How to Overcome Waswasa/OCD in Worship

“Verily, those who are the pious, when an evil thought comes to them from Shaytaan, they remember (Allah), and (indeed) they then see (aright).”

(Surah Al-A’raaf 7 : 201)

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Originally Posted by WRITER

If on the other hand one knows he has done the prayer right but still gets such thougths that he hasn't, then those thoughts should be ignored.

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JazakAllah khayrun,

I think in such matters, the ruling applies:

'Certainty is not removed by doubt'

(the proof for this being the hadeeth of Abdullah bin Zaid (ra) where a man informed Rasulullah (sallalahu alaihi wasalam) that he feels some wind escaping him during prayer, so he said: He should not leave until he hears the sound or smells it. (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim). )

And Allah (subhanawataála) knows best.

:wa:

I ignore the thoughts, by simply reciting "I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the Accursed"... and then I feel good again.

If its a disturbing thought from wiswas, I mean really disturbing - I recite the Kuls, and blow over myself repeatedly... even in public. heck, I don;t care what people think - they aint gonna be sticking up for me on that terrible day when HE accounts all HIS creation.

Scimi

Dua to ward off the deception of the Obstinate Shaytaans




The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم Protecting Himself from the Shayaateen

Ja’far bin Sulaymaan ad-Duba’ee narrated: Aboo at-Tayyaaj narrated to us, he said: “I said to ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Khanbash at-Tameemee – and he was an old man – ‘did you reach the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم (during his lifetime)?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘So I said: How did the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم act on the night the shayaateen plotted against him?’ So he said: ‘Indeed the shayaateen descended that night upon the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم from the valleys and mountain paths, and amongst them was a shaytaan, in his hand was a flame of fire, wanting to burn the face of Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم with it. So Jibreel - عليه السلام - descended to h im and said: ‘O Muhammad! Say:





'A'oodhu bikalimaatil-laahit-taammaatil-latee laa yujaawizuhunna barrun wa laa faajirun
min sharri maa khalaqa,wa bara'a wa dhara'a,
wa min sharri maa yanzilu minas-samaa'i,
wa min sharri maa ya'ruju feehaa,
wa min sharri maa dhara'a fil-ardhi,
wa min sharri maa yakhruju minhaa,
wa min sharri fitanil-layli wannahaari,
wa min sharri kulli taariqin 'illaa taariqan yatruqu bikhayrin yaa Rahmaan


(( I seek refuge by the complete, perfect words of Allaah, which no righteous one nor wicked one can exceed, from the evil of what He has created, and from the evil of what descends from the heavens, and from the evil of what ascends to them, and from the evil of what is sown in the earth and is created, and from the evil of what comes out from it, and from the evil of the fitan of the night and the day, and from the evil of everyone who comes knocking, except for the one who comes knocking with khayr, O Rahmaan! ))

So it (this du’aa) extinguished their fire, and Allaah تبارك و تعالى defeated them.” (as-Suyootee in al-Jaami’ al-Kabeer (1/11/2) to Ahmad, and at-Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer, and Ibnus-Sunnee in ‘Amalul-Yawmi wal-Laylah from ‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin Khanbash, and from Ahmad (3/319), and Ibnus-Sunnee (631) from Ja’far bin Sulaymaan ad-Duba’ee from Aboo at-Tayyaa)

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Originally Posted by Hamza Asadullah

What are some of the symptoms of waswas?

-You pray and then be not sure if you did.

- You waste too much water and long time in wudu and ghusl.

- You pray more than the number of rakats and do the sahu sujud every time. Even you pray more than once.

- you are not sure if your clothes are clean and every moment change your clothes.

- You follow the tiny things that are not even seen by eyes to clean them and remove them.

- You worry too much and feel your worship is not complete.

- You ask strange questions that people feel amazed about and show strange behavior for example: someone walks with shoes on the carpet until the spot where she prays just because she is not sure if the land is clean.

- You spend a very long time in the bathroom, just washing.

- You are not sure of any worship you did is complete.

