Fatwa ID: 08850
Answered by Alimah Humairah Badshah
Question:
I suffer from waswas al qahri and I believe that I may have OCD to the point I question everything I do and think that I have committed kufr. However, there was one incident where I had an inappropriate statement put into my head by shaytaan about the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Due to my suspected OCD, I almost said the sentence out loud but rather made an inaudible sound which didn’t mean anything due to me being able to stop my self. I read online that if kufr is done by mistake due to OCD, then I wouldn’t be held accountable. However, shaytaan would whisper that I DID commit kufr and that I WON’T be forgiven.
The issue that I have is that at times, I would try to imitate the inaudible sound that I made when the statement first came to my head to try to downplay this waswas and convince myself that I am not accountable. I didn’t say the statement from shaytaan but rather made the sound so that I could convince myself that I didn’t say anything at all and that it doesn’t mean anything. Now, the waswas has returned and is convincing me that because I am trying to imitate the inaudible sound which I made when the blasphemous statement came to my head, that I’m trying to imitate kufr and that I am not taking it seriously, and that this ITSELF constitutes kufr.
The only reason I would do this is because every time shaytaan would remind me of the incident, I would do this to prove to myself that I am still a Muslim and that I would never mock Islam in any way. However, I am afraid that in an attempt to rid myself of shaytaan’s whispers, I have made the situation worse for myself.
Have I committed kufr or am I overreacting?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Kufr is not something a believer can do by accident. Even explicit words of kufr can and should be ignored if it was an accidental utterance. Utterances of kufr by those suffering from waswasa (i.e.: OCD) are also not considered.
A breath or inaudible sound made while one is afflicted by waswasa does not count as anything. Repeating that breath or inaudible sound also does not count as anything, as no kufr was intended nor vocalized. If a believer has no intent to apostatize and nor any beliefs of kufr, then they are not an apostate.
It is necessary for one who is afflicted by waswasa to learn how to put such thoughts out of their mind if it affects their daily life and worship. One may wish to seek the help of a qualified mental health professional to help with managing their worries and anxieties.
References:
الْمُرْتَدُّ عُرْفًا هُوَ الرَّاجِعُ عَنْ دِينِ الْإِسْلَامِ كَذَا فِي النَّهْرِ الْفَائِقِ وَرُكْنُ الرِّدَّةِ إجْرَاءُ كَلِمَةِ الْكُفْرِ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ بَعْدَ وُجُودِ الْإِيمَانِ وَشَرَائِطُ صِحَّتِهَا الْعَقْلُ فَلَا تَصِحُّ رِدَّةُ الْمَجْنُونِ وَلَا الصَّبِيِّ الَّذِي لَا يَعْقِلُ، أَمَّا مَنْ جُنُونُهُ يَنْقَطِعُ، فَإِنْ ارْتَدَّ حَالَ الْجُنُونِ لَمْ تَصِحَّ، وَإِنْ ارْتَدَّ حَالَ إفَاقَتِهِ صَحَّتْ وَكَذَا لَا تَصِحُّ رِدَّةُ السَّكْرَانِ الذَّاهِبِ الْعَقْلَ وَالْبُلُوغُ لَيْسَ بِشَرْطٍ لِصِحَّتِهَا، وَكَذَا الذُّكُورَةُ لَيْسَتْ بِشَرْطٍ لِصِحَّتِهَا، وَمِنْهَا الطَّوْعُ فَلَا تَصِحُّ رِدَّةُ الْمُكْرَهِ عَلَيْهَا كَذَا فِي الْبَحْرِ الرَّائِقِ نَاقِلًا عَنْ الْبَدَائِعِ وَالصَّبِيُّ الَّذِي يَعْقِلُ هُوَ الَّذِي يَعْرِفُ أَنَّ الْإِسْلَامَ سَبَبُ النَّجَاةِ، وَيُمَيِّزُ الْخَبِيثَ مِنْ الطَّيِّبِ وَالْحُلْوَ مِنْ الْمُرِّ كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ وَقَدَّرَ فِي فَتَاوَى قَارِئِ الْهِدَايَةِ عَقْلَهُ بِأَنْ يَبْلُغَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ كَذَا فِي النَّهْرِ الْفَائِقِ
مَنْ أَصَابَهُ بِرْسَامٌ، أَوْ أُطْعِمَ شَيْئًا فَذَهَبَ عَقْلُهُ فَهَذَى فَارْتَدَّ لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ ارْتِدَادًا، وَكَذَا لَوْ كَانَ مَعْتُوهًا، أَوْ مُوَسْوِسًا، أَوْ مَغْلُوبًا عَلَى عَقْلِهِ بِوَجْهٍ مِنْ الْوُجُوهِ، فَهُوَ عَلَى هَذَا كَذَا فِي السِّرَاجِ الْوَهَّاجِ
Al-Fataawa Al-Hindiyyah (Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.2 p.253
وَشَرَائِطُ صِحَّتِهَا الْعَقْلُ) وَالصَّحْوُ (وَالطَّوْعُ) فَلَا تَصِحُّ رِدَّةُ مَجْنُونٍ، وَمَعْتُوهٍ وَمُوَسْوِسٍ
مَنْ تَكَلَّمَ بِهَا مُخْطِئًا أَوْ مُكْرَهًا لَا يَكْفُرُ عِنْدَ الْكُلِّ
Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.4 p.224
لِأَنَّ قَطْعَ الْوَسْوَسَةِ وَاجِبٌ
Badaai’ Al-Sanaai’ (Daar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.21
وَالسَّبِيلُ فِي الْوَسْوَسَةِ قَطْعُهَا؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَوْ اشْتَغَلَ بِذَلِكَ لَأَدَّى إلَى أَنْ يَتَفَرَّعَ لِأَدَاءِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَهَذَا لَا يَجُوزُ
Badaai’ Al-Sanaai’ (Daar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyyah, https://shamela.ws) v.1 p.33
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Humairah Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham