How should someone suffering from al-waswās al-qahrī in matters of ʿaqīdah (creed) respond to the intrusive thoughts they experience?

The critical first step for anyone suffering from al-waswās al-qahrī is to recognize that Allāh will not punish them or hold them accountable for the intrusive thoughts that repeatedly enter their mind compulsively—whether these are disturbing thoughts about Allāh and His religion, urges to curse Him, or even the utterance of words of kufr (disbelief). This is because such thoughts are beyond the person’s control and arise involuntarily. Without doubt, Allāh is the Most Just and does not punish anyone for what lies outside their control. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Allāh has forgiven my nation for their mistakes, and forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do.”¹ People often assume that because their mind is generating and compulsively presenting these thoughts, they must reflect the individual’s beliefs and values—and, in the case of a Muslim suffering from al-waswās al-qahrī, their relationship with Allāh. However, if such thoughts were truly in line with their beliefs and values, why would they cause so much distress? The very fact that these thoughts are deeply upsetting is evidence that they contradict the person’s belief system. A Muslim affected by this condition should understand that their distress and constant worry about their faith is, in fact, a sign of sincere belief. It is because of their love for Allāh, the faith within their heart, and their sincerity as a Muslim that these thoughts are so troubling—otherwise, why would these thoughts trouble them at all? For this very reason, when the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) experienced blasphemous thoughts and brought their concerns to him—the most pious of all believers and the most devoted to preserving the integrity of religion and creed—he comforted them by affirming that such thoughts were actually a sign of true faith. Imām Muslim relates in his Ṣaḥīḥ (authentic collection of Prophetic traditions) that some of the Companions came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, “We find within ourselves [thoughts] that any one of us would consider too grave to even speak of.” He (PBUH) asked, “Do you really find that within yourselves?” They replied yes. He (PBUH) said, “That is pure faith.”² Imām an-Nawawī explained: “The very fact that one finds it too grave to mention [those thoughts] is, in itself, pure faith.”³ That is, the very occurrence of this waswasah, coupled with their deep aversion to it and their effort to repel it from their hearts, is a clear sign of faith. Ibn Taymiyyah said: “This waswasah is something that enters the heart involuntarily, and if a person hates it and turns away from it, then this very hatred is clear faith.”⁴ A man once came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, “O Messenger of Allāh, one of us experiences thoughts so disturbing that he would rather be reduced to charcoal than speak of them.” The Prophet (PBUH) responded, “That is pure faith.”⁵ That is, as long as one feels fear and revulsion toward passing thoughts of unbelief and does not internalize them as convictions, these thoughts do no harm. It is often difficult to detach ourselves from the workings of our minds; however, just as our bodies can sometimes behave in ways we do not fully understand or explain, so too can our minds. Just as the body may suffer from ailments that bring pain and distress, the mind likewise can be afflicted by conditions that cause inner turmoil. Every Muslim affected by this disorder should take comfort in knowing that Allāh—the Most Merciful and the All-Knowing—is fully aware of the state of their heart. He knows the pain caused by these unwanted intrusive thoughts and understands their struggle. Anyone suffering from such blasphemous thoughts must remember that they are from the Devil, and thus, should be given no weight whatsoever. As the saying goes, a thief does not break into an empty house. Likewise, Satan does not preoccupy himself with those who have no faith. Rather, he targets those whose hearts are rich with faith, hoping to destroy their Hereafter. It bears repeating that the Prophet (PBUH)—the most pious of believers and the most concerned for the integrity of his nation’s creed—explicitly affirmed that such intrusive, blasphemous thoughts are unrelated to true disbelief or genuine doubt. In fact, one’s disgust toward them is a sign of true belief and not a sign of its loss. Remarkably, the Prophet’s deep insight into the nature of these thoughts is, in itself, a miracle. How could he have known, over 1,400 years ago, what modern psychology has only recently discovered—that intrusive thoughts are not truly reflective of a person’s character or belief? Modern clinical concepts of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) did not begin to take shape until the 19th century. It was only in the 1970s that behavioral and later cognitive models of OCD became dominant, and only in the 21st century that advances in pharmacology and neuroscience have provided a fuller therapeutic framework for understanding the disorder. The implication of the Prophet (PBUH)’s words is profound: OCD deceives the sufferer into believing that intrusive thoughts reflect their true belief, which is simply not the case. Just because someone feels as though they have committed disbelief does not mean they have actually done so. This insight aligns with modern psychological understanding: just because a thought feels real does not make it true. Thoughts are not facts. Feelings are not facts. Psychologists now encourage OCD sufferers to realize that intrusive thoughts do not define them, no matter how real they seem. What defines a person is not the thoughts in their head, but the choices they make and the way they live in the real world. OCD sufferers must learn to judge themselves based on how they live, not based on the involuntary thoughts they experience. Everyone is capable of having thoughts that do not reflect who they truly are. The difference with someone suffering from OCD is that they react to these thoughts as if they were true, and this has everything to do with the emotional significance they assign to them. That emotional charge is the fuel of OCD. If there were no accompanying painful emotion, the thoughts would be dismissed as “weird” and quickly forgotten. Thus, OCD is not fundamentally a thought problem—it is a feeling problem. It is the distressing emotional response that keeps the person trapped in the OCD cycle. It is this feeling that drives compulsive behaviors, which in turn reinforce the disorder. However, when the sufferer begins to face those feelings with openness and acceptance, they gradually become desensitized to them. The bottom line is that intrusive thoughts are just thoughts. You can think of yourself as a multi-billionaire if you wish, but that does not make it true. It is simply a thought that your mind is capable of producing. You can convince yourself, in your imagination, that you have billions in the bank—but you likely will not even feel the need to check your balance, because deep down, you know the billions are not there. The OCD patient might feel that this is a silly example and that their thoughts are different—but they are not. They may believe their thoughts are different because they are disturbing, completely out of character, and seem to be constantly stuck in their mind. Yet even so, that still does not mean the thoughts say anything about who they are as a person. The patient needs to learn techniques that help take the emotion and fear out of the thoughts. Once they begin to gain control, the emotional intensity starts to fade—and when that emotion is gone, the intrusive thoughts no longer feel real and gradually lose their grip.

