What do the scholars of the Din and muftis of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: I am suffering from whisperings. If I believe in them, they will take me out of the fold of Islam. They are whisperings of unbelief. I consider them to be extremely bad, due to which I do not want to even mention them. Will I leave the fold of Islam and become a disbeliever due to such whisperings? If not, I want to get rid of such whisperings. What should I recite in order to get rid of them? Please guide me.
Questioner: A brother from Preston, UK.
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب
Getting whisperings of unbelief in the heart and considering it to be bad to utter them is a sign of the essence of Iman (faith). It is neither disbelief nor does a person become a disbeliever due to it. Whisperings of unbelief are from the Shaytan [satan]. If they were from a slave (of Allah), he would not have considered them evil. A mu’min (believer) getting whisperings is from the signs of Iman. A thief only comes to a place where there is a treasure.
It is narrated on the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that some people from amongst the Companions of the Messenger ﷺ came to him and said:
إِنَّا نَجِدُ فِي أَنْفُسِنَا مَا يَتَعَاظَمُ أَحَدُنَا أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ، قَالَ: «وَقَدْ وَجَدْتُمُوهُ؟» قَالُوا: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: «ذَاكَ صَرِيحُ الْإِيمَانِ
“Verily we perceive in our minds that which every one of us considers it too grave to express.” He (the Holy Prophet ﷺ) said: “Do you really perceive it?” They said: “Yes.” Upon this he ﷺ remarked: “That is the faith manifest.” [Sahih Muslim]
Sadr al-Shariah Badr al-Tariqah Hadrat Allamah Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Amjad Ali Azami (may Allah have mercy upon him) mentions in Bahar-e Shari’at: “If one gets a whispering of unbelief in the heart and considers it to be bad to utter it, then it is not kufr (disbelief). This is a sign of special Iman, because if there was no faith in his heart, he would not have considered it evil.” [Bahar-e Shari’at, part 9, pg. 174]
I will now mention three immensely effective cures for evil whisperings:
(1.) The one suffering from evil whisperings should recite:
آمَنْتُ بِاللہِ وَرَسُوْلِہٖ ھُوَ الْاَوَّلُ وَالْاٰخِرُ وَالظَّاہِرُ وَالبَاطِنُ وَھُوَ بِکُلِّ شَیْءٍ عَلِیْم
(translit: aamantu billaahi wa rasoolihii huwal awwalu wal aakhiru wadhaahiru walbaaTinu wa huwa bi kulli shayin ‘aleem)
“I believe in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ , He (جل جلاله) is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, and He is aware of All Things.”
In sha’ Allah (Allah willing), he will be cured of all evil whisperings. Even if only…
آمَنْتُ بِاللہِ وَرَسُوْلِہٖ (I believe in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ )
…is recited, the person will be cured of evil whisperings.
It is narrated on the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لَا يَزَالُ النَّاسُ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ حَتَّى يُقَالَ: هَذَا خَلَقَ اللهُ الْخَلْقَ، فَمَنْ خَلَقَ اللهَ؟ فَمَنْ وَجَدَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا، فَلْيَقُلْ: آمَنْتُ بِاللهِ
“Men will continue to question one another till this is propounded: Allah created all things but who created Allah? He who found himself confronted with such a situation should say: I affirm my faith in Allah (آمَنْتُ بِاللهِ).” [Sahih Muslim]
Another narration mentions:
“I affirm my faith in Allah and His Messenger” (اٰمَنْتُ بِاللہِ وَرُسُلِہٖ)
Thus, it should be recited completely.
It is mentioned in al-Malfuz that Imam Ahmad Rida Khan (may Allah have mercy upon him) was asked, “What should be read in order to get rid of evil whisperings?” He replied, “Reciting…
اٰمَنْتُ بِاللہِ وَرَسُوْلِہٖ ھُوَ الْاَوَّلُ وَالْاٰخِرُ وَالظَّاہِرُ وَالبَاطِنُ وَھُوَ بِکُلِّ شَیْءٍ عَلِیْم
…will drive away evil whisperings. Rather, evil whisperings are driven away by reciting just…
اٰمَنْتُ بِاللہِ وَرُسُلِہٖ
[Reference: al-Malfuz, pg. 138, published by al-Madinat al-Ilmiyyah]
(2.) The renowned Quranic exegete, Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan (may Allah have mercy upon him) writes: “The noble Sufis (may Allah have mercy upon them) state: ‘Whomsoever recites la-hawl sharif i.e…
لَاحَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّۃَ اِلاَّ بِاللہِ الْعَلِیِّ الْعَظِیْم
(There is no might nor power except in Allah, the Exalted, the Mighty.)
…21 times in the morning and evening and blows it over water and drinks that water, then in sha Allah, he/she will be protected from devilish whisperings.’” [Mir’at al-Manajih, vol. 1, pg. 87]
(3.) It is important that you do not pay heed to the evil whisperings. Rather, quickly realise that this is some other being that is against my belief and wants to plant evil whisperings in my heart. Immediately recite la-hawl sharif and say, “Allah is sufficient for me who is my Creator and Sustainer.” Do not busy yourself in refuting the evil thought, otherwise you will be trapped.
واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری
Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by the SeekersPath team
