How Do I Deal With Negative Thoughts That Will Make Me Lose My Faith?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

For the past month, I have been getting thoughts, and I feel like it has been affecting my heart; and I usually get scared and feel like I will fall out of Islam. I feel like I am losing my faith completely and am extremely scared to fall into disbelief. When I make dua to Allah to keep me steadfast, these thoughts come in, and I get scared and feel like I have fallen into disbelief. I feel disconnected from Allah, and I don’t want that. I’ve been trying to ignore them, but I don’t know how to. I don’t want this to impact my prayers.

Answer

Thank you for your question. Don’t fear losing faith because your very fear of losing it indicates that you are a strong believer.

Negative Thoughts

Negative thoughts can be daunting and disturbing, but I urge you not to fear them. Abu Huraira reported that some of the companions came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and they asked him, “We find within ourselves that which is too grievous to speak of.” The Prophet said, “You have indeed found it so?” They said yes. The Prophet said, “That is sincere faith.” [Muslim]

Ignore and Learn

Rather, I ask you to ignore these thoughts at all costs. When they arise, cast them off, start making dhikr (remembering Allah), or blessing the Prophet, and seek refuge from the Devil (A‘udhu billahi min ash-Shaytan ar-rajeem). The Devil will eventually tire from whispering to you because you end up remembering God every time. I also encourage you to sign up for courses here at Seekers so that you can gain sound knowledge about the religion and eliminate doubts.

You can use some of these formulas for dhikr:
The Benefits of Sending Peace & Blessings on Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Read this Wird Every Day for Protection
The complete Wird Latif of Imam al-Haddad, with transliteration
Selected Prophetic Prayers for Spiritual, Physical, and Emotional Wellbeing by Chaplain Ibrahim Long

Devil’s Job

To minimize the effects of the Devil on you, you must understand his job. His only job is to harass the Muslims (as he already has non-Muslims where he wants them) in whichever way he can. He is al-Waswas al-Khannas, in Surah Al-Nas, “the evil whisperer, (Devil who whispers evil in the hearts of men) who withdraws (from his whispering in one’s heart after one remembers Allah)“ [translated by Mufi Taqi al-Usmani], and he can do you no harm. He whispers doubts to some, tells others to be proud and arrogant, and is extremely talented. He has been whispering evil for thousands of years and has lots of practice. Once you realize it’s him and continually seek refuge from him, he will be gone.

Turn to Allah

Allah loves to be asked, and by His grace, you will conquer your thoughts. I can guarantee it because He has told us in His book. “So, surely with hardship comes ease. Surely with ˹that˺ hardship comes ˹more˺ ease. “[Qur’an, 94:5-6] Your supplications are heard, especially when your soul is repentant, broken-hearted, impoverished, and sincere.

The Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “When half of the night or two-thirds of it is over, Allah (the Blessed and the Exalted) descends to the lowest heaven and says, ‘Is there any beggar so that he be given? Is there any supplicator so that he be answered? Is there any beggar of forgiveness so that he be forgiven? (And Allah continues saying it) till it is daybreak. ‘“[Muslim]

Please see these links as well:
Negative Thoughts About God
Types of Thought, Blasphemy, and Sin
Plagued by Many Obsessive Thoughts
Plagued by Thoughts of Faith in Allah

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next,

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.