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I think all of these apply to me- but I have always been this way even before I took up prayers.
Sometimes I change three to four times a day even.. but I have reached a stage where I just have to work with it and not fight it so much.. I do remember seeing many anon posts for someone who has that problem to the extreme- I am not sure it can be changed without major behavioral modifications, and none have worked for me..

thanks for the thread though.. Jazaka Allah khyran

:w:

Jazak Allaho khairaan! :D
Thank you so Much ...
This is an issue which I didnt know! :) Hamdolila for knowing it! :)

Assalamulaikum- Very relevant comments and excellent advice

Therapy as treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

The most effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder is often cognitive-behavioral therapy. Antidepressants are sometimes used in conjunction with therapy, although medication alone is rarely effective in relieving the symptoms of OCD.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves two components:

1. Exposure and response prevention involves repeated exposure to the source of your obsession. Then you are asked to refrain from the compulsive behavior you’d usually perform to reduce your anxiety. For example, if you are a compulsive hand washer, you might be asked to touch the door handle in a public restroom and then be prevented from washing. As you sit with the anxiety, the urge to wash your hands will gradually begin to go away on its own. In this way, you learn that you don’t need the ritual to get rid of your anxiety—that you have some control over your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.
2. Cognitive therapy focuses on the catastrophic thoughts and exaggerated sense of responsibility you feel. A big part of cognitive therapy for OCD is teaching you healthy and effective ways of responding to obsessive thoughts, without resorting to compulsive behavior.

Four Steps for Conquering Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Psychiatrist Jeffrey Schwartz, author of Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior, offers the following four steps for dealing with OCD:

• RELABEL – Recognize that the intrusive obsessive thoughts and urges are the result of OCD. For example, train yourself to say, "I don't think or feel that my hands are dirty. I'm having an obsession that my hands are dirty." Or, "I don't feel that I have the need to wash my hands. I'm having a compulsive urge to perform the compulsion of washing my hands."
• REATTRIBUTE – Realize that the intensity and intrusiveness of the thought or urge is caused by OCD; it is probably related to a biochemical imbalance in the brain. Tell yourself, "It's not me—it’s my OCD," to remind you that OCD thoughts and urges are not meaningful, but are false messages from the brain.
• REFOCUS – Work around the OCD thoughts by focusing your attention on something else, at least for a few minutes. Do another behavior. Say to yourself, "I'm experiencing a symptom of OCD. I need to do another behavior."
• REVALUE – Do not take the OCD thought at face value. It is not significant in itself. Tell yourself, "That's just my stupid obsession. It has no meaning. That's just my brain. There's no need to pay attention to it." Remember: You can't make the thought go away, but neither do you need to pay attention to it. You can learn to go on to the next behavior.

Source: Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorders

Family therapy for OCD treatment

Because OCD often causes problems in family life and social adjustment, family therapy can often be beneficial.

• Family therapy promotes understanding of the disorder and can help reduce family conflicts.
• It can motivate family members and teach them how to help their loved one.

Group therapy for OCD treatment

Through interaction with fellow OCD sufferers, group therapy provides support and encouragement and decreases feelings of isolation.
Self-help for OCD tip 1: Challenge obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors

If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), there are many ways you can help yourself in addition to seeking therapy.
Refocus your attention

Learn to recognize and reduce stress

http://www.helpguide.org/images/glob...play_thumb.jpg Watch 4-min. video: Quick Stress Relief


When you’re experiencing OCD thoughts and urges, try shifting your attention to something else.

• You could exercise, jog, walk, listen to music, read, surf the web, play a video game, make a phone call, or knit. The important thing is to do something you enjoy for at least 15 minutes, in order to delay your response to the obsessive thought or compulsion.
• At the end of the delaying period, reassess the urge. In many cases, the urge will no longer be quite as intense. Try delaying for a longer period. The longer you can delay the urge, the more it will likely change.

Write down your obsessive thoughts or worries

Keep a pad and pencil on you, or type on a laptop, smartphone, or tablet. When you begin to obsess, write down all your thoughts or compulsions.

• Keep writing as the OCD urges continue, aiming to record exactly what you're thinking, even if you’re repeating the same phrases or the same urges over and over.
• Writing it all down will help you see just how repetitive your obsessions are.
• Writing down the same phrase or urge hundreds of times will help it lose its power.
• Writing thoughts down is much harder work than simply thinking them, so your obsessive thoughts are likely to disappear sooner.

