What Is Required from a Person Who Suffers from Whispers

27-8-2019 | IslamWeb

Question:

Salaam ‘Alaykum.
The scholars - including this website - always tell those who suffer from waswasah (satanic whispers, doubts) to ignore the waswasah and not pay any attention to it at all. But what do they mean by ignoring it? For example, if I constantly suffer from waswasah that my wudoo’ and salaah is for the sake of so-and-so (i.e. that I am doing it with riyaa’ or insincerity), does ignoring it mean that I repel the thoughts of riyaa’ and go over my ikhlaas (sincerity) and niyyah (intention) again or does it mean that I fully ignore it in the sense that I just begin (and carry on with) my acts of worship without even responding to it, without going over my intention and without repelling it, (as if these thoughts never came to me)?
Jazaakum-Allaah Khayran.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The second meaning mentioned in your statement is what is meant.

What is required from a person who suffers from the whispers that you have mentioned is to continue his act of worship as if he did not have these whispers, and he does not give in to them or give them any attention.

Giving in to whispers leads to a great evil.

Allah knows best.