Fatwa ID: 07124
Answered by: Maulana Mohammed Shahbaz Aslam
Question:
If someone has been dealing with OCD and waswasa and they have lots of negative kufr thoughts and they don’t feel remorse, they worry when they get these thoughts that they might act on them, for example, if someone is having negative kufr thoughts and they are feeling that blinking the eyes is agreeing with the thoughts or nodding the head they never used to think that blinking the eyes or nodding the head is acting upon the thoughts but they have this fear what if they did and so and every time they get negative thoughts they blink or they try to NOT to blink at all until they can ignore the negative thoughts and so sometimes they have kufr thoughts and they blink, as they are blinking in their heads, in the moment it feels like they are blinking intentionally because they think it’s because they agree with the negative kufr thoughts, same thing with nodding the head. Does this make them a kafir?
They are so worried they can’t focus in salah because of negative thoughts. And in salah when they bow their head in prostration, they have shirk thoughts and they often think about the shirk thought in sujood, they feel they are doing shirk in salah because of the negative thought in the prostration in salah and in the moment because they feel they intentionally think of the kufr or shirk thought and bow to it.
And it feels so draining and scary they don’t know if they committed kufr or shirk. They fear all the time they acted upon the kufr thoughts, and they feel in the moment again with the kufr thoughts that they are doing like blinking their eyes intentionally even though in reality they don’t mean these thoughts. Are they committing kufr? Can someone commit kufr and still pray? And be Muslim? What about their intentions are they a hypocrite?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Sayyidunaa Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates from the Prophet, may Allah send prayers and peace upon him, said: “Indeed Allah has forgiven from my nation that which they utter internally, so long as they do not act upon it or talk about it.” Qatada said when he divorces with internal speech then it is nothing.
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: جَاءَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَسَأَلُوهُ: إِنَّا نَجِدُ فِي أَنْفُسِنَا مَا يَتَعَاظَمُ أَحَدُنَا أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ. قَالَ: «أَو قد وجدتموه» قَالُوا: نعم. قَالَ: «ذَاك صَرِيح الْإِيمَان» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم
Sahih Muslilm 132
Sayyidunaa Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that some people from the companions of the Prophet, may Allah send prayers and peace upon him, came to the Prophet, may Allah send prayers and peace upon him, and asked him “Certainly we find in ourselves that which we find grave that one of us would utter it.” He, may Allah send prayers and peace upon him, said “(Has that occurred that ) you found that?” they said “Yes” He said, may Allah send prayers and peace upon him, “That is from clear faith.”
In the commentary of this hadith in sahih Muslim Mullah Ali Qari, may Allah have mercy on him, comments that the feeling of gravity of these thoughts and fear of speaking about it is a sign of complete belief. He also states a thief does not go to an empty house. Likewise, the devil will whisper to those of faith.
As you can see from this even the great companions, may Allah be pleased with them, had thoughts that affected them. As you state the person does not really believe these thoughts. Please try to fight against these thoughts by reading the surahs in the 30th part that start with Qul. Try to maintain wudu as it is a shield.
As the person affected believes in Allah and nothing but Allah deserves to be worshipped, they should try to ignore these thoughts. Blinking is a necessary action that cannot be stopped. Ignore the thoughts that try to attach to these.
This is not kufr and the person is not a hypocrite. The fact that the person is so fearful and concerned shows they are a believer who values their faith.
As regards to praying, if a person commits kufr they can return to Islam and pray, know the doors of repentance are open until the end of a person’s life.
[1] Fathul Mulhim, Volume 2 page 150
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Mohammed Shahbaz Aslam
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
