What is the jurisprudential rule for dealing with the obsessive doubt of passing wind, and should a Muslim disregard this doubt—whether or not it is accompanied by a sound—or must he verify the presence of a sound, and is disregarding it considered leniency in performing the obligatory duties?

Worrying (waswasah) is a disease that corrupts one's religion and worldly life, and it must be ignored. The meaning of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saying: "until he hears a sound or finds a scent" is that one must attain certainty that wind has been emitted. Hearing and smelling are not conditions, by consensus. This hadith is a great principle in jurisprudence: that things are judged to remain in their original state until the contrary is certain, and an incidental doubt does not harm. So, whoever is certain of purity and doubts impurity is judged to remain in purity, and this is the madhhab of the majority of scholars. Accordingly, one must ignore doubts (waswasah) and adhere to the principle of retaining purity until there is absolute certainty of its cessation.