup very, very well. Take the means to ward off the devil, as taught by our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). These include the following: (a) Seek refuge in Allah Most High, by saying, A’udhu bi Llahi min ash-shaytani r-rajim [bukhari, Muslim]; and recite Ayat al-Kursi, as well as the last three surahs (Ikhlas, Falaq, Nas) [Tabarani, Mu'jam Kabir]. (b) Be consistent in remembrance of Allah (dhikr). Dhikr is a powerful fortress that blocks out the devil’s whisperings, which are in reality of no power or consequence. As Ibn Ata’illah states, “If the devil is not heedless of you, then do not you be heedless of the One in Whose Hand is your forelock.” Allah is in full control. Allah created the devil to spur us forward in our journey to Him Most High. © Find good company—people who make much remembrance of Allah, and who remind you to do the like. (d) Learn sacred knowledge under righteous scholars so you know the reality of the Sacred Law and its limits. Implement what you learn. The more sound knowledge one has of the religion, the more empowered one is to deal with baseless misgivings. (e) Seek Allah’s help in this situation. Express your need and weakness to Him, and be hopeful of His gifts. As Ibn Ata’illah says, “Nothing pleads more for you than real distress; nor is anything quicker in bringing divine gifts than lowliness and impoverishment.” (f) Turn to Allah with hope, gratitude, contentment, and love. Let Allah take care of it. Relax and give no weight whatsoever to the devil’s whisperings. The most frustrating thing for Shaytan is that we ignore his insinuations, and focus on Allah and His remembrance. Shaytan hates when we are full of hope and reliance in Allah. He hates when we are grateful and sincere. He hates when we give no weight to him, but rather turn to Allah with love. (g) Rejoice in Allah’s mercy. Our Beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Verily the religion is ease, and no one shall make the religion hard except that it will destroy him. So be balanced, do your best, and rejoice! And seek help in the morning, the early evening, and something of the night.” [sahih Bukhari] Relax, and as our Prophet taught, rejoice. Allah is not trying to take you out of your faith. He loves that you draw closer to Him. Take the means outlined above and then, trust in Allah. And Allah alone gives success. wassalam Faraz Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani Source

Answered by Sidi Wasim Shiliwala Question: I read the other day on a fellow Islamic teacher’s Twitter, as a type of saying, that the way a person reacts to a test and trial from Allah determines whether or not it is a punishment or a blessing in disguise. I wonder this about my waswasa. For years I would get doubts as to whether or not I was really praying to Allah or shaytan, astaghfirullah. I think to myself, “has Allah been punishing me all these years”? Shaykh Faraz’s advice has always been that we must simple ignore the waswasa. I then start thinking did Allah want me to start taking medication for my problems instead of overcoming them on my own ( they once offered it to me during counseling)? Following your advice, I finally saw myself overcoming the waswasa only to be drawn back by my doubts again. Please advise me. Answer: As-salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh, Jazakum Allahu Khairan for this question. Satanic whispering (waswasa) is a serious subject, so I’ll deal with that first before answering your general question: Ignore Waswasa at All Costs Before discussing the concept you mentioned, I first want to reiterate Shaykh Faraz’s advice of ignoring Satanic whispers (waswasa). Regardless of one’s spiritual state, they are never helpful, and should never be indulged. In order to improve our relationship with Allah, we must sever all bad thoughts and influences, and waswasa is chief among these. Shaytan wants you to falter back into a state of worry and anxiety, because he knows that this will make your path to Allah that much more difficult. Allah warns us in the Qur’an that Shaytan is “a clear enemy” (2:168), and Shaytan has himself sworn his enmity of mankind, saying: “I will surely sit in wait for them on Your straight path / Then I will assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and left…” (7:16-17). Since he will attack us from all sides, the only way to overcome his ploy is to ignore him altogether and to focus on Allah. As Allah says, “Verily he [shaytan] has no power over those who believe and rely upon their Lord” (16:99). For guidance on how to effectively do this, please refer to the advice that Shaykh Faraz Rabbani gave you, and also read some of the answers related to waswasa here on SeekersGuidance. Dealing with Trials As for the saying you heard about one’s reaction to a trial, the main benefit from it is that it encourages patience and contentment during times of difficulty. If one is patient and steadfast through a trial, that indicates that the trial was for the purpose of removing sins; if one isn’t patient, then that indicates that the trial was a punishment. The chief element is patience, as Allah guarantees us that He is with the patient (2:153) However, that statement should not make one worry or despair about their past trials. When it comes to our individual cases, we can never be sure as to why a certain difficulty fell upon us, as only Allah knows the reality of His actions. After all, what we see as trials may not even be trials, as Allah may have given them to us in place of a worse fate. As Allah tells us in the Qur’an, “It may be that you dislike a thing and it is good for you, and that you may like a thing and it is bad for you; Allah knows but you do not know” (2:216). Because Allah the Exalted is in complete knowledge and control of all things, we cannot assume knowledge of His actions and purposes. Similarly, we also shouldn’t assume that we failed the trial, but rather we thank Allah for easing our burden, seek His forgiveness for any sins we committed, and have high hopes that we did our best and will do better next time. Never should we despair, for despair is itself sinful. Allah has both commanded and reassured us in the Qur’an: “Oh My servants who have transgressed against themselves [in sin], do not despair of the mercy of Allah! Verily, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful” (39:53). After trials pass, we should be relieved that they passed. Under no circumstances should we actively wish for difficulties to occur or return, nor should we do anything to facilitate their return. The Prophet (peace be upon him) once met a man who became deathly sick because he asked to be punished in this world for his sins. The Prophet (peace be upon him) strongly discouraged him from doing this, and told him that he should have asked for the best in this world, the best in the hereafter, and salvation from the hellfire. [sahih Muslim] This hadith teaches us that we should never seek punishment, but that we should always seek mercy and forgiveness. Rather than hope for trials, we should take advantage of our times of ease to increase in our praise and worship of Allah. Above all, we must keep in mind that life itself is a test from Allah, and that we must strive to be the best Muslims we can be in all situations. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “How wondrous is the affair of the believer! … If something good happens to him, he gives thanks, and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.” [sahih Muslim] Rather than question the circumstances and wisdom behind your cure, remember that it came from Allah, and be thankful for it! While a believer may reflect on how they could have handled a trial better, they should always rejoice from the lifting of that trial, as it is a tremendous mercy from Allah. Medication and Relying on Allah As for whether or not you should continue taking medication, that is a decision that is best left between you and your doctor. Just as we go to religious scholars for advice on our religion, we go to doctors for advice on our physical and mental health. In all cases, we follow the advice of the experts. Consultation in serious matters is an emphasized sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him); A’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that she “never saw anyone consult his companions more than the Prophet (peace be upon him).” [Musnad Ahmad] If your doctor insists that you take a particular medication, then there is absolutely no problem in taking it. Rather than being punished for anything, you will be rewarded for taking the means to better health. Remember that taking the means is an essential part of this religion, and is a confirmed sunnah of all the Prophets. Someone once asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) about whether relying on Allah means that he should or shouldn’t tie his camel down (so it won’t wander off), and the Prophet (peace be upon him) responded: “Tie it and rely upon Allah.” [sunan al-Tirmidhi] The same applies to medicine: if you are sick, you ask for Allah’s help and seek a doctor’s advice; after all, if you get better after taking medicine, then that medicine is merely the means by which Allah cured you. By following the advice of those experts around you, you managed to overcome waswasa – this result is from Allah, so accept this gift from Him and thank Him for easing your difficulty. Stop Dwelling and Continue Your Spiritual Journey Above all, remember that what’s in the past is in the past, and that our duty as Muslims is to repent for any past mistakes and then work towards improving ourselves. Rather than stress over waswasa or past anxieties, I would advise you to continue working on increasing your acts of worship, religious knowledge, and dhikr of Allah. Don’t focus on your actions, but focus on Allah the Exalted, and how much he has given to you. Be happy and thankful, and invest your time in praising Allah for his favors upon you and sending salawat on the Prophet (peace be upon him). And when difficulties come – and as long as we are living in this world, we will find difficulties – realize that they are from Allah, and don’t dwell upon why they’re there, but on how you can get past them with excellence. Be ever grateful, because passing such trials with patience and thankfulness will increase your rank with Allah. And regardless of what happens in your life, be ever mindful that, as Allah tells us, “Verily we belong to Allah, and verily to Him we are returning” (2:156). May Allah continue to aid you and put ease in your life, and increase us all in faith and good works. Baarak Allahu Fikum, -Wasim Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani seekersguidance

