What is the ruling regarding the waswasah (whisperings/obsessive thoughts) of my daughter, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder related to impurity (najāsa), urinary incontinence, and the number of rakʿāt (units of prayer), in addition to her suffering from bad thoughts and words during prayer, and her repeating and prolonging ablution (wuḍūʾ), and repeating Al-Fātiḥah? And what are the steps she should follow for treatment? And what is the ruling regarding her movements and speech during prayer, knowing that she is seeing a psychiatrist?
The prayer of one who intentionally speaks in it is invalidated, unless the intention is to correct it. However, mere whisperings (waswasah) do not invalidate it. Prayer is also invalidated if performed with a confirmed impurity on the body or clothing, or without ablution (wudu'), due to the obligation of purity for the prayer to be valid. Invalidated prayers, due to speech or impurity, must be made up. If the whisperings have reached a significant level with your daughter, it is a result of her giving in to them. It is recommended to perform ruqya (Islamic exorcism/healing) for her and to present her to a trustworthy psychiatrist, as this falls under the category of seeking treatment.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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