Waswas
*Waswas* (also *waswasah*) is the Arabic word for whispering: intrusive doubts that return again and again.
What it means for me: The answers on this site use the word in a few settings. One answer describes intrusive thoughts that may come as being from Satan and as thoughts that must be repelled. Another calls obsessive whispering one of the most dangerous ailments, to be struggled against and not allowed to take hold. A third says Allah has commanded us to disregard and ignore whispers, and not to indulge in them. It gives the reason: the great evil they cause.
Example: A woman finishes wudu and wonders whether a drop on her sleeve was impure. She checks, and the doubt returns. She searches for the name of what she is feeling.
Where it appears in rulings: Two answers tie the word to worship. One tells a person afflicted by waswas to rule nothing impure (*najis*) except with absolute certainty. One answer says do not resort to swearing an oath at the start of worship, as this is due to waswasah. This entry only reports what these answers say. Each link opens a short summary and the way to the full answer on Ftawy.
Appears in about 4,200 English answers on this site.
See the term in context
What is the ruling on the divorce of a person afflicted with obsessive-compulsive disorder (waswas) who divorces his wife while doubting the occurrence of the divorce? Does his divorce take effect if he doubts whether it resulted from waswas or intention? Is it true that the divorce of a person with waswas does not take effect unless it is written before a judge, as attributed to Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen? Is it permissible for a person with waswas to avail himself of legal concessions (rukhas shar'iyyah) regarding divorce rulings? How can one differentiate between a divorce resulting from waswas and a divorce resulting from intention? Is there any recognized legal ruling that requires witnesses for the occurrence of divorce, which a person with waswas can adopt to alleviate his obsessions and depression? Is doubt about whether a divorce resulted from waswas or intention taken into consideration and acted upon?
We have not come across any statement from Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen or others that the divorce of a person afflicted with waswas (obsessive whispering/doubts) does not take effect unless it is written down in front of a…
Is it necessary to purify every place you sit, especially during menstruation, due to your intense obsessive doubts (waswas) that any discharge might contaminate the place?
"Waswas" (obsessive whispering) is an ailment that must be ignored and not given any attention. The body of a menstruating woman and her sweat are pure. Scholars have reached a consensus on the purity of the sweat of a…
What is the correct way to purify clothes from urine splashes, and is wiping, reciting Bismillah, and the Tashahhud sufficient instead of washing them? What is the ruling on exaggerating in Istinja’ (cleaning oneself after relieving oneself) and washing inner garments and the private parts due to fear of Waswas (obsessive whispering), and what is the correct way to get rid of this Waswas?
A Muslim should not urinate while standing unless there is a necessity or need, and must be careful about impurity. If he is certain that impurity has afflicted his body or clothes, he must purify them. If he doubts…
Questions that use it
Does the failure of a person afflicted by waswas (obsessive doubts/thoughts) to hear himself utter a divorce (talaq) render it invalid, and does this apply to past occurrences? What is the ruling regarding a waswas-afflicted person uttering a divorce without intending to utter it, or uttering it in his heart, or doubting his intention to utter it?
Does fear of disbelief due to intrusive thoughts (waswas) in uttering the word of God (Allah) and the Takbir, in addition to delusions in pronunciation, and the feeling that guidance is distant because of the sin of masturbation, lead one to disbelief?
What is the ruling on feeling flatulence during wudu (ablution) and prayer, and is this considered a form of waswas (whispers from Shaytan) or سلس ريح (chronic flatulence)? What is the prescribed Islamic treatment in both cases?