Question No matter how much i read on this issue and no matter how many questions and answers i read related to ghusl and baseless misgivings i still cant have a ghusl within 5 minutes, it actually takes me 45 minutes for a ghusl and my quickest is 30 minutes. What I need is a detailed explanation of what to do from the moment i step in the shower, because when i go for a ghusl i keep washing the same parts of my body several times and i take time with my limbs for example i wash each side of my arms and legs separately (3 times each), please could you explain to me exactly how ghusl should be done in detail. I have a similar problem with my wudhu but its not as bad with wudhu. I sometimes feel that if i dont do my ghusl properly then i will still be in a state of impurity and this also causes me to waste a lot of time. Answer In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate assalamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh A detailed explanation isn't really necessary. Ghusl is simple: make an intention and then wash everything. The key point to remember is that you are not required to have certainty that you have washed everything. The fuqaha explicitly state that as long as you think that "most likely I washed everything," you have fulfilled your obligation before Allah Most High, even if, in actual fact, you missed a tiny portion of your body. The question you should be asking when making wudu and ghusl is not "am I really certain that I completely washing that part?" but "did I most likely completely wash that part?" If the answer to the latter question is "yes", then you should simply ignore your doubts and get out of the shower. And Allah Most High knows best. Hamza. Source

Question dear scholar salam walakam wr wb , i hope you are well at the darul ifta. my problem is that in my prayers i see visions of people in my salah ( thier faces) this affects my heart as I have this heavy feeling where my heart is and i cant feel allah in my heart when praying rather it makes me think that im worshipping this vision rather than concentrating on worshipping allah , hence my prayer is very disturbed. this problem intensifies during rhamadhan and this is also accompanied with a tightnes around my head and i cant think of anything else except concentrate on this vision and fighting saying i believe in allah and dismissing it. now from time to time i feel this tighntess lift from me and then i feel fine and i can feel khushoo in my salah and iman but sumtimes its so bad that i have to stop the prayer and start again and im worrired about comitting shirk . when i was younger in my 15 or i once or twice unrinated in bath could this have any bearing on it . could you please advise me as to how to proceed in this problem and if you know anyone by the grace of allah who is experinced in dealing with this problem jazakallah khair Answer The problem you are facing in your prayer is a classic example of waswasa. (Satanatic insinuation) The best way to address this problem, in the short term is not to think about it at all, the more you think about it the more it will escalate. In the long term, you could try the following method to help you concentrate on your salah. My noble teachers taught me this method. You should sit for about 10 minutes everyday, close your eyes and think that Allah (SWA) is watching you and his blessings and rahmat is descending to your heart. Inshallah, by the will of Allah (SWA), this vision that you are seeing will go away. This problem could have arisen from you urinating in the bath, as it is mentioned in a hadith that the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasalam has prohibited us to urinate in the bath as the illness of wasasa arises from this. (Tirmizi p.12 v.1) However you should try and forget about what happened in the past and act upon the solutions which I have mentioned above. Mohammed Tosir Miah Darul Ifta Birmingham.

