Regarding fatwa number 83401, I understand that the scholars have agreed that the best remedy for waswaas is to simply ignore it and inshAllah it will definitely go away. However does this not go against the Sunnah as I thought the Hadith advice seeking refuge with Allah from the shaythan? I feel that they contradict as I often find my thoughts are partly controlled by the shaythan, my mind cannot focus well and I often forget the remembrance of Allah. Were the scholars aware of this? After doing more Dhikr and over the years Alhamdulillah my waswaas has reduced and I have noticed an improved but I still desire a complete solution. Do certain thoughts come from the nafs as well as the shaythan, if so then is it right to say that we should ignore all thoughts that come from the nafs and seek refuge with Allah from the thoughts of the shaythan (how do we know which is which). For example, if my mind naturally wonders like even the minds of non-Muslims may wonder about any worries, memories, etc, shall I seek refuge with Allah from the shaythan? How many times should you seek refuge before you should ignore the waswaas, is it right to say you should only seek refuge once in dire necessity in one sitting and then ignore what comes to you so that you can get rid of it? Because the problem with me is that as soon as I start reading the Quran/making Dhikr/ praying, etc, I immediately have to stop several times in order to seek refuge; should I only do this one time, could you please explain the Quran and Sunnah with regards to this in as much as detail as possible as I am very confused? Due to my mind wondering so much I used to take 1 hour on average to take a shower and use the toilet in the morning, but I have now reduced the problem by trying to be the fastest at making wudhu, showering, using the toilet, etc. But I feel this may be against the Sunnah as a Hadith mentions that haste is from the shaythan? Do the Hadith actually advice ignoring the waswaas?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

There is no contradiction between what we have mentioned about ignoring Waswasah (i.e. whispers of the devil) and seeking refuge with Allaah The Almighty from the devil. The one who suffers from Waswasah can do both of them, i.e. seeking refuge with Allaah The Almighty from the devil and then ignoring the Waswasah and not paying any attention to it. We have repeatedly mentioned in our Fataawa that the proper remedy of Waswasah is to seek refuge with Allaah The Almighty from the devil and ignore it and that the Sunnah came with both of them as it was stated in the Hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah in which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “The devil will come to one of you and say, ‘Who created such and such?’ until he says to him, ‘Who created your Lord?’ When it reaches that stage, let him seek refuge with Allaah [from the accursed devil] and stop thinking about it.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

It combines between seeking refuge and ignoring Waswasah and thus there is no contradiction between them. Jurists and scholars did not neglect that; rather, they mentioned that stopping the whispers of the devil can be done by both matters and we have mentioned many of the opinions of the scholars in that regard such as the statement of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen : "Getting rid of that can be fulfilled by two matters: Firstly, seeking refuge with Allaah from the accursed devil. Secondly, one should make his heart ignore and not care about them (whispers) as if they do not exist at all. In this way, such whispers that afflict many people will go away from him. Accordingly, one should seek refuge with Allaah from the accursed devil and ignore them completely."

As for distinguishing between the whispers of one's self and those of the devil, then both of them have whisperings and the difference between them is as what Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said in Majmoo’ Al-Fataawa: "Abu Haazim made a comparison between the whispering caused by one's self and that caused by the devil, and said: Whatever your self hates for your self is from the devil, so seek refuge with Allaah from it. And whatever your self likes for your self is from your self so forbid it from it."

On the other hand, seeking refuge is prescribed to be done from the whispers of the devil in principle. As for one's self, there is no mention of seeking refuge from it; however, seeking refuge from its evil was stated. Amongst its evil is the whispers it causes. Ibn Al-Qayyim said in Ighaathat Al-Lahfaan regarding seeking refuge from the devil and the self: Allaah The Almighty ordered seeking refuge from him (i.e. the devil) before starting reciting the Quran and the like. That is because of the dire need to seek refuge from him. However, He The Exalted did not enjoin seeking refuge from one's self in any place but from its evil." [End quote]

There is no doubt that the whispering of one's self is included in its evil and thus seeking refuge from both whisperings (i.e. of one's self and of the devil) is something prescribed because both of them are evil for the servant of Allaah The Almighty. Accordingly, one can seek refuge from them. It was stated in the authentic Hadeeth: "I seek refuge in You from the evil of my own self and from the evil of the devil and his Shirk (incitement to attributing partners to Allaah) and that I bring evil on myself or bring it on another Muslim)"

Ibn Al-Qayyim said regarding that supplication mentioned in that Hadeeth: "That honorable Hadeeth includes seeking refuge from evil, its causes and its effects. All evil may come either from one's self or from the devil, and its effects may afflict the doer himself or his fellow Muslim. Thus, the Hadeeth mentioned the two sources of evil that cause it and the two effects that it reaches."

Concerning how many times one should seek refuge and whether one should seek it only once, then the answer is that seeking refuge depends on the existence of whisperings. Thus, whenever there are whisperings, then seeking refuge is prescribed. However, whenever one seeks refuge for the first time and ignores them, the whisperings will go away from him and he will not need to repeat it. One only needs to repeat it if he goes on thinking about them and surrenders to them.

As for what you have mentioned regarding the Hadeeth "haste is from the devil", it refers to the haste that leads to doing something before its usual time. It was stated in Faydh Al-Qadeer: "Ibn Al-Qayyim said: 'Haste is from the devil because it is a form of rashness, levity and hot-temperedness in one's character that prevent him from verifying news, solemnity and patience. It also entails putting a thing in its improper place, causes evil and prevents goodness. It is the result of two bad characteristics, namely negligence and doing something before its due time.' Al-Haraalli said: 'Haste is to do something before its due time.'" [End quote]

Finally, we advise our dear questioner to seek refuge with Allaah The Almighty and stop thinking about whispers. We also advise him to visit a psychiatrist to treat the strong whisperings he is suffering from for this is permissible; there is nothing wrong in doing that as it a kind of seeking lawful treatment.

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 88124, 83401 and 89875.

Allaah Knows best.