What should you do about repeating the opening Takbir (Takbirat al-Ihram) when plagued by evil thoughts? Should you be content with saying it once, or should you continue repeating it until you achieve focus?

The way to get rid of prayer-related whispers (waswas) lies in ignoring them and sufficing with a single takbir. One should try to repel these thoughts by meditating on what pleases Allah Almighty, such as contemplating His greatness and His watchfulness, understanding the recitation, and focusing on performing the prayer completely, while filling one's time with the remembrance of Allah, reading the Qur'an, and choosing righteous companionship.