Need help please- really suffering

format_quote Originally Posted by Islamis4ever

Assalaamwa'alaikum

I just need some help regarding intentions. Ihave an OCD and waswas problem but with the help of allah (swt) I am overcoming the problem.
I just need to know how the intention is meant to be made. I know that it is supposed to be from the heart bit what does that mean. What I do is I think of every individual word in my head which I know is wrong because it takes me about 2 mins to do it while other people that just read salah I see them not even taking 5 secs. What I think of is, "O Allah Ta'ala I making my sunnah wudhu for you now" for example.
Please could someone just advise me on what to do here because with me OCD and waswas problems it sometimes takes me up to 5 mins to do and also because I think of something else while I'm making it then I feel I should restart it.

Jazakallah for your time

Asalaamu Alaikum, intention is made from the heart but you can make intention using your tongue if you think it will help affirm the intention in your heart. What you need to think you yourself is that will Allah only be able to understand what your intentions are by you having to say each word perfectly? Of course not! We could never even think of such a thing, for Allah knows everything and knows what you are going to think and say before you say or think it.

Therefore realise in your mind that you NEVER have to say the words properly or perfectly but that Allah will know what you are intending. Just quickly affirm it in your heart or say it if you want to just ONCE and then get on with your prayer or whatever worship you are going to do. By you repeating the intention over and over then surely you are making it out that Allah needs to hear every word perfectly i order to understand your intention.

So think to yourself when you are about to repeat your intention again: "Why do i need to repeat my intentions when Allah knows what i am intending to do and so there is NO need to keep repeating my intention over and over again".

So from now on you dont even need to say the words in your heart properly just intend what you are going to do solely for the pleasure of Allah and then get on with the worship and do NOT think of it again.

format_quote Originally Posted by Islamis4ever

Hamza, all I can say is jazakallah. You really have helped me. I'm sorry for the late reply I saw your reply the day after you posted it but I wanted to act on it first for a dew days before telling you whether or not it's working for me And what you have said really has helped me but I'm still not 100% sure. What I'm doing now is only making the intention once or twice but I still picture all of the words in my head. Sometimes I think of something while I'm picturing the words and then I feel I have to make my intention I've again and it's really irritatating because it can go on for long. What I need to ask is do ihave to picture the words I my head or can I just think in my head for example, while I'm walking up to read salaah, " o Allah ta'ala I'm reading my ... Salaah for you now" so can I just be thinking it saying it in my head or do I hve to picture it?
Jazakallah once again you have helped me

Asalaamu alaikum, We make intentions in our hearts to show Allah what and why we are intending to do a certain action then can you tell me:

Does Allah need to hear the exact accurate wording of your intentions in order to understand what intentions you are trying to make?

Does Allah need to see pictures in your head of your intentions in order to understand what your intentions are?

Of course not. He does NOT need to hear or see accurate wordings and pictures in your head of what you are intending to do. He just needs a firm intention in your heart that you are intending to do a certain action for his pleasure and that firm intention does NOT require words or pictures of that intention. Unless you want to believe he can only understand your intentions by you using accurate worfings or pictures.

Please think these two things to yourself everytime and you will never suffer from your problem again.

format_quote Originally Posted by Islamis4ever

Jazakallah once again brother Hamza you have no idea howuch you have helped me u am slowly improving more and more each day. I just have two more questions:



1. When I am making my intention and another thought or picture cones into my mind like fore eg a cat, do I have to restart my intention.

Why would you need to restart it? Ask yourself Is Allah unable to recognise your intention if something random suddenly comes into your mind? I already mentioned in my previous post that you do not need to use accurate wording whilst makiing intention. You just need to affirm in your heart what you are intending and that you are doing so solely for Allah.

If a cat or something random comes into your mind then it does not matter as Allah will recognise your intentions regardless. Just try to concentrate on what you are intending. But there is no need to stand there going over the intentions again and again as Allah will recognise your intentions regardless.

format_quote Originally Posted by Islamis4ever

2. When I making my wudhu sometimes I feel ad though I break wind and I hear a sound but it keeps happenin and I'm not sure if I have broken my wudhu. Why should I do?
Jazakallah

I have answered this question for you many times before and have already mentioned that if you are in doubt then ignore it and continue. Once you are 100% certain then you repeat your wudu. This is a waswas you keep suffering from and you should keep reminding yourself of this: "Only 100% certainty will break my wudu NOT doubt".

Hope that helped.

And Allah knows best in all matters

format_quote Originally Posted by Islamis4ever

Hamza, I know that you must be getting frustrated trying to explain to me all of this over and over but I am sorry just my waswas wont let me accept it. I know you've explained that I dont need to picture words in my head or anything of the sort and I must only make my intention once and Allah (SWT) will understand what I'm saying, But I still do not understand the intention in the heart part. How exactly is it meant to be in the heart and how exactly do you commmunicate something in your heart?

