Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh

 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

To deal with your question properly we have firstly to understand the cause and nature of these thoughts. In this context, many people mistake such thoughts for wasawis (Satanic whispers) and accordingly restrict the solution to more recitation of the Qur’an and making dhikr (remembrance of Allah) to dismiss Satan and his whispers.

 

Of course, these are important factors for dispelling such doubts and thoughts, but there are still more steps to be taken to eliminate such bad thoughts.

 

In fact, what you described in your question may be the symptoms of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). This disorder causes persistent, unpleasant thoughts. It is a well-known illness caused by an imbalance in the chemicals of the brain, which needs medication.

 

Thus, the first step you should take is to seek treatment on the hands of a reliable professional, preferably Muslim, psychiatrist so that he would be able to understand and deal with your problem.

 

You should not be scared or ashamed by the notion that you need to visit a psychiatrist. This is by no means a source of shame nor is it equivalent to being insane. OCD is an illness, like any other illness, which needs taking certain medicines prescribed by a specialized doctor. So do not feel hesitation in taking the step.

 

We indeed know persons who experienced a suffering similar to yours, but they visited a psychiatrist and followed his instructions until Allah granted them cure and health.

 

Actually, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us to seek therapy and treatment. Imam Ahmad reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said “Seek medication, O servants of Allah, for Allah has not created an illness without providing a medicine for it except one illness, i.e. old age.” (Ibn Hibban and Al-Hakim, Al-Albani said: authentic)

 

You may wonder whether these bad thoughts affect your faith. Regarding this point we hasten to say that you should not worry about this point. It is clear that you cannot control the ugly thoughts befalling your mind, and you exert tremendous effort to deter them. Allah, the Most Merciful, makes it clear in the Qur’an that He Almighty never burden people with things that they cannot afford. He Almighty knows the suffering you experience and the struggle you exercise to combat these thoughts, and He will never let you down.

 

Moreover, it is our advice to you to avoid repeating or exceeding the limits in making wudu’, ghusl, prayers, etc. So, you need to perform wudu’, ghusl, or prayer normally—without any excess or repetition, and have a firm belief in your heart that Allah will accept and reward you abundantly for it.

 

Thus, we can sum up our advice in the following points:

 

First: Consult a professional psychiatrist, and continue following his instructions.

 

Second: Try your best to ignore the thoughts and doubts that befall you.

 

Third: Be sure that these doubts have no effect on your faith.

 

Fourth: Don’t unnecessarily repeat or exceed the normal limits in offering the rituals such as ghusl, wudu’, and prayers.

 

Fifth: Be sure that the suffering you experience is a test form Allah, and that your patience will be of great reward. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) “No fatigue, nor disease, nor anxiety, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurairah)

 

Finally, and most importantly, a Muslim is to seek Allah’s help, strengthen his relationship with Him, try his best to do good and refrain from evil deeds. One should have strong belief in Allah and His Absolute Power, as the Prophet says: “If people gather to confer a favor on you, this will never be done unless it has been predestined for you. And, if they conspire together to harm you, they will never harm you unless that has been predestined for you.” (At-TAbarani)

 

Almighty Allah knows best.