Passing thoughts of disbelief
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Question
I have been getting very bad thoughts and flashes about Allah, his messenger, Islam as a religon and the quran. I have tried many times to forget those thoughts as these thoughts are not of me because I do not want to think of these Thoughts. It keeps playing with my mind and regardless of how many times or how bad it is ( the thoughts) I will never move away from La Illaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasolallah. And also it is very severe when I am in Sallah even in jammt and many times I break my sallah to start again. I cry to Allah for forgiveness and I have hope that one day it will go away. Howevr what do I do in the meantime. The more I try to avoid those thoughts the more harsh the thoughts are and I usually end up thinking something really bad as I try avoid those thoughts. Would I still get punished for those stumbles?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah.
May Allah's peace and blessings shower upon our beloved Messenger.
Dear Questioner,
I pray this message finds you in a stronger state of iman and conviction.
These are very important questions.
The first principle to remember is that, generally speaking, we are not held to account for passing thoughts, no matter how bad they may be. However, if we act upon those thoughts, we are held to account.
First and foremost, try to cancel these thoughts with positive ones. Seek refuge in Allah Most High from the accursed Satan. Direct your thoughts to good and lofty ones. Send salawat (peace and blessings) upon the noble Messenger, Allah grant him peace and blessings. Then make sincere repentance and strive to purify your mind of these thoughts. I don't know the details of your situation, but if you are exposing yourself to misinformation about Islam, whether through books, television, or even non-Muslim coworkers, etc., then it is highly advisable to remove these influences from your life or counter them with something positive.
It is a good sign that you are worried about these thoughts. Consider the hadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in which Abu Huraira reported that some people from amongst the Companions of the Apostle (may peace be upon him) came to him and said: Verily we perceive in our minds that which every one of us considers it too grave to express. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Do you really perceive it? They said: Yes. Upon this he remarked: That is the faith manifest. [Muslim Book 1, Hadith 239]
For more details please refer to Sidi Hamza Karamali's excellent answer entitled "Are we accountable for thoughts related to disbelief (kufr)?" at SunniPath's Fiqh page.
Last but not least, please consult a scholar who can give you further advice for handling this issue.
And Allah knows best.
This answer was published by SunniPath and is preserved as written. Rulings can depend on circumstances; for your own situation, consult a qualified scholar.
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