Fatwa #4740319 March 2021United States of America
Wasawis during Wudhu
Question
Good afternoon,
I have a question regarding salat tawbah and wudhu. I must inform that I suffer from sever waswas during wudhu and prayer.
I recently did salat tawbah but I have the feeling I did not do wudhu right. I always have the feeling that I did not do the part where you are supposed to wash the arms 3 times, that I did not wash my pinky finger, as when the water comes over it is shorter than the rest so I feel it did not get washed. What should I do? Should i repeat salat tawbah with wudhu again? Will my salat tawbah not be valid if the wudhu was not done right? Please help.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakātuh.
We gauge from your query that you constantly experience doubts (Waswasa) during wudhu and salāh to the extent that it is affecting your life and creating difficulty for yourself. We sympathize with your condition. May Almighty Allah grant you complete Shifa. Aameen.
Rasūlullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) advised us that there is a Shaytan for everything. There is also a Shaytan for Wudhu to distract us from our Wudhu. We should ignore the waswasas and focus on our responsibilities. The best manner to overcome your wasaawis after washing a limb thrice, immediately cease washing that limb and move on to the next. All of the limbs in wudhu should be performed with such an attitude. Inshallah, adopting such an attitude will train you to ignore Shaytaan’s wasaawis and make your life easier.
Thus your salāh and wudhu are correct and you will not have to repeat them.[i]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ikraam Elias Gangat
Student DarulIftaa
Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[i]
الأصل للشيباني ط قطر (١/٥٣)
قلت: أرأيت رجلاً توضأ ثم شَكَّ في بعض وضوئه وذلك أوّلُ ما شَكّ؟ قال: عليه أن يغسل ذلك الموضع الذي شَكّ فيه. قلت: فإن كان يَلْقَى ذلك كثيراً يَعْرِضُ له الشيطان بذلك في صلاته أو بعد فراغه منها حتى يَكْثُر ذلك عليه؟ قال: لا يلتفت إلى شيء من هذا، ويمضي في صلاته، ولا يعيد شيئاً من ذلك
المحيط البرهاني في الفقه النعماني (٥/٣٠٣)
يجب أن تعلم بأن العمل بغالب الرأي جائز في باب الديانات