Many people suffer from these whispers – there is no power and no strength except with Allaah. The way to deal with waswaas is to seek refuge with Allaah a great deal from the accursed Shaytaan, and especially to recite al-Mi’wadhatayn (the last two soorahs of the Qur’aan), for there is nothing better with which a person may seek refuge with Allaah. So she should recite (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say: “I seek refuge with (Allaah), the Lord of the daybreak”

[113:1] – to the end of the soorah (chapter), which includes seeking refuge from the evil of the Shaytaan, because he is one of the creations of Allaah. And she should recite Soorat (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say: “I seek refuge with (Allaah), the Lord of the daybreak”

[al-Naas 114:1] – to the end.

 The way to deal with that is to seek refuge a great deal in Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan, to turn to Allaah, and to have sincere resolve, so that one will not pay any attention to whispers that may enter one’s mind.

 For example, whether you have done wudoo’ once or twice or three times, you should not pay any attention to the whispers of the Shaytaan. Even if you feel that you have not done wudoo’, for example, or that you neglected some part of wudoo’ or that you did not have the right intention, you should not pay attention to that. Similarly if you are praying and you feel or it occurs to you that you did not say “Allaahu akbar” at the beginning of the prayer, you should not pay attention to that, and you should carry on and complete your prayer. Similarly, if it crosses your mind – as mentioned in the question – to insult Allaah or the Mus-haf (Quran) or any other kind of kufr (disbelief), you should not pay attention to that and it will not harm you. Even if it goes so far as a person uttering the words under compulsion of the waswaas, there is no sin on him because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “There is no talaaq (divorce) under compulsion.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2193; Ahmad, al-Musnad, 6/276; classed as hasan/sound by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, no. 2047. If the divorce that is the result of waswaas does not count, then this is more likely to be forgiven, but one should turn away from that and not pay attention to it.

 So my advice to this lady and others who are tested with waswaas is to seek refuge a great deal with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan, to recite al-Mi’wadhatayn – Qul a’oodhu bi Rabb il-Falaq and Qul a’oodhu bi Rabb il-naas (the last two soorahs of the Qur’aan) – to have sincere resolve and not to pay attention to these insinuating whispers from the Shaytaan.

 If the Shaytaan manages to instill some doubts in a person’s heart concerning Allaah and so on, he should not worry about that, because he is only suffering these doubts because of the faith in his heart. The person who is not a believer does not care whether he doubts or not; the one who suffers because of these doubts and whispers is a believer. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “That is clear faith,” (narrated by Muslim, no. 132) , meaning that what the Shaytaan casts into your hearts of such matters is a reflection of clear faith, i.e., sincere faith… He described it as sincere faith, because the one who experiences these doubts is not happy about them and should not pay any attention to them; they grieve him and he does not want them. The Shaytaan only comes to hearts which are filled with faith in order to destroy it; he does not come to hearts that are devoid of faith, because they are already ruined. It was said to Ibn ‘Abbaas or Ibn Mas’ood that the Jews said, “We do not experience waswaas during our prayers.” He said, “Of course, what would the Shaytaan do with a heart that is already ruined?!”

 My advice to her is to ignore all of these whispers. She will find it hard at first, and she will think that she is praying without wudoo’ or without saying “Allaahu akbar” at the beginning, and so on, but it will become easier for her after that, and this doubt and waswaas will leave her, in sha Allaah.

 Praise be to Allaah, there are people who suffered with this problem, but they were told how to deal with it and how to resist it, and Allaah granted them relief. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.