Question I am a Muslim male aged 25 years. My problem is that while performing my wudu (ablution), I sometimes wash my face more than 3 times (4 to 5 times). I do the same thing when i wash my hands and feet, rinse my mouth and clean my nose. The reason I do this is that I feel all the abovementioned parts in my wudu are not properly wet and cleaned if I clean them 3 times and therefore clean them more than 3 times. Please tell me whether such a wudu would be proper and whether the salat (namaz) performed after doing such a wudu would be properly performed? Please answer this question in your earliest convenience. Answer In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Abu Abdullah said: The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam had made clear that it is obligatory (while performing) ablution to was the body-parts once. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam also did perform the ablution by washing (these) parts twice and thrice, but he never washed them more than three times. (Bukhari, vol.1, pg. 135) The learned scholars disliked exceeding the limits set by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam while performing ablution. As for the doubts that cross your mind regarding Wudhu, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has taught us a Du'aa that we should constantly make, 'O Allah! I seek protection from Walahaan.' (Mishkaat pg.47; Qadeemi). Walahaan is the name of the devil that causes these doubts to cross our minds during wudu. And Allah knows best Wassalam A Female Iftaa Student Checked and Approved by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah Source Reference: (Radd-ul-Mukhtaar, vol.1, pg. 239 ; Bukhari, vol.1, pg. 135 ; Badai-us-Sanaai, vo.1. pg.113)

QUESTION I have an extreme condition of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). I had an argument with my wife, and the next day while I was taking a bath, the previous day’s argument scene came into my mind. I started imagining the scene (like a flash back), and whilst imagining, I uttered the words ‘Talaq’ 3 times. When I say uttered, I mean my lips moved but I did not hear myself clearly. It was more like murmuring, and the voice was so low that I could not hear myself and neither anyone next to me would be able to hear what I was saying. However, I was in the bath with the water tap running. Please could you let me know if this has any implications on my marriage? Also, please advice what I can do to treat this condition, as I get a lot of waswasa (misgivings)? ANSWER In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, To begin with, it should always be remembered that merely thinking about divorce or having baseless misgivings (waswasa) about it does not Islamically constitute a divorce, as long as one does not actually issue a divorce verbally or in writing. Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, ‘Indeed, Allah has overlooked for my Umma the misgivings/thoughts that occur in their hearts, as long as they do not act upon it, or speak about it.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim) If during such thoughts, even if one was to utter or murmur words of divorce in such a soft, low, or indistinct way that, under normal circumstances [i.e. when there is no external cause for not being able to hear], it is not possible for the speaker to hear himself, then that too does not constitute divorce. It is stated in Maraqi al-Falah: If one thinks about divorce in the heart, and the tongue [also] moves, [but] without making an utterance that can be heard, then divorce does not occur, even if letters were correctly formed.’ (Maraqi al-Falah with Hashiya al-Tahtawi, P: 219) Imam al-Haskafi (Allah have mercy on him) states in his renowned Al-Durr al-Mukhtar: ‘The main integral (rukn) of divorce is the specific statement (lafdh makhsus).’ (See: Radd al-Muhtar ala ‘l-Durr 3/230) He also states: ‘The minimal of ‘loud/audible (jahr)’ utterance is that others are able to hear the speaker, and the minimal of ‘soft/inaudible (makhafat)’ utterance is that the speaker is able to hear himself… As such, if one utters divorce… but is unable to hear himself, the divorce does not count, according to the sounder opinion.’ (See: Radd al-Muhtar ala ‘l-Durr 1/534-535) Hence, in order for a divorce to be considered effective, it needs to be uttered or pronounced in such a manner that, in normal circumstances, one would be able to hear himself. Simply forming the letters with lip and tongue movement, without producing any actual sound, is of no consequence. (See: Fatawa Mahmudiyya 12/249) Indeed, if one is absolutely certain (yaqin) of hearing himself, or if there was some external cause that prevented hearing, one is sure that without such cause, one would have heard one’s self, then it will constitute divorce. The basic principle (qa’ida fiqhiyya), that all people prone to misgivings should keep in mind, states: ‘Certainty is not lifted by a doubt.’ (Ibn Nujaym, Al-Ashbah wa ‘l Nadhair) As such, the certainty of marriage (nikah) is not lifted by mere doubts or misgivings. It is only lifted by certainty of divorce. I pray Allah Most High cures you from your condition and reward you for the difficulties you are facing, Ameen. It would be worthwhile visiting a qualified psychiatric and getting some professional medical help, Insha Allah. And Allah knows best [Mufti] Muhammad ibn Adam Darul Iftaa Leicester , UK

Question my husband keeps getting waswas about divorce all time when hes eating,drinking or when doing something else.he gets alot of waswas about different things he once got wrong waswas about his mom when he was sitting by her but he refused to listen to the waswas and ignored thm.is this a sin?hes on tablets now for these waswas.can you give me some advice to give him? i also get alot of waswas about islam and my lord allah.im ill because i keep talking to myself and i keep repeating words over and over again all day long.im tired of this illness.i cant cope with the illness nomore. i keep saying wrong things about islam and i dont want 2 say wrong things ever in my life but im ill.my life is hell cuz of this illness.i dont know what to do.when i say somthing wrong then i ask allah to forgive me and i say taubah.sometimes when i explain myself about my illness to myself i sometime say something i was never like this before.sometime when im talking to myself shaitans puts waswas strongly 2 me that it nearly comes out my mouth but i stop it.i worried now about last nite because i keep thinking that i said thats its funny but i dont know if i said that.what shal i do. please write bak Answer Assalāmu `alaikum Warahmatullāhi Wabrakatuh, Waswasa could either be genuine whispers of the Shaitaan or due to some sickness. If it is due to a sickness which is generally diagnosed by a phsychiatrist or clinical phycologist, then such waswasa or thoughts are treatable. Your husband is now on tablets. We hope and make dua Allah grant him shifaa. Aameen. You state you also get waswasa about Allah and Islam. You also indicate that you get these waswasa frequently when you get ill. It is important to diagnose whether your waswasa is similar to your husband’s waswasa and you require medical assistance like him. You may consider exploring that avenue. If your waswasa are whispers of Shaitaan, then if they are involuntary and just come in the mind of their own, you should not worry. Simply ignore such thoughts. Do not pay attention whatsoever to such thoughts. Shaitaan puts these thoughts to divert your attention from useful thoughts to useless and insignificant thoughts. You will find yourself consumed in something useless and tangled thereby frustrating yourself. That is the root to many evils, anger, frustration, tiredness, despair, suicidal thoughts etc. This is what is Shaitaan’s objective. The simple remedy to such thoughts is to ignore them and don’t bother. This will be a smack on Shaitaan’s face. Shaitaan will feel humiliated and not attempt his evil plot on you again. Simply read “لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ” and “أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ”. Also, remember having such thoughts are a clear sign of Ieman. If you did not have Ieman in you, Shaitaan would not bother. Once sahabi complained to Rasulullah Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam about such thoughts. Rasulullah Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam advised him “That is clear sign of Ieman”. Such thoughts are like the different scenes on a journey. One does not stop to watch every scene on the journey, he glances at it and continues. Similarly, continue with your normal life and don’t let these thoughts stop you in any way. If you do so, you are inviting trouble to yourself. Such thoughts are similar to a live wire. You stay away, you are safe; you touch it you shock yourself. And Allah Ta'āla Knows Best, Muftī Ebrahim Desai Daruliftaa 35 Candella Rd, Durban, South Africa www.daruliftaa.net

