Question: I suffer from waswasa regarding wudu’, salat , purification, and intention. What is the remedy for this? ANSWER Waswasa (pl. wasawis) means harmful misgivings and delusion. It is stated in a hadith-i sharif: ( Waswasa is from Shaitan. Beware of the wasawis of Shaitan when you are making wudu’ , performing ghusl, and cleaning impurity.) [Tirmidhi] Following waswasa is a sin. It is makruh to perform salat behind an imam who has been plagued by waswasa . Waswasa causes a person to waste water, and wastefulness ( israf) is haram . It also causes him to delay his salat and to miss the jama’at , even salat. It results in his wasting his time and life. A person affected by waswasa is under the delusion that the clothes and meals of others are impure, while it is haram to have a bad opinion about Muslims. He thinks that he is on the safe side in religious matters, but in fact he has been trapped with arrogance. A person who does not know the fard, sunnat , and makruh elements of wudu’ , purification, and salat can easily be afflicted by the sickness of waswasa . If he has learnt and is implementing them, then he should ignore the doubts that will befall him and assume that he is carrying them out well and correctly. Assuming it in this way is to be on the safe side. Having doubts is to be afflicted with wasawis . One who has been affected by wasawis should act on dispensations (rukhsa ). One is not disturbed by waswasa when cleansing the heart from vices, paying attention to the rights of creation, and abstaining from haram acts. Being extra careful about these issues is wara and taqwa . (Hadiqa, Bariqa) The remedy to get rid of wasawis is to know well the ruling of our religion regarding the matter about which he has been confronted with wasawis . He who knows the rulings well will not have wasawis . Every Muslim must abstain from haram and dubious things. He should also be abstemious in using even the mubah things and should not exceed the limit of necessity. This is called adopting what is azima (the more meritorious and difficult ways in carrying out commandments, which Islam holds superior). Doing unsinful and permissible acts is called following rukhsa (dispensation). A person should not take dispensations unless forced by necessity. He who has an excuse(unable to do the ’azima] may take rukhsa. His doing rukhsa deserves as much thawab (reward) as would be the case if he had done the ’azima . Hadrat Imam-i Rabbani states, “One should act on the easiest fatwa in case of necessity. Allahu ta’ala does not want human to do difficult things, but easy ones, because man was created weak and fragile. Shaytan does not want a Muslim to perform salat . If he is performing salat , Shaitan casts doubts into his heart, whispering, “Seeing that you are offering salat , you should perform wudu’ and salat properly. Do not leave any part dry. Wash thoroughly. Your salat is not valid, so redo it.” Thus, he causes the Believer distress.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 06:38:18 +0000
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