Sorry for frustrating you
Jazakallah again

Asalaamu alaikum, no sister I would never be frustrated with you for I am here to help you as much as I can so please never hesitate to keep asking me and I will always,try my best to help you.

Allah is beyond needing us to even utter an intention in order to understand what we are intending. He knows what we are intending even before we begin to even think of making an intention. So firstly understand that Allah does not need to know what we are intending because he already knows. We only need to imagine what we are intending to do and that is enough.

There is no need to say a structured sentence in our heads. Just simply imagine that we are doing such and such an act solely for Allah. Thats all.

Please continue to ask me whatever you need help with.

format_quote Originally Posted by Islamis4ever

Jazakallah brother Hamza
I have really been suffering over the past few days and right now i have no joy in my life beacuase of this. Over the past few days it has taken me about 15mins just to make an intention for a salah/wudhu and it has gotten me to a point where I cannot enjoy life and all i think about is the next salaah and how im going to pray it with this intention problem of mine. I wish that I could speak to you face-face so I could properly relate to you my problems but I do not know how to explain it. Insha'allah Allah Ta'ala will help me overcome these problems.
1.If I think that I have not said something properly in my intention do I have to restart it example if i think that i said im praying esha instead of asr for example.
2.I know that you said that if something random comes into my mind that i can just ignore it but what if lets say a picture of a swear word comes in my mind because that is what shaytaan is making me do picture swear words during my intention do i have to restart my inention?

Jazakallah again

From now on do not say or utter anything. Just imagine it. Imagine what you are praying and the fact that you are doing it only for Allah.

Allah does NOT need words. He just needs to see the intention in your heart. Therefore by simply imagining it you do not need to worry about any wording in intention. You also do not need to worry about whatever comes in your head as intention is made in the heart. This way you have blocked a major pathway for shaythan to get at you.

Give it a trial for a day and let me know how it goes tomorrow.

format_quote Originally Posted by Islamis4ever

Brother, so basically will it be considered and intention if I know what I am doing like for e.g. I am going into the bathroom to make wudhu, I know that I'm going there to make wudhu so is that considered an intention?

Yes. You do not need to say or think of any words. Just imagine in your heart what you are intending to do and why you are intending to do it.

The more good intentions you have in your heart regarding any good act then the more rewards you will get.

How are you finding it so far?

format_quote Originally Posted by Islamis4ever

well, to tell you the truth, my mind still wont allow me to take in any of it. Maybe a slight improvement but insha'allah with the help of Allah (swt) I will overcome this.
Just a question regarding this, if for say what i said earlier about knowing what youre about to do counting as the intention, then why do they say that you should 'make' an intention because it isnt really making an intention if you just know what youre doing is it?

Well this is a new tactic for you to employ so it wil take longer than one day to implement it properly but just continue to internalise it in your mind.

When a person intends to do something then this intention is internalised in their mind and heart. They don't need to say it out or even say it in their mind. For example i want to go to the shops and buy bread. I have imagined and internalised it in my mind that i will go to the shops and buy bread but i dont need to say it out loud or say it out in my head.

Similarly whenever you intend to do a good act like for example pray 4 rakat fard for Asr, then just imagine and internalise it in your mind and heart that you are going to pray 4 rakat fard for Asr solely for Allah. You don't need to say it out loud or repeat it in your mind.

Surely Allah is all knowing and does not need you to spell it out. Some people do it because it helps them make their intention and affirm it in their heart but no one needs to actually say it out aloud but the main thing is to affirm it in your heart.

So just keep it in your mind that Allah does NOT need you to spell it out or say it. Just imagine it in your mind and affirm in your heart that you are doing it for Allah. Thats it. Its as simple as that. Shaythan is just trying to make things more difficult for you than they actually are.

So keep me informed as to your progress with this. Keep striving and asking of Allah for assistance and you will be victorious.

format_quote Originally Posted by Islamis4ever

I really have improved a bit. I think that Im getting the hang of this and how to make an intention. My only problem now is the swear word part- I know that you said to ignore it but I'm still convinced that I have to restart my intention but whenever I do so I think of the word again and it happens alot. Please help me regarding this and how can I stop thinking of this?
Jazakallah

Why do you have to keep re-starting your intention if your imagine any swear word? Is it because Allah requires you to restart it so that he can understand what your intentions are? Is that what you think that Allah doesnt understand your intention and thats why you have to restart it?

format_quote Originally Posted by Islamis4ever

I just feel that it is wrong if I dont restart it

Why? Who says its wrong?