Question. I desperately need help. I am based in the UK. I have OCD. This manifests itself in 3 ways. First, I take long in the toilet, making ghusl and wudhu, i.e. washing my hands incessantly. Second, every verbal utterance by me or my wife is dissected and analysed for kufr. I ask approximately 10 muftis for a fatwa because I want to be 100% sure. Inevitably, asking so many muftis results in 1 out of 10 concluding kufr. My negative mindset precludes me from focusing on the 9 in favour. This has happened on 3 occasions. For example just yesterday my wife was reading a message on facebook part of which said: “thank you Allah for making my samosas turn out the right shape.” When she finished reading the message she said: “trust her to come out with crap.” 4 muftis said no kufr but the one inconclusive fatwa is what my mind is entrenched with. Another example is of a conversation I had with my father wherein I stated: “I told Sajid that I am willing to help the Masjid out in confidence provided my employer doesn’t come to know. If, however, you mention my name to them I will screw you over and I don’t give a damn then that the masjid is involved.” The intention here was not to disrespect the masjid but to threaten the brother. Mufti Siraj Desai (South Africa) and Mufti of (Zimbabwe) and Mufti of (Darul Ifta Birmingham UK) concluded that this did not constitute kufr but my anxiety levels are such that I cannot rest until the remaining muftis all come back and conclude the same. Third whenever I am given naseehat by my wife in particular such anger and anti Islamic sentiments grip my heart that it feels like I have left the fold of Islam. Muftis have suggested seeing a psychiatrist. I am reluctant to see a non-muslim psychiatrist yet I cannot find a reliable Muslim psychiatrist in the UK. I am gradually falling in to a state of depression bordering on the suicidal. My marriage is up and down and I am completely lost. I am irregular with Salah and my akhlaaq rapidly oscillates from the sublime to the disgraceful. I have been sitting in bed all day doing absolutely nothing. The month of Ramadhan is passing by and I an pre-occupied with obtaining fatwas regarding whether such and such statement constitutes kufr. Please provide a solution. Even whilst writing this, I initially wrote please help me as opposed to please provide a solution. Now I am wondering whether asking help from another besides Allah constitutes disbelief. Please suggest a cure and confirm that there is no need to renew Iman and re-perform nikah. Answer. There is no doubt that you are suffering from a dangerous type of waswasa which probably may actually lead to the destruction of your Iman. Shaitaan is playing with your mind, and you are giving him the chance to do so. Your first problem is that you are bringing many unnecessary questions in your mind, and the other problem is that when you receive answers for your questions (from authoritative scholars), you begin to have doubts in their answers. If you continue in this manner, you will ruin yourself. You need to take control of your self, do whatever you are commanded to do as a Muslim, and refrain from prying into every small and insignificant matter that comes to your mind. If you cannot control them, then recite a lot of Ta’awuz (that is, say A’uzu billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem) frequently, until these thoughts go away. Secondly, ignore whatever comes to your mind (from among these evil whispers). Pay no heed to it, and give it no importance. Thirdly, if you think that some of these thoughts are such that you need to seek a fatawa, then communicate with such a Mufti (Islamic scholar) upon whom you have reliance and confidence, and accept what he says. Do not go about ‘scouting’ for opinions, for this will only put you in a state of confusion. With respect to asking questions while seeking help, this is something which Allah Has (himself) asked us to do when he said, ‘And ask those who know if you do not know’. Allah Has also ordered us by saying ‘And help each other in goodness and in piety’. In order to cure the problem of waswasa, you should also frequently recite the dua which Allah has given in the Holy Quran when one is touched and affected by Shaitan. This Dua is :- ‘Rabbi A’uzu bika min Hamazaatish Shayateen wa A’uzu bika Rabbi An Yahdhuroon’. ‘O my lord I seek refuge in you from the whispers of the devils. And I seek refuge in you, O my lord, from their presence. Strictly adhere to the performance of your Salaah, stay away from all the haram, and supplicate to Allah and follow the guidelines that I have given. Insha Allah, Allah will remove your problem. And Allah knows best. Mufti Waseem Khan Source

