This is a curated archive of scholarly opinions for educational purposes. SunnahAnswers indexes existing answers from qualified scholars — we do not issue rulings ourselves.

Answered by 2 scholars Aqeedah & BeliefSA-0138

How should one deal with doubts about faith or waswas (intrusive thoughts)?

Answer 1 of 2Published work 1 min read
SourcePublished work
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah· محمد بن أبي بكر ابن قيم الجوزيةClassical Scholar

al-Wābil aṣ-Ṣayyib min al-Kalim aṭ-Ṭayyib

al-Wābil aṣ-Ṣayyib, chapter on the harms of waswas

Waswas concerning Iman is a sign of pure faith, not of weakness — for shaytan only attacks a heart that holds something precious to defend. The Companions came to the Prophet (ﷺ) saying: "We find in our hearts what one of us would consider too grave to even speak of." He said: "Have you indeed found that?" They said yes. He said: "That is clear faith." (Muslim 132). The treatment is fivefold: (1) recognise the source — it is from shaytan, not from your true belief; (2) refuse to dwell on it and turn away to remembrance of Allah; (3) seek refuge in Allah from the accursed shaytan and spit dryly to your left three times; (4) say "I believe in Allah and His Messenger" as the Prophet (ﷺ) instructed (Muslim 134); (5) busy yourself with what benefits — recitation, dhikr, beneficial knowledge — for an idle heart is the playground of waswas. Do not argue with the thoughts; treat them as you treat a thief who knocks at the door — do not open and engage, simply ignore until he leaves.

Evidence

Hadith

"Verily Allah has overlooked for my Ummah what occurs to their souls, so long as they do not act on it or speak it." ([al-Bukhari 5269](/hadith/bukhari/5269), Muslim 127)

Key Takeaway

Waswas itself is a sign of true faith — refuse to engage, seek refuge, busy the heart with dhikr, and do not be alarmed.

Librarians, not Muftis

SunnahAnswers is a curated index of scholarly opinions — we collect, organize, translate, and present them. We do not author or rule. For binding rulings on your specific situation, consult a qualified scholar.

Ref: SA-0138 · Report an issue

More from Imam Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

More on this topic