When does a person suffering from obsessive doubts concerning matters of creed reach the point of disbelief (kufr) or apostasy from the faith (khurūj ‘an al-milla)? What is meant by "succumbing to obsessive doubts (istirsāl ma‘a al-waswās)," and does succumbing to them imply reaching disbelief and the annulment of the marriage contract?

The corrupt thoughts that are presented to the heart are of two types: satanic whispers (waswasa) accompanied by firm faith, the ruling for which is to repel them and not to indulge in them, and this is not disbelief (kufr). The second type is the establishment of doubt in the heart leading to a statement or action, and this is disbelief. The concern of one who suffers from whispers (al-muwaswis) in asking about the ruling concerning his thoughts is an evidence of his faith, because this aversion to speaking about them is a clear sign of faith. As for indulging in whispers, it is contrary to Islamic law and must be stopped, and one must seek refuge in Allah and turn away from these false thoughts. A person is not held accountable for whispers if he repels them, does not believe in them, and does not act upon them. If a person reaches the stage of disbelief and apostasy due to whispers, his marriage contract is annulled. However, if he repents, his wife returns to him with the first contract, according to the preponderant opinion. It is obligatory to cast aside whispers and turn away from them.