Answered by Sidi Wasim Shiliwala Question: I am suffering from extreme waswasa. Sometimes I bathe five times a day and I find concentrating in salah difficult. I have read everything about waswasa and I try to ignore it, but I can’t. Also, after istinja, I am always doubtful about my hands. I try to open my fingers during washing but sometimes I forget whether I opened my fingers or not and I worry about whether I washed the spaces between them. Please advise me. Answer: Walaikum As-salaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu, May Allah ease your burden upon you. Wasawis are a difficult issue to deal with, but alhamdulillah you have already begun dealing with the issue in two important ways: 1) by recognizing that there is a problem and 2) by seeking help and guidance. Seek Professional Help From what you have described, it appears to me that your condition might move beyond waswasa and into the realm of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which is in reality a serious disorder that requires professional attention. Therefore, I highly encourage that you seek counseling from a qualified mental health professional who can help you understand and deal with this condition. Have no doubt that seeking medical help is part of our religion. Consulting others in serious matters is an emphasized sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and seeking necessary medical help is required upon those who are able to seek it. When we are in doubt about something, Allah commands us to ask those who know [16:43]. Remember that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) learned that two Muslims had given an injured man ill-informed advice that resulted in his death, he (peace be upon him) blamed them for the man’s death and asked why they did not simply seek a more knowledgeable source for guidance. [sunan Abu Dawud] By not taking the time to seek proper advice from a knowledgeable source, the two men carelessly and needlessly caused their companion’s death. I mention all of the above merely to emphasize the point that you should seek professional advice to help you deal with these problems. It may very well be that there are underlying issues that need to be treated before you can address the wasawis. Seek Allah’s Help Through Dua and Prayer In addition to seeking help, make sure you consistently ask Allah’s aid during these trials. Make much dua (supplication), and also establish and increase your prayers – pray the five daily prayers on time, establish the sunnah prayers, read the Qur’an daily, send salawat on the Prophet (peace be upon him), and make sure you increase in your remembrance (dhikr) of Allah as well. Limit Your Indulgence, Say the Ta`awwudh, and Move On In addition to implementing the professional advice and guidance of a counselor, you can also try to reduce the wasawis in the following manners: 1. Establish clear limits and stick to them: 1 shower a day for 5 minutes max, 1 wudhu per prayer for 1 minute max (5 seconds on each limb), 10 seconds for washing your hands max, and so on and so forth. Once the timer is up, you stop the action, assume cleanliness, and move on. 2. Say the ta`awwudh (a`udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajim) when you hear the whispers calling you to redo an action. You can also recite surat al-Nas, which is also a dua for protection against wasawis. 3. Leave the washing area immediately and do NOT look back. Go straight into your prayer (after wudhu) or continue with your day. In other words, busy yourself and your mind before Shaytan tries to take over. 4. Trust in Allah that your prayer and purity are accepted. Remember that the sahaba and the Prophet (peace be upon him) all had less water than we do now, and without a doubt their prayers were accepted. So there is no doubt that we, who use (and waste) so much more water than they ever did, are performing our wudhu in a matter acceptable to Allah. The Blessing of Good Company Above all, do not try to handle these problems alone. Seek the help not only of a counselor, but also of those close to you as well. Your family and friends can uplift your spirits and shift your attention away from the wasawis to other good things: remembrance of Allah, enjoyment of beneficial company, and the general goodwill and love that exists among all of us. Spend your free time in gatherings of dhikr, sacred knowledge, and other lectures at your local masjid, Islamic center, or Muslim neighbor’s house. Shaytan is strongest when we are alone, and weakest when we are in good company (suhba), so make it a habit of immersing yourself in blessed gatherings. With Allah’s help, you will see that Shaytan’s influence will slowly but steadily dissipate as you fill your head with remembrance of the All-Merciful, and how majestic and glorious and exalted He is! Other Readings on Waswasa As you tread this path to well-being, it might be of benefit to read and re-read the various points of advice found in the following answers for guidance and inspiration: Does the Qur’an Mention OCD or Waswasa Being Caused by Jinn? A Reader on Waswasa Waswasa as a Trial from Allah: Punishment or Blessing? Medical Conditions and Waswasa Satanic Whisperings are Making Me Withdraw from Muslims Final Word Again, I must reiterate that it sounds like you have a serious condition, in which case you must seek counseling and treatment. This is of the highest priority, as sound health – mentally, physically, and emotionally – is an essential part of our religion. Without it, we cannot excel in our path to Allah – rather, establishing it is, in many ways, how we achieve closeness to our Lord. May Allah aid you in your time of difficulty, cure you of your afflictions, and give you – and all of us – good health. And only with Allah comes success. Jazakum Allahu Khairan, Wasim Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani Source

Question I have been suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) for nearly 11 years. My symptoms are characterised by incessant, obtrusive, obscenely blasphemous thoughts, which I have no control over, and cannot seem to purge from my mind. Moreover, I suffer from another manifestation of OCD, vis, excessive hand washing and avoidance behaviour. This condition is having a debilitating impact upon my life. I would like to know the Islamic take on my situation, and does it lay the blame for my affliction firmly on my doorstep. Answer OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) may be viewed as a sickness like any other sickness. As Muslims, it is out belief that sickness is from Allah Ta’ala and it is compulsory upon us to be happy with the order of Allah Ta’ala. When one is ill, he will consult an appropriate physician with the hope of getting treatment to cure or control the sickness. You should view your condition in the light of the above and consult with a psychologist for treatment. And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Mufti Ebrahim Desai askimam

Question: Until a few days ago I was performing my istinja in the shower after having briefly wiped myself with a tissue. Today, I fell in the same trap, as at the last minute I needed to go the toilet(to pass stool and urine) and I was getting late for jumu’ah. First I wiped with a tissue, when I was washing myself in the shower, I saw the colour of the water change to brown from the remaining faeces) as I washed my private parts. Similarly, the odd urine drops were still coming out. Directly under the shower head is a plastic shampoo bottle. Whilst washing my private parts water inevitably went on to the bottle. I say inevitable because I do not go around monitoring these issues. It is also likely that during the rest of the Ghusl process water lands on the bottle again. Again I can’t be sure. Furthermore, when I turn the shower off, the head is positioned such that some of the remaining water in the head must drip onto the bottle. My wife usually uses the shower after me and handles the bottle in order to use the shampoo, as she did today. She must obviously wash the shampoo off. How effectively or to what extent she does that I don’t know. Answer: As you have yourself acknowledged that this is a trap from shaytaan, and you are suffering from Waswasah (neurosis) If someone carries on this path of thinking then his neurosis will take over and shaytaan will use this to stop him from praying his namaz. Until you can see impurity on your body then assure that you are paak. With regards to these Masa’il Galabah Zan is enough. There is a maxim in jurisprudence اليقين لا يزول بالشك Certainty is not dispelled by doubt So as it is certain for your body to be paak then just by mere doubts you will not become impure. Similarly this will be the ruling for those items in and around the bathtub, that until any najaasat (impurity) is visible then the item will be pure. May Allah swt cure from this beemari of waswasa, and give you relief. Ameen Source

