Doubt

Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, unable to assent to any of them.

120862

Doubt . Waswasa

I often get doubts in my head and sometimes utter blasphemous things that later make me feel very guilty and scared. How can I get rid of this issue?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 3 months ago

Our worst enemy (Shaitan) tries to disturb us in different ways including creating doubts in our minds which can be blasphemous and very disturbing. Our feeling that these doubts are bad is a sign that we reject it and don't believe in it. We need to deal with any doubt with proper thinking to be very clear that these doubts are untrue. We also need to seek refuge in Allah from satanic whispering by repeating (A'OOTHO BILLAH MINASHSHAITAN ARRAJEEM أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

Repeating LA ILAAHA ILLALLAH لا إله إلا الله is also very useful in driving away Shaitan from our mind.

Repeating reciting Sura Al-Tawheed is also very useful in this regard.

Generall, any form of Thikrullah ( remembering Allah) is useful for protection from satanic evil.

'You should not feel guilty because you did not believe in the Satanic doubts, but keep on seeking refuge in Allah and seeking His help and support.

Wassalam.

114175

Doubt . Waswasa

I suffer from Waswas in the form of blasphemy and doubts. I know I should ignore such thoughts but they are so bad it seems Haram to just ignore them without refuting them. What should I do?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 4 months ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. It depends on the type of doubts in your mind. If you have inner certainty on these matters but at the same time have waswas that even shocks you at times, this kind of waswas needs to be ignored completely. It is like someone proviking you who will say anything just to get a reaction. You won't prove anything as that is not the goal and it definitely is not haram to ignore this kind of waswas as it is the cure for it.

But if those doubts are deep within your being and not just on the surface of your mind, you should look for answers from those who are able to answer them to your full satisfaction. At the same time, if these doubts are within you then it is important to seek help from the Divine to show you that which will satisfy your doubts. Allah will guide you as He has guided those before you.

May you always be successful

113657

Islam . Doubt

I sometimes get doubts about Islam out of nowhere and some of them are very nonsensical things. Should I ignore these doubts or try and resolve them through research and logic?

Doubts come from our worst enemy, Shaitan. Shaitan wants to disturb the believers and deceive us. Doubts should never harm the believer who thinks in a proper way. You write that some of the doubts are very nonsensical. This means that you know that it is nonsense. Such nonsensical doubts need no effort to refute as you know that it is nonsense. Any doubt which you think it disturbing you, needs to be refuted with evidence. You can ask authentic scholars or refer to authentic books or websites.

We in Shia Islam don't have any question with out proper answer, and no doubt is left with out logical reply.

Wassalam .

111379

Doubt . God (Allah) . Qur'an

I sometimes get religious doubts such as how do I know that the higher power is Allah? How do I know that the Quran is really the book of Allah? I wish these doubts would go away but I don't know what to do. How should I deal with them?

Real Islam of the Prophet (SAWA) and Ahlul Bayt (AS) provides authentic answer to any question and full explanation to every doubt.
You should never feel disturbed from any question or any doubt, but face it frankly and seek the answer from authentic scholars.

You mentioned a question: How to know that the higher power is Allah?

Answer: Allah is Creator of every creature in the universe and the sophisticated system in the creation and creatures proves that The Creator is One. Had another Gid existed, he should have declared his existence to the creature. Imam Ali (As) said : Had your Lord had a partner, the claimed partner should have sent messengers to people. All the messengers from Allah are the most noble and most truthful persons and all of them brought the message of Tawheed as the biggest fact in the existence.

You also mentioned a question: How to know that Quran is really from Allah?

Answer: The miracles in Quran prove with no doubt that Quran can never be from human source. Quran challenged the enemies who claimed that it is not from Allah, to brig any book like Quran using the help of every human and Jinn ( Say: If all human beings and all the Jinn join all their efforts to bring like this Quran,they will never bring like it, even if all of them joined their efforts)(Sura 17, Verse 88). When they failed, Quran challenged them to bring ten chapters similar to Quranic chapters which are 114 chapters. (They claim that Quran was created by you, Say: Bring you ten created chapters like Quran and call who so ever you can to help you other than Allah if you are truthful) (Sura Hood, verse 13). When they failed to do that again, Quran challenged them to bring just one chapter like Quranic chapters (If you are doubt about what We revealed on Our servant, then bring one chapter like it and call all you supporters besides Allah if you are truthful.) They again failed. This itself is an evidence that Quran is above the abilities of humans and Jinns and it is from Allah.

Scientific miracles in Quran also prove that it is from Allah. You can search in the internet (scientific miracles in Quran).

These questions can be from Satan to disturb you but you should worry but get the answer from authentic scholars.

Wassalam.

103410

Knowledge . God (Allah) . Punishment . Doubt

Would Allah (SWT) still punish you eternally if you died without having full knowledge of Islam and, because of that lack of knowledge, got doubts during your lifetime in aspects of Islam that were obligatory to believe in sincerely?

Ignorance can be unavoidable and can be avoidable. Unavoidable ignorance is of those who have to access to knowledge like those who live and die in far away forests or remote areas with out any access to learning or asking knowledgeable persons. Unavoidable ignorance is not entitled to punishment because it was imposed on the ignorant and he had no choice.
Avoidable ignorance is a result of laziness or not caring to gain knowledge. Such ignorance is not pardoned. The narration states that sinful person will told on the Day of Judgement : Why did you fail to do good? He replies: I did not know. He will told: Why did you fail to learn? Then he will be punished.

