Question:
Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.
I intend to get married inshallah, and recently I have been experiencing some disturbing waswasa that tells me ‘if I marry so and so I am a Mushrik (معاذ الله)’
I woke up one night with these words on my lips unconsciously, where I believe I said up until the ‘sh’ i do not know if i said the entire word….but not intentionally.
My question is – can I still marry my intended? Will my Iman be affected by this?
Jazakallah khayr.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
May Allah Ta’ala alleviate you from your predicament. Regarding the explanations in your question, your situation is a kind of “Waswasa” (misgivings and whispers of Satan).
One must remember that Shaytaan is the accursed and his objective is to try to distract man from the worship of Allah Ta’ala and lead him astray. He will try to diminish this great bounty Allah Ta’ala has bestowed upon you. The present dilemma that you are facing is from amongst his evil tricks.
You intend to get married, which is fulfilling an obligation of your Deen and Imaan.
These `satanic whispers` is clear sign of your Imaan and steadfastness upon Islam. Abu Harairah رضى الله عنه narrates that some of the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to the Prophet ﷺ and said to him, ‘We find in ourselves thoughts (whispers of the Shaytaan) 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 Imaan’ (Muslim).
The whispers of Shaytaan mainly come to those who strive in seeking the pleasure of Allah ﷻ in doing good deeds and actions with devotion and sincerity. This is because, those who follow their desires and transgress the laws of Shariah are exactly where the Shaytaan wants them to be, just as a thief does not enter a ruined house. These whispers from Shaytaan may occur when a person is performing Salaah, wudhu or any action for the sake of Allah.
The Shaytaan, through his whispers, seeks to conspire against the believers and misguide them from the straight path by corrupting their Aqeedah (beliefs) and ruining their acts of worship.
You should rest assured that these Whispers are mere imaginations, baseless assumptions and suspicions which are far away from reality. Islam is a complete and comprehensive way of life and shows has how to deal and counteract the problem of Satanic Whispers.
Try your best to ignore these doubts you are facing. Whenever these thoughts arise, discount them with the recitation of أَعُوذُ بِاَللَّهِ مِنْ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ)) and) (لا حول و لا قوة الا بالله.
Also,
- Recite Surat al-Nas (114): this chapter is itself a powerful dua against the evil whispers of Shaytan.
- Implore Allah Ta’ala in Dua to relieve you from your predicament. Dua is the most powerful weapon of the believer.
- Increase in acts of Ibaadah and busy yourself with remembrance of Allah Ta’ala. Shaitaan flees from the person who makes Zikr.
- Remind yourself constantly that these doubts are from Shaitaan, how can I listen to them and give them credence? How can they be correct? Inshallah, with your Duas and determination you will overpower Shaitaan.
- Consider it a test from Allah ﷻ, exercise patience, hope for rewards from Allah ﷻ and don’t ever despair of the mercy of Allah ﷻ. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.”
- Most importantly, at all times obey the commands of Allah Ta’ala and make a special effort to abstain from any unlawful activities, e.g. music, mixing with non -Mahrams (the opposite gender). Obeying the commands of Allah will attract his Rahmah and mercy.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Arshad Ali
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)