Question: I have a question regarding camel hump hijab… I have read this hadith quite a few times that Mohammad (s.a.w) have said that paradise is forbidden for those women who wear their hair like camel humps… Now, i never wear hijab like camel humps,, but recently me and my friend were discussing this and she told me it’s better to make pleats of hair than making a bun and then she quoted this hadith.. I was confused so I told her that our hair should not give camel hump looks on the top of our head, but making a bun slightly above the neck area (where our hair ends) is not wrong. This conversation has made me think whether we can make buns too or not? I mean they are not high on head like girls usually wear these days. I only make bun because my hair is long and if i make pleats or any other hairstyle they would come out of hijab. So please clarify whether we can make hair bun under hijab or normally too(when we are at home, without hijab). And if we are not allowed to do it then is it even not allowed to wear these kind of hairstyles in front of one’s husband? Please also mention all those hairstyles which are not permissible under hijab as well as without hijab. Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa-barakatuh. Hereunder is the Hadeeth in reference: حَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «صِنْفَانِ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ لَمْ أَرَهُمَا، قَوْمٌ مَعَهُمْ سِيَاطٌ كَأَذْنَابِ الْبَقَرِ يَضْرِبُونَ بِهَا النَّاسَ، وَنِسَاءٌ كَاسِيَاتٌ عَارِيَاتٌ مُمِيلَاتٌ مَائِلَاتٌ، رُءُوسُهُنَّ كَأَسْنِمَةِ الْبُخْتِ الْمَائِلَةِ، لَا يَدْخُلْنَ الْجَنَّةَ، وَلَا يَجِدْنَ رِيحَهَا، وَإِنَّ رِيحَهَا لَيُوجَدُ مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ كَذَا وَكَذَا» Abu Hurairah Radiallahu Anhu reports that Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam has said: “There are two categories of people of the fire (jahannam) which I haven’t seen (non-existent at that time). Amongst them is a group who has whips like the tails of cattle with which they torture people and women who are clothed yet they are naked, attracting (to males) and are attracted to (by males). Their heads are like that of a camel’s hump which are tilted. Such women will not enter Jannah nor will they smell its fragrance although its fragrance can be smelt from a long distance.”(Sahih Muslim, Book on clothing and beautifying one’s self, Chapter on Women being clothed yet are naked. Vol 2, Pg. 205, Qadeeme Khutub Khana) The underlined and bold parts of the translation of the above mentioned Hadeeth refers to your query. Imaam Nawawi explains that camel’s hump which are tilted refers to women hairstyling their heads by tying head cloths or scarfs on them which look like the tilted hump of a camel. [1] In different parts of the world this type of hairstyle is called “camel hump hijab”, “beehive hijab”, “volumanised hijab” or “khaleeji hijab” which are used with “Flower clips and flower shaped pom poms. There are two reasons for the prohibition of creating such a hairstyle; مميلات- Attraction. مائلات - Displaying of pride.[2] Irrespective of whether the hair is tied like a ‘bun’ or not, it should not follow the description of the tilted hump of a camel. This prohibition is general and will apply when a woman is in the presence and absence of her husband. However, if a woman naturally makes a bun on her neck or above her head due to need and does not follow the camel humps hijab, it would be permissible.[3] Also, placing the hair on the neck is better than placing it on the head due to مشابهت (close similarity to a camel humps hijab). And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. www.idealwoman.org [1]1}[شرح محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي] ومعنى رؤسهن كأسنمة البخت أي يكبرنها ويعظمنها بلف عمامة أو عصابة أو نحوها 2} (البخت) قال في اللسان البخت والبخيتة دخيل في العربية أعجمي معرب وهي الإبل الخراسانية تنتج من بين عربية وفالج (والفالج البعير ذو السنامين وهو الذي بين البختي والعربي سمي بذلك لأن سنامه نصفان) الواحد بختي جمل بختي وناقة بختية ومعنى رؤسهن كأسنمة البخت أي يكبرنها ويعظمنها بلف عمامة أو عصابة أو نحوها] { اللإيمان بالجن بين الحقيقة والتهويل ، ج 1 ، ص236 } 3}(رؤسهن كأسنمة البخت) يعنى يعظمن رؤسهن بالخمر والقلنسوة حتى تشبه اسمة البخت (المائلة) من الميل لان أعلى السنام يميل لكثرة شحمه (لا يدخلن الجنة ولا يجدن ريحها وان ريحها ليوجد من مسيرة كذا وكذا) اى يوجد من مسيرة أربعين عاما { روح البيان ، ج 2 ، ص 34 } @4} رؤوسهن بالخمر والعمائم حتى تشبه أسنمة البخت- وهي الإبل الخراسانية, وقيل: يطمحن إلى الرجال, لا يغضضن من أبصارهن, { صحيح ابن حبان، ج16، ص 502 } 5}وَقَوْلُهُ: «رُءُوسُهُنَّ كَأَسْنِمَةِ الْبُخْتِ» قِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ: أَنَّهُنَّ يُعَظِّمْنَ رُءُوسَهُنَّ بِالْخُمُرِ وَالْعَمَائِمِ حَتَّى تُشْبِهَ أَسْنِمَةَ الْبُخْتِ، وَقِيلَ: يَطْمَحْنَ إِلَى الرِّجَالِ، لَا يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ، وَلا يُنَكِّسْنَ رُءُوسَهُنَّ { شرح السنة، ج 10 ، ص 272 }. 6}(رؤوسهن كأسنمة البخت) معناه يعظمن رأسهن بالخمر والعمائم وغيرها مما يلف على الرؤوس حتى تشبه أسنمة الإبل والمراد بالتشبيه بأسنمة البخت إنما هو لارتفاع الغدائر فوق رؤوسهن وجمع عقائصها هناك وتكثرها بما يضفرنه حتى تميل إلى ناحية من جوانب الرأس كما يميل السنام[شرح محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي 7}وقوله: "رؤوسهن كأسنمة البخت" قيل: معناه: أنهن يٌعظمن { صحيح إبن حبان } 8}قلت : وقد ظهرت في عصرنا نساء يعقدن شعورهن المسترسلة علي أقفيتهن أو في أوساط رؤوسهن بما يشابه سنام البعير سواء بسواء, كان النبي صلي الله عليه وسلم شبه رؤوسهن بأسنمة البخت. وهذا من معجزات النبي صلي الله عليه وسلم إذ وقع من النساء ما أخبر به قبل أربعة قرنا { تكملة فتح الملهم , ج 5 , ص 118/119 } [2] 9}(مميلات) قيل يعلمن غيرهن الميل وقيل مميلات لأكتافهن (مائلات) أي يمشين متبخترات وقيل مائلات يمشين المشية المائلة وهي مشية البغايا ومميلات يمشين غيرهن تلك المشية (البخت) قال في اللسان البخت والبخيتة دخيل في العربية أعجمي معرب وهي الإبل الخراسانية تنتج من بين عربية وفالج (والفالج البعير ذو السنامين وهو الذي بين البختي والعربي سمي بذلك لأن سنامه نصفان) الواحد بختي جمل بختي وناقة بختية ومعنى رؤسهن كأسنمة البخت أي يكبرنها ويعظمنها بلف عمامة أو عصابة أو نحوها] { الإيمان بالجن بين الحقيقة والتهويل، ج 1، ص 236} [3] Imdaadul Ahkaam,Book on clothing and beautifying one’s self, Vol 4, Pg. 337. idealwoman.org