'This means that gaining compulsory knowledge is also compulsory and those who were able to gain it,byte they opt to ignore or don't care for gaining the compulsory knowledge are responsible about their ignorance, unlike those ignorant who had no access at all to knowledge.

Wassalam.

110190

Toilet . Najis . Doubt . Taharah (Purity)

I sometimes get doubts about my state of purity from when I go to the toilet. I try to analyze what happened and try and most of the time come to the conclusion that nothing Najis got on me, but I still get doubts. Am I considered ritually clean?

Simply, everything is Taahir for you unless and until you know for sure that it is Najis. This is a rule in jurisprudence based on a narration of Ammar from Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq (AS) stating : Everything is ritually clean till you know that it is ritually unclean. (Wasaa'il al-Shia, V.2, Section 37 on Nijasah).

Your doubt in this matter does not make any difference. You are ritually clean because you are just doubting and not sure that your body became Najis.

Wassalam.

Toilet . Najis . Doubt . Taharah (Purity)

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 10 months ago

Bismihi ta'ala

We have covered the topic of waswasah and doubts in tahara a few times, and you are able to search in the Q&A on the topic of waswasah and taharah.

The simple rule of thumb is because you are doubting, you consider it all to be tahir. Nothing more.

Please watch this clip, which is a part of a lesson I gave on taharah and najasah. Hope it will be of benefit.

100500

Woman . Ghusl . Doubt . Sexual

If a woman always doubts whether the liquid coming out of her is due to lustful thoughts, which she doubts she ever had, or a regular discharge, is Ghusl obligatory on her?

Bismihi ta'ala

The discharge a woman experiences is tahir, even if it is due to lustful thoughts, as long as it was not an orgasm.

She does not need to do ghusl, or anything else.

And Allah knows best.

89936

Islam . Paradise . Doubt

I often get doubts in my mind about Islam. If I stay righteous with my actions, will that be sufficient for me to enter paradise? Or will I be held accountable for whatever crosses my mind?

1. Doubts can come to any one and it does not mean that you believe in it or you are a bad person just because of the doubts or thoughts in your mind as far as you do not believe in it. Doubts are from Shaitan who tries to disturb the believers or at least make them feel uncomfortable.

2. Don't suppress any question comes to your mind and counter it by the strongest evidence which we have we have in every field and in any matter. Never feel frightened from doubts and be sure that it will vanish as soon as you look at the evidence.

3. Put your questions to reliable scholars who are able to respond properly.

4. Your feeling of uneasiness from the doubts is an evidence that you are a good person and you are not happy with these doubts. You just need to counter the doubts with the evidence which we have for every mater.

5. You should never neglect or postpone tackling your doubts to get them cleared as the best way do deal with doubts is to discuss them according to the evidence. You will easily see that doubts are based on misunderstanding or misinformation etc. Usually, those who respond with authentic evidence get out of the doubts with stronger faith and more clear surety in the True Faith of Islam.

6. Good deeds are always good, but it can never be enough if the faith is wrong, as we read in Quran always (Those who believe (in the Truth) and do good).

7. Always seek help from Allah (SW) to protect you from the whispering of Shaitans (And say: My Lord, I seek refuge with you from the whisperings of the devils) (Sura 23, Verse 97). Devils run away when you recite Estighfaar (ASTAGHFIRULLAH RABBI WA ATOOBU ELAYH) and (LA HAWLA WALA QOWWATA ILLA BILLAH) and (LAA ILAAHA ILLALLAH).

Wassalam.

74491

Salah (Prayers) . Doubt . Dhuhr

While praying Zuhur prayer I doubted whether it was the third or fourth Rakat. I considered it the third and offered another Rakat after that. Was my prayer valid?

If you doubt between third and forth Rak'ats, you must take it as fourth then pray one Rak'at of Salat al-Ehtiyat which is performed immediately after Salaam, by reciting Sura Al-Hamd only, then Rokoo' and two Sajdas, then Tashahhud and Salaam.

Wassalam.

74899

Atheism . Doubt . Faith (Iman)

As a student in the UK I have come across some material promoting atheism and as a result I have begun doubting everything. How can I get the doubts out of my mind and strengthen my faith?

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Both sides of the God debate have their own arguments and rebuttals and so if a certain argument has caused confusion you should seek its response from those who have been well trained in the intellectual sciences. It is also important to consider the role of religious experience when forming the presumptions to your intellectual framework and to realize that atheists also recognize the validity of theist arguments based on the presuppositions of theists.

May you always be successful.

71477

Doubt . Salah (Prayers)

I got a doubt during Sajdah, while praying my Asr prayers, about whether I was in my third or fourth Rakat. What should I have done in that situation?

You should take it as forth Rak'at and complete the Salaah accordingly but you must pray immediately after Salaam, one Rak'at of Salatul Ehtiyat in which you recite Sura Al-Hamd only then do Rokoo' and Two Sajda then Tashahhud and Salaam.

Wassalam.