What Should I Do if I Fear That My Prayer and Ghusl are Not Accepted?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Your fear of your deeds not being accepted is a good feeling to have as it shows humility and an acknowledgment of our shortcomings in worshipping Allah Most High as He deserves to be worshipped.

However, fear of this nature can become excessive and therefore detrimental to a person. Consider the following steps to determine whether your fear is good or excessive.

Being afraid that one’s actions are not accepted because they don’t meet the requirements of validity is problematic for many reasons. The believer is commanded to seek knowledge.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Seeking knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim” [Ibn Majah].

The knowledge referred to in this narration is a level of knowledge by which one can fulfill their religious obligations in a correct and sound manner [Birgivi, al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya].

For this reason, the Believer has no right to merely fear that their deeds are invalid, rather they are obliged to make their actions valid in accordance with the sound teachings of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace).

If one’s fear is merely due to baseless doubts, what-ifs, and conjectures about their deeds they must abandon such doubts and act only on the basis of reasonable surety and certainty.

For the one who is constantly in doubt abandoning caution is often the best cure.

“As for the one who is often inflicted with misgivings (waswasa), it is necessary for them to sever the cause of the waswasa and not to give it any consideration. This is because it is the doing of Shaytan and we have been commanded to oppose him” [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar].

Allah Most High tells us, “…for ˹it is˺ He ˹Who has chosen you, and laid upon you no hardship in the religion…” [Qur’an; 22:78].

If you find yourself in undue hardship in the religion, it is a sign that something is wrong and you should consult a local scholar regarding the issue.

It is a good quality for the Believer to have a level of fear in regard to their deeds not being accepted. This fear stems from our belief that no matter what we do of righteous works, Allah Most High deserves greater than that. However, if this fear becomes excessive, it may lead one to despair.It is sufficient as a consolation that Allah Most High says, “Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [Qur’an; 39:53].

For this reason, it is important for the Believer to have both hope and fear. We hope that Allah, out of His Divine Mercy, accepts our deeds, however, we fear that our deeds were deficient and could have been performed better, with more presence of heart or more sincerity etc…

This brings us to one last point which is that the Believer must have a good opinion of Allah Most High.

Having a Good Opinion of Allah

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) narrates that Allah Most High says, “I am according to My slave’s opinion of Me; So let them think of Me as they wish…” [Tabarani].

In another narration, Allah Most High says, “I am according to My slaves’ opinion of Me. If they think of Me in a good way, then they have it (i.e. good) and if they think of Me in a bad way, they have it (i.e. bad)” [Ahmad].

Summary

Remind yourself that Allah Most High wants you to succeed and He wants to show you His mercy. The fact that you are concerned about your faith shows that He has concern for you. Had He not cared about you, He would have made your concern about otherworldly things.

Strive to learn your faith, start with the basic foundation of knowledge regarding Islamic beliefs, Worships, and Spirituality, and strive to implement what you learn.

Whenever you slip, turn back to Allah Most High, ask for forgiveness, and return to striving.

May Allah grant you the success of this life and the next and bless you with that which only He can give.

Hope this helps
Allah knows best

[Shaykh]Yusuf Weltch

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a graduate from Tarim; a student of Habib Umar and other luminaries; and authorized teachers of the Qur’an and the Islamic sciences