Moreover, not only does Allāh not punish the believer for intrusive thoughts—since they are beyond their control—but the one who suffers from waswās will also be rewarded for resisting it and striving against Satan. The difficulty, distress, and anguish a believer may endure because of waswās may fall under the ḥadīth of the Prophet (PBUH): “No Muslim suffers tiredness, exhaustion, worry, grief, annoyance, or distress—not even a thorn that pricks them—except that Allāh expiates some of their sins through it.”⁶ There is no reward greater or more enriching than that which is reserved for those who endure with patience. There is hardly anything that expiates our sins more powerfully than the trials, hardships, and afflictions that befall us. More specifically, sickness is one of the strongest antidotes to the sins we commit. According to the ḥadīth of the Prophet (PBUH), if the waswās sufferer remains patient, Allāh will remove their sins just as a tree sheds its leaves: “No Muslim is afflicted with harm because of sickness or some other inconvenience, except that Allāh removes their sins as a tree sheds its leaves.”⁷ It should be borne in mind that Allāh did not create us to make us suffer, but to test us. Every one of us is tested. Every sickness or calamity that befalls a person—whether it is the death of a loved one, the loss of a relative, financial hardship, emotional distress, physical pain, a fever, or any form of suffering—is a test meant for tamḥīs, a thorough process of purification and examination. Trials reveal the true nature of people, sifting the sincere from the insincere, the righteous from the wicked, and the believer from the hypocrite. And every test carries with it glad tidings: the removal of sins and elevation in rank in Paradise. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Trials will not cease afflicting the believing man and the believing woman in their self, children, and wealth, until they meet Allāh without having any sin.”⁸ Indeed, tests often become a pathway to greater blessing. Allāh says: {if you happen to dislike them, you may hate something which Allāh turns into a great blessing} (Qurʾān 4:19). The waswās sufferer should understand that this is their test. If they reflect on the lives of the Prophets—especially the life of Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH)—they will find that every one of them was tested severely and endured trials far greater than we can imagine. This did not mean that Allāh did not love them; rather, it meant that, like all human beings, they too had to face trials and tribulations. It may be helpful to remind the waswās sufferer that every calamity that befalls a believer is ultimately for their benefit. This applies to every misfortune, without exception—so much so that the Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) said: “How wonderful is the case of a believer! There is good for them in everything, and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity comes to them, they show gratitude to Allāh, and that is good for them; and if adversity befalls them, they bear it with patience, and that is better for them.”⁹ Hence, the believer is never a loser. No matter what calamity befalls them, they will always come out a winner—because they have Allāh on their side. To be clear, we do not wish for sickness, nor do we hope for calamities, but every one of us will fall ill at some point and face trials and hardships. When that happens, we rise to the challenge, renew our faith in Allāh, humble ourselves before Him, and submit to His will—through all of which we come to appreciate the blessings even in sickness and difficulty. A Muslim should never forget that Allāh is the best Arranger of all our affairs. He is the Most Gracious, the Sublimely Subtle, the Giver of all good, the Most Loving, and the Most Generous. Therefore, every event that befalls the believer carries some form of goodness within it. Allāh Himself states that even events which may appear unfavorable can hold a great deal of good: {Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you and like something which is bad for you. Allāh knows and you do not know} (Qurʾān 2:216). Believers find beauty in fully submitting to the guidance of Allāh, trusting that in every event He places countless blessings—some clear and others beyond imagination. They may not always perceive the goodness or divine purpose behind each incident, but they remain certain that every event carries goodness. Allāh imparts important lessons and reminders through the unique destiny He designs for each person, and even seemingly unfortunate events are filled with blessings. Each one is a trial woven into divine decree. The believer holds firm to the conviction that what passed them by was never meant to reach them, and what reached them was never meant to pass them by. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Were you to spend in support of Allāh’s cause an amount of gold equal to [the mountain of] Uḥud, Allāh would not accept it from you until you believed in divine decree, and knew that what has come to you could not have missed you, and what has missed you could not have come to you. Were you to die believing anything else, you would enter Hell.”¹⁰ Most importantly, no matter what one faces in this life, every ordeal will eventually come to an end, and even the most painful experiences will one day become nothing more than memories—like scenes from a movie. What truly endures is the attitude a person adopted during those times of hardship and whether Allāh was pleased with them. People will not be held accountable for what they experienced, but for how they responded to those experiences. For this reason, striving to see the goodness and divine purpose Allāh places in every situation a believer encounters—and choosing a positive attitude—brings peace and blessing both in this world and in the Hereafter. In short, Allāh has predestined and created both good and evil, and those who remain mindful of the Hereafter view every event as a form of goodness leading them to it. Being afflicted with waswās is part of Allāh’s divine decree, and for the patient believer, there is nothing but goodness in His decree. Many people who have suffered from waswās have gone on to become students of Islamic knowledge and callers to Allāh. Indeed, the affliction of waswās can be a mercy from Allāh through which He draws the affected person closer to Him and makes their heart primarily concerned with their ultimate destination—the Hereafter.