Anticipate OCD urges

By anticipating your compulsive urges before they arise, you can help to ease them. For example, if your compulsive behavior involves checking that doors are locked, windows closed, or appliances turned off, try to lock the door or turn off the appliance with extra attention the first time.

• Create a solid mental picture and then make a mental note. Tell yourself, “The window is now closed,” or “I can see that the oven is turned off.”
• When the urge to check arises later, you will find it easier to relabel it as “just an obsessive thought.”

Create an OCD worry period

Rather than trying to suppress obsessions or compulsions, develop the habit of rescheduling them.

• Choose one or two 10 minute “worry periods” each day, time you can devote to obsessing. Choose a set time and place (e.g. in the living room from 8:00 to 8:10 a.m. and 5:00 to 5:10 p.m.) that’s early enough it won’t make you anxious before bedtime.
• During your worry period, focus only on negative thoughts or urges. Don’t try to correct them. At the end of the worry period, take a few calming breaths, let the obsessive thoughts or urges go, and return to your normal activities. The rest of the day, however, is to be designated free of obsessions and compulsions.
• When thoughts or urges come into your head during the day, write them down and “postpone” them to your worry period. Save it for later and continue to go about your day.
• Go over your “worry list” during the worry period. Reflect on the thoughts or urges you wrote down during the day. If the thoughts are still bothering you, allow yourself to obsess about them, but only for the amount of time you’ve allotted for your worry period.

Create a tape of your OCD obsessions

Focus on one specific worry or obsession and record it to a tape recorder, laptop, or smartphone.

• Recount the obsessive phrase, sentence, or storyexactly as it comes into your mind.
• Play the tape back to yourself, over and over for a 45-minute period each day, until listening to the obsession no longer causes you to feel highly distressed.
• By continuously confronting your worry or obsession you will gradually become less anxious. You can then repeat the exercise for a different obsession.

Self-help for OCD tip 2: Take care of yourself

A healthy, balanced lifestyle plays a big role in keeping OCD behavior, fears, and worry at bay.
Practice relaxation techniques

While stress doesn’t cause OCD, a stressful event can trigger the onset of obsessive and compulsive behavior, and stress can often make obsessive-compulsive behavior worse.

• Mindful meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and other stress-relief techniques may help reduce the symptoms of anxiety brought on by OCD.
• Try to practice a relaxation technique for at least 30 minutes a day.

Adopt healthy eating habits

Start the day right with breakfast, and continue with frequent small meals throughout the day. Going too long without eating leads to low blood sugar, which can make you feel more anxious.

• Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Not only do complex carbs stabilize blood sugar, they also boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter with calming effects.

Exercise regularly

Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment that helps to control OCD symptoms by refocusing your mind when obsessive thoughts and compulsions arise.

• For maximum benefit, try to get 30 minutes or more of aerobic activity on most days. Aerobic exercise relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins, the brain’s feel-good chemicals.

Avoid alcohol and nicotine

Alcohol temporarily reduces anxiety and worry, but it actually causes anxiety symptoms as it wears off. Similarly, while it may seem that cigarettes are calming, nicotine is actually a powerful stimulant. Smoking leads to higher, not lower, levels of anxiety and OCD symptoms.
Get enough sleep

Not only can anxiety and worry cause insomnia, but a lack of sleep can also exacerbate anxious thoughts and feelings. When you’re well rested, it’s much easier to keep your emotional balance, a key factor in coping with anxiety disorders such as OCD.
Self-help for OCD tip 3: Reach out for support

Obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCD) can get worse when you feel powerless and alone, so it’s important to build a strong support system. The more connected you are to other people, the less vulnerable you’ll feel. Just talking about your worries and urges can make them seem less threatening.
Stay connected to family and friends

Obsessions and compulsions can consume your life to the point of social isolation. In turn, social isolation can aggravate your OCD symptoms. It’s important to have a network of family and friends you can turn to for help and support. Involving others in your treatment can help guard against setbacks and keep you motivated.
Join an OCD support group

You’re not alone in your struggle with OCD, and participating in a support group can be an effective reminder of that. OCD support groups enable you to both share your own experiences and learn from others who are facing the same problems. For a searchable database of OCD support groups, see the Resources and References section below.
Helping a loved one with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

If a friend or family member has OCD, your most important job is to educate yourself about the disorder. Share what you’ve learned with your loved one and let them know that there is help available. Simply knowing that OCD is treatable can sometimes provide enough motivation for your loved one to seek help.
Tips for helping a friend or family member with OCD

The way you react to a loved one’s OCD symptoms can have a big impact.

• Negative comments or criticism can make OCD worse, while a calm, supportive environment can help improve the outcome of treatment. Focus on the sufferer’s positive qualities and avoid making personal criticisms.
• Don’t scold someone with OCD or tell the person to stop performing rituals. They can’t comply, and the pressure to stop will only make the behaviors worse. Remember, your loved one’s OCD behaviors are symptoms, not character flaws.
• Be as kind and patient as possible. Each sufferer needs to overcome problems at their own pace. Praise any successful attempt to resist OCD, and focus attention on positive elements in the person’s life.
• Do not play along with your loved one’s OCD rituals. Helping the sufferer with rituals will only reinforce the behavior. Support the person, not their rituals.
• Create a pact to not allow OCD to take over family life. Sit down as a family and decide how you will work together to tackle your loved one’s OCD symptoms. Try to keep family life as normal as possible and the home a low-stress environment.
• Communicate positively, directly and clearly. Communication is important so you can find a balance between standing up to the OCD and not further distressing your loved one.
• Find the humor. Seeing the humor and absurdity in some OCD symptoms can help the sufferer become more detached from the disorder. Of course, a situation is only humorous if the sufferer finds it funny, too.

Source: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/obse...sorder_ocd.htm

Islamic Solution for OCD (Waswaas) – A Comprehensive Guide

http://islamandpsychology.blogspot.c...swaas.html?m=1

Jazakallah khair!

This is a wonderful post!

Thanks for adressing this issue~!

I think we all strive for perfection so we do think about our salaah and whether it has been accepted. This is a normal thought.

It's good to contemplate on how we can improve our salaah and character but we shouldn't let our thoughts and actions become obsessive.

Excellent read alhamdulilah

i used to have this problem while doing the wudhu

Waswas (shaythans whisper) occurs in Muslim mind mainly because of sufficient knowledge of Islam, this happen when shaythan putting uncertainties in persons mind and keep telling the person that their ablution and prayer are not valid or you do not done your prayer properly or you have miss something during the prayer.

Overcoming Waswas - OCD from an invisible angle

http://islamandpsychology.blogspot.c...invisible.html

What do you do if you hear whispers (wiswaas)?

https://youtu.be/TUQWog1cSHs

CLOSE THE GAP between you and the next brother, if making salaah in congregation. If at home - recite audibly with the utmost concentration.

Scimi

Whenever shaytaan whispers or says things that you did or didnt do, ask him to bring two believing witnesses.

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Originally Posted by Timi Scar

CLOSE THE GAP between you and the next brother, if making salaah in congregation. If at home - recite audibly with the utmost concentration.

Scimi

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Agreed, I have found that saying prayers out loud makes a big difference. Sometimes I feel kind of silly doing it, but it works.

A man is experiencing waswas (insinuating whispers) from the Shaytan (devil) having to do with Allah, and he is very afraid of that.


Praise be to Allah


The questioner has mentioned this problem and is afraid of its consequences. I say to him, rejoice, for its consequences cannot be anything but good. By means of this waswas, the Shaytan tries to gain control over the believers and shake the sound belief in their hearts, and make them suffer psychological and intellectual anxiety that will affect the purity of their faith and their life, if they are believers.

This is not the first or the last time that the believers have been exposed to this. It will continue so long as there is any believer in this world. The Sahabah/companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) also faced this problem. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Some of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said to him, ‘We find in ourselves thoughts that are too terrible to speak of.’ He said, ‘Are you really suffering from that?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘That is a clear sign of faith.’” (Muslim).

