How Can I Discern between Belief and Demonic Insinuations (Waswasa)?
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
Does saying “whoever takes a second wife becomes troubled” blasphemy?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
Belief (Iman) is a resolute affirmation that resides in the heart. It is something fixed and firm, even though it can be stronger some days than others. [Laqqani, Jawharat al-Tawhid]
Insinuations, whispers, thoughts, doubts, etc., are passing, temporary, and not firmly fixed.
One is not accountable for involuntary thoughts, doubts, or whispers. [Khadimi, Risalat al-Khushu‘]
Related:
- A Reader on OCD and Waswasa (Baseless Misgivings)
- Weak Iman, Misgivings, and Loving the Messenger (Allah Bless Him and Give Him Peace)
- How Should I Deal with Waswasa Concerning My Faith?
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch teaches Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom Seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences.
He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he studied for three years in Dar al-Mustafa under some of the most outstanding scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib.
In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Quran and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Quranic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