Question: I lived on my own for 2 years and now live with my mum in law as my dad in law passed away. She is very very controlling and believes that all decisions must be made by her regarding me. Where we going, She has to give go ahead if I can go home. If I can start a new job etc. I feel so trapped and my husband tells me he can’t not listen to his mother. When at times we make a decision about our lives she screams at him and says he doesn’t take her advice and he gets very sad! I know we can’t talk about what children do for parents and never compare but my husband has sacrifice a lot, including a job and a home to stay with her. How do we get her to understanding that we a married couple and need our life and is it right that my husband has to listen to all decisions regarding me from his mother? Do we have to discuss everything with her, from financial to spending every weekend together to asking permission if I can go see my own parents? I’m very confused! Lease share some light in this matter I have a very good husband and he is also stuck in the middle of who to please! Do I just have to sacrifice all the time? Answer: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh. Sister in Islam, Alhamdulillah you are aware of the rights of parents. It is also pleasing to note that you respect your husband for the effort he puts in trying to be a good son. In principle, it is not necessary for the son to obey everything his mother has to say about his wife. It is also not necessary to discuss all issues with her. However, it is imperative to keep in mind that as a mother she has many expectations from her son. Moreover, she is a widow because of which she feels the need for more attention. Insha Allah, one day you will also be a mother and would have high expectations from your children. Keeping this in mind, perhaps you can understand where she is coming from. We understand the difficulty you are facing in having to sacrifice for her in many aspects of life. Therefore, we advise that you and your husband present the case to her in the most humble manner and explain to her the difficulty you are facing. Alternatively, you can identify a relative or close friend in whom you can confide. That person could discuss your feelings with your mother in law, also note her response, and advise both accordingly. And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best Checked and Approved by, Mufti Ebrahim Desai. idealwoman.org

The following has been taken from the main topic of OCD & Wasaawis for easy access to vital information on combatting the Wasaawis Combatting Wasaawis & Preventative Measures Islam is a complete way of life with solutions for every problem. The following advices have been compiled from various authentic sources where scholars have advised sufferers of wasaawis, be they in regard to purity, prayers, or blasphemy. 1. Identify wasaawis as being from Shaytaan & seek refuge with Allah Almighty “And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytaan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allaah. Verily, He is All-Hearer, All-Knower" [al-A’raaf 7:200] We seek refuge with Allah Ta'aala by saying: a`oodhu billaahi mina ash-shaytaani ar-rajeem (I seek refuge and protection in Allah from Satan, the accursed). In Surah An-Naas, Allah Ta'aala says:1. Say: "I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind,2. "The King of mankind,3. "The Ilah (God) of mankind,4. "From the evil of the whisperer (devil who whispers evil in the hearts of men) who withdraws (from his whispering in one's heart after one remembers Allah) ,5. "Who whispers in the breats of mankind,6. "Of jinns and men." One of the other ways to seek refuge from Satan is to recite the last two chapters of the Holy Quran, namely Surat Al-Falaq (The Daybreak) and Surat An-Naas (Mankind) Doubts during Prayers: One of the 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 away from me. (Narrated by Muslim, 2203) Imām An-Nawawī states in his explanation, “And this hadīth proves that it is recommended to seek refuge from Shaytān then to dryly spit to the left when one is inner whisperings.” (Although in a talk by Shaykh Riyadhul Haq, it is mentioned that the spitting should be done before and after the Salah in the Hanafi fiqh) Wudhu: As for the doubts that cross your mind regarding Wudhu, Nabi (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has taught us a Du'aa that we should constantly make, 'O Allah! I seek protection from Walahaan.' (Mishkaat pg.47; Qadeemi). Walahaan is the name of the devil that causes these doubts to cross our minds during wudu. The Shaytaan who whispers in Wudhu is called Walahaan. He creates doubts regarding Tahaarat (Purity) and these doubts should be ignored. (From the lecture of Shaykh Riyaadhul Haqq) Short but comprehensive advice from Hazrat Maulana Abdul Hamid Is`haq Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum) 2. Oppose the Shaytaan Opposing the Shaytaan for he may come in the form of someone offering sincere advice, so we must go against him. For if he were really good he would be good to himself first, but he has caused himself to be doomed to Hell. So if he comes to you whilst you are praying, and says, “You are showing off (so cut your prayer short),” then make your prayer lengthy. If he says, “You have broken your wudoo’,” say, “You are lying”. When you eat, be different from him and eat and drink with your right hand, and take food with your right hand. This even applies to taking a siesta, as it says in the hadeeth: “Take a siesta for the devils do not take a siesta.” Narrated by Abu Na’eem with a saheeh isnaad. Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4/147. 3. Seek Allah's Help through Du'a & Prayer 4. Ignore wasaawis Evil whispers during prayer and regarding purity come from the Shaytaan who is keen to misguide the Muslim and lead him astray. The most common advise to combat these Wasaawis is to ignore them which if implemented when they first begin to occur, can serve as a deterrent. (Source: taken from the teachings of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat) 5. Seek advice from scholars and thereafter follow the advice Once a certain situation is clarified with a scholar, then it should be left to rest. Every time the same scenario appears, one should follow the guidance given on the previous occasion. 6. Be aware of fiqh (jurisprudence) issues related to impurity, doubts etc., so that one does not go to extremes in ignorance. Abu Abdullah said: The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam had made clear that it is obligatory (while performing) ablution to was the body-parts once. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam also did perform the ablution by washing (these) parts twice and thrice, but he never washed them more than three times. (Bukhari, vol.1, pg. 135) The learned scholars disliked exceeding the limits set by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam while performing ablution. 7. Seek medical help when necessary 8. Establish clear limits and stick to them 9. Refrain from sin Keep away from sins and wrong actions which are the means by which Iblees gains control over the sons of Adam. Allah says: “Verily, he [the Shaytaan] has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord (Allah)” [al-Nahl 16:99] 10. Recommended du'aas In the book of Ibn al-Sunni it is narrated via ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), “Whoever suffers from this waswaas, let him say ‘Aamantu Billaahi wa bi rusulihi (I believe in Allaah and in His Messengers)’, three times, and it will go away from him.” Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said that one of the scholars thought it was mustahabb for the one who was affected by Waswasah with regard to his Wudhu or prayer to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, for when the Shaytaan hears dhikr (remembrance of Allah) he slinks away, and Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah is the best of dhikr, and the most effective remedy for warding off Waswasah is to remember Allah a great deal. The simple remedy to such thoughts is to ignore them and don’t bother. This will be a smack on Shaitaan’s face. Shaitaan will feel humiliated and not attempt his evil plot on you again. Simply read: لاحول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم and أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم (source: Mufti Ebrahim Desai) 11. Hope & trust in Allah Trust in Allah that your prayer and purity are accepted. Remember that the sahaba and the Prophet (peace be upon him) all had less water than we do now, and without a doubt their prayers were accepted. So there is no doubt that we, who use (and waste) so much more water than they ever did, are performing our wudhu in a matter acceptable to Allah. 12. Preventative measures Urinating in the Bath It is mentioned in a hadith that the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasalam has prohibited us to urinate in the bath as the illness of waswasah arises from this. (Tirmizi p.12 v.1) Something to keep in the mind and the heart Undoubtedly, whoever thinks of the paths of the Messengers of Allah, especially our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) will find that his path and his law is easy and clear, with no hardship in it. “… and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship” [al-Hajj 22:78] Thoughts/ Wasaawis are like Guests They are like guests. If one made a guest feel welcome, the guest is inclined to visit again and the more welcome he is made to feel the more he will be inclined to visit. However when a guest is made to feel unwelcome he may visit once or twice and then at the continuous cool reception no self respecting person will visit again. Similarly unwanted thoughts/Wasaawis will continue to come if attention is paid to them. If ignored they may persist for a while but eventually they will cease Insha Allah. (From the teachings of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat).