It was narrated in al-Saheehayn, also from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The Shaytan comes to one of you and says, ‘Who created such and such? Who created such and such?’ Until he says, ‘Who created your Lord?!’ If that happens to any of you, let him seek refuge with Allah and put a stop to these thoughts.”

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, “I think thoughts to myself, which I would rather be burnt to a cinder than speak of them.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Praise be to Allah, Who has reduced all his [the Shaytan’s] plots to mere whispers.” (Abu Dawood).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Kitab al-Eeman: “The believer may suffer from the whispers of the Shaytan insinuating thoughts of kufr (disbelief), which may make him feel distressed. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, some of us think thoughts which we would rather fall from heaven to earth than speak of them.’ He said, ‘That is a clear sign of faith.’ According to one report, ‘… thoughts which are too terrible to speak of.’ He said, ‘Praise be to Allah, Who has reduced all his [the Shaytan’s] plots to mere whispers,’ meaning that the fact that these whispers come, but they are so greatly disliked, and they are pushed away from the heart, is a clear sign of faith. This is like the mujahid (warrior) to whom the enemy comes, but he resists him until he overwhelms him, and this is a mighty jihad (battle)… Hence the seekers of knowledge and devoted worshippers experience waswas and doubts which others do not face, because they (the others) are not following the way prescribed by Allah, rather they are following their own whims and desires and neglecting to remember their Lord. This is what the Shaytan wants, in contrast to those who are striving to draw closer to their Lord by seeking knowledge and worshipping Him. He is their enemy and seeks to prevent them from drawing closer to Allah.” (p.147 of the Indian edition)

I say to this questioner, if you are faced with this waswas from the Shaytan, then fight it and resist it. Know that it can never harm you when you fulfill the duty of fighting and resisting it, and you refuse to be controlled by it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Allah will forgive my ummah (followers) for any insinuating whispers that may cross their minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.” (Agreed upon).

If it is said to you: Do you believe the insinuating whispers you experience? Do you think that they are true? Do you really think that Allah is like what this waswas says? You would say, “It is not right for us to speak of this. Glory be to You (O Allah)! This is a great lie” [24:16 ]. You would denounce that in your heart and with your tongue, and be the one who objects to it the most, for it is only whispers and thoughts that cross your mind. It is a trap set by the Shaytan, who flows through the son of Adam (peace be upon him) like blood flows, to make you doomed and to confuse you about your religion.

Hence you will find that the Shaytan does not cast doubts or suspicions into your heart about trivial matters. For example, you may hear of the existence of great cities filled with people and buildings in the east and the west, but it would never cross your mind some day to doubt that they exist or to criticize them and say that they are in ruins and unfit for habitation, or that they are uninhabited, and so on. The Shaytan has nothing to gain by making people doubt about these cities. But he does have a lot to gain by corrupting the believer’s faith, so he strives with his cavalry and his infantry to extinguish the light of knowledge and guidance in his heart and to make him fall into the darkness of doubt and confusion. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has told us of the appropriate remedy for such problems, which is to seek refuge with Allah and put a stop to it. If a person puts a stop to it and continues to worship Allah, seeking and hoping for (the reward) which is with Allah, it will stop by Allah’s leave. So turn away from all the thoughts of this kind that cross your mind. You are worshipping Allah, calling upon Him and glorifying Him, and if you were to hear anyone ascribing to Allah the things that are whispered to you (waswas), you would probably kill him if you could. So the things that are whispered to you are neither real nor true, they are merely imagination and whispers which have no basis.

Our advice may be summed up as follows:

1. Seek refuge with Allah and give up these thoughts completely, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded.

2. Remember Allah and control yourself and do not continue to think of these whispers.

3. Occupy yourself with worship and doing good deeds, in obedience to the command of Allah and seeking to please Him. When you devote yourself completely and seriously to worship, you will forget about these whispers, insha Allah.

4. Frequently seek refuge with Allah and make du’a (supplicate) to free you from these whispers.

I ask Allah to keep you safe and sound, and protect you from all evils.

Majmoo’ Fatawa wa Rasail Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-‘Uthaymeen, vol. 1, p.57-60

Source:http://www.ruqya-qa.co.uk/whispers/

The Remedy for Waswasa (Satanic Whispers) - Mufti Menk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvw7fCiwJ7k