How to Deal with Doubts about Allah?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I have been experiencing a waswasa (baseless misgivings) about Allah for a long time. I pray five times daily and recite Quran regularly. But this continuous waswasa makes me feel that I am not a true Muslim, and Allah will hold me accountable for this.
Will I be held accountable by Allah for this waswasa, even though they seem beyond my control? Is there a surah or du’a I can recite continuously to help me fight this?
Answer
I commend you for continuously performing your obligations by praying and reading Quran. Obligatory acts of faith always help deter the Accursed Devil (Shaytan) and keep you firmly rooted in your religion in sha Allah.
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) that some people from amongst the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) came to him and said, “Verily we perceive in our minds that which every one of us considers it too grave to express. He (the Prophet) said, ‘Do you really perceive it?‘ They said, ‘Yes.‘ Upon this, he remarked, ‘That is the faith manifest.’” [Muslim]
You are not responsible for that which you do not express. Not uttering these ideas means that you have not committed an enormity nor disbelief, so you can relax. This waswasa that you suffer from also occurred with the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), which showed their faith certainty. You will not be held accountable for these thoughts, but I recommend you fight them with every weapon you have. Two ways come to mind:
- Every form of baseless misgivings is dealt with correct Islamic knowledge. Take a course on Seekers and learn all of your obligatory knowledge. Doubts cannot besiege you when you know right from wrong.
- See a therapist if necessary. Talk to someone if you are being plagued by these thoughts and cannot fight them off on your own. Perhaps a scholar, mentor, therapist, or doctor.
Often repeat the following dua:
يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ
“O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.“ [Tirmidhi], for it came in the following hadith. Shahr bin Hawshab said, “I said to Umm Salamah: ‘O Mother of the Believers! What was the supplication that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said most frequently when he was with you?” She said: ‘The supplication he said most frequently was: “O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.’” She said: ‘So I said: “O Messenger of Allah, why do you supplicate so frequently: ‘O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion?‘ He said: ‘O Umm Salamah! Verily, there is no human being except that his heart is between two fingers of the fingers of Allah, so whomsoever He wills He makes steadfast, and whomever He wills He causes to deviate.’” [Tirmidhi]
Also, recite the surah al-Fatiha for your needs. When asking Allah to guide one sincerely, this surah is an often overlooked but highly precious du’a/sura.
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May Allah give you relief, ease, guidance, taqwa, and iman.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