after a lot of research, we have compiled as much information as we could on this serious and often debilitating condition of OCD and Wasaawis. We have tried our utmost to present facts from reliable medical sources as well as proofs and remedies from the Qur'an and Sunnah. We pray it will be a means of help and cure to sufferers everywhere inshaAllah who often feel alone, suffering in silence, unable to help themselves and not knowing who to turn to. May Allah subhaanahu wata'ala grant relief as it is He alone Who cures, Aameen. We would appreciate feedback and /or advise/information we may have overlooked. We request readers to make du'a for acceptance of this effort and it becoming a means of relief for sufferers. Jazaakumullah

See also: Christmas Lessons

Origin Of Christmas Mufti Taqi Usmani commemorating the birth of a distinguished person has never been prescribed by any religion attributing itself to divine revelation. It was originally a custom prevalent in pagan communities only. Even Christmas, the famous Christian feast commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ finds no mention in the Bible or in the early Christian writings. It was only in the 4th century after the ascension of Jesus Christ that Christmas was recognized as a regular Christian feast. To quote the Collier's Encyclopedia: "It is impossible to determine the exact date of the birth of Christ, either from the evidence of the gospels, or from any sound tradition. During the first three centuries of the Christian era there was considerable opposition in the Church to the pagan custom of celebrating birthdays, although there is some indication that a purely religious commemoration of the birth of Christ was included in the feast of Epiphany. Clement of Alexandria mentions the existence of the feast in Egypt about the year A.D. 200 and we have some evidence that it was observed on various dates in scattered areas. After the triumph of Constantine, the Church at Rome assigned December 25 as the date for the celebration of the feast, possibly about A.D. 320 or 353. By the end of the fourth century the whole Christian world was celebrating Christmas on that day, with the exception of the Eastern Churches, where it was celebrated on January 6. The choice of December 25 was probably influenced by the fact that on this day the Romans celebrated the Mithraic feast of the Sun-god, and that the Saturnalia also came at this time." (Collier's Encyclopedia 1984 ed, v. 6, p. 403). A similar description of the origin of Christmas is found in-the Encyclopedia Britannica with some more details. Its following passage will throw more light on the point: "Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church, and before the 5th century there was no general consensus of opinion as to when it should come in the calendar, whether on Jan. 6, March 25 or Dec. 25. The earliest identification of Dec. 25 with the birthday of Christ is in a passage, otherwise unknown and probably spurious, of the philos of Antioch (c.180), preserved in Latin by the Magdeburyg centuriators (i, 3, 118), to the effect that the Gauls contended that since they celebrated the birth of Lord on Dec. 25, so they ought to celebrate the resurrection on March 25. A passage, almost certainly interpolated, in 'Hippelates' (c. 202) commentary on Daniel iv, 23, says that Jesus was born at Bethlehem on Wednesday, Dec. 25, in the 42nd year of Augustus, but he mentions no feast, and such a feast, indeed, would conflict with the then orthodox ideas. As late as 245, Origin (hem. viii on Leviticus) repudiated the idea of keeping the birthday of Christ "as if he were a king Pharaoh". (Britannica, 1953 ed. v. 5, p.642) These two quotes are more than sufficient to prove the following points: 1. The commemoration of birthdays was originally a pagan custom, never recognized by a divine scripture or prophetic teaching. 2. The exact date of the Birth of Sayyidna 'Isa is unknown and impossible to be ascertained. 3. The commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ was not a recognized practice in the early centuries of the Christian history. 4. It was in the 4th or 5th century that it was recognized as a religious feast, and that, too, under the influence of the pagans who worshipped Sun-god. 5. There was a strong opposition against the commemorating of the birthday by the early Christian scholars like Origin, on the ground that it is originally a custom of pagans and idolaters.