Fatwa ID: 07005
Answered by: Muftiyah Safiyya-Maryam Ahmed
Question:
I was hoping you could provide some help for me. For a long while now I’ve been dealing with OCD and it didn’t seem bad at first just me being “clean” however it seems to has hit its peak and it’s at its worst at the moment. A few examples are I think impurities like mani transfers everywhere if I have a wet dream and if it went anywhere or i touch anything even if I washed it or someone washed it I get scared I’m going to transfer impurities.If there isn’t any visible impurities I still think things are impure and confuse myself with regards to the wetness transferring impurities and feel impurities are everywhere, washing hands can take me around 3-10 minutes, wudhu can take up to 20 mins or more, ghusl can be over 2 hours (even though I’m a male), using the toilet has become a burden as I feel I’m dirty all the time because of splashes from the toilet bowl on to the seat or the skin and I use over 2 jugs even if I just urinated and can use up to over 10 jugs of water if i need to clean the back passage and if any splashes occurred on the skin on my backside. Life has truly become miserable and a burden. I know all of this is waswasa and a lack of knowledge however I wasn’t taught how to deal with these things growing up and not sure where to get aid from, what do you advise me?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Dealing with OCD can be a very difficult and debilitating path without the correct help. We advise you seek professional medical help so you can deal with the root of the problem. It is good that you have insight that this is a result of waswasa and keep reminding yourself of the following verses of the Qur’an:
“Allah intends (to provide) ease for you and does not intend (to create) hardship for you.” (2: 185)
“So, undoubtedly, along with the hardship there is ease. Undoubtedly, along with the hardship there is ease.” (94: 5-6)
These are some generic tips and principles to assist your journey:
-Always read your duaas when entering the toilet and doing wudhu
-Do not allow the doubt of something overtake the certainty. For example if you have doubt whether you have wudhu and cannot see or feel any impurity, but you are sure you did wudhu at x time then you will act on certainty and assume you still have wudhu.
-Set yourself time limits for time spent doing istinjaa/ghusl/wudhu. Your mental health professional can assist with this.
-Sprinkle water on your undergarments after istinjaa so if any doubts or feelings do come to your mind later you can convince yourself it is just water.
– The Prophet (s) taught us, “Leave that which causes you doubt for that which you have no doubt in (are certain about)”
-Finally seek help from Allah through patience, prayer and duaa. We also pray for your ease.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Muftiyah Safiyya-Maryam Ahmed
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
اليقين لا يزال بالشك (القواعد الفقهية مع شرح الموجز)
: ” دَعْ مَا يُرِيبُك إِلَى مَا لاَ يُرِيبُك” (أَخْرَجَهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ (جلد ٤، صفحة ٦٦٨، الْحَلَبِي)
