Islam OCD: Islamic Solution for OCD

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide, irrespective of their religious beliefs. In Islam, mental health is of paramount importance, and the religion offers a holistic approach to addressing such issues. This article explores OCD from an Islamic perspective, focusing on its understanding, management, and the role of faith in providing solace and strength to those affected.

Perfection of worship is achieved by observing the acts of worship and being mindful of them. This is achieved by following their inner and outer rules without negligence or exaggeration. Negligence leads to perdition while exaggeration leads to innovation, especially if excessive deeds are thought to lead to proximity to God.

Thus it has been said,

– “Subhāna’l-Maliki’l-Khallāq” (Glory be to the King, the Creator), and
– “In-yasha’ Yudh-hibkum wa Yāti bi-Khalqin Jadīd” (If He wills, He can do away with you and bring in a  new creation).

The person affected by intrusive thoughts (wasawis) recites that formula, constantly, whenever he is reading his daily litany (wird). He complements that by frequently practicing forms of recreation (deflecting his mind away from those intrusive thoughts) and by acting in accordance with concessionary rulings (rukhas) of the Shariah, which have been advocated by people of knowledge in order to banish such intrusive thoughts. That is different from scrambling around for concessionary rulings in the various juristic schools across the board of human situations, for that is mere perdition and straying into error. So understand!

Important Islamic Solution for OCD (Obsessions + Compulsions) – cure for intrusive thoughts

Below are few important islamic solution for OCD

1. Identify your enemy and understand its tricks {islamic solution for OCD}

“O men! Certainly the promise of Allah is true. Let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the Chief Deceiver deceive you about Allah. Verily Satan is an enemy to you: so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his adherents that, they may become Companions of the Blazing Fire.”
(Surah Al Faatir 35:5-6) 

The main trick satan plays in its whispers is that it makes one feel that these thoughts are one’s own and not from anywhere else. Because when you know that they are from someone else you try to fight it out, and when you think that these are your own thoughts you feel helpless to fight. So it is extremely important that one filters and labels all negative thoughts as from satan and not from one’s own self. For this, one must realize that one’s true-self is the Ruh (soul) sent by ALLAH, and that this Ruh (Soul) puts us on the true-nature (fitrah) when we are born, and this Ruh is a light from ALLAH that guides towards the positive and can never be negative. So all the negative thoughts are from satan and not your own and satan being your greatest enemy deserves the best fight from you ان شاء الله. 

2. Islamic solution for ocd with Quran :ALLAH asks believers to take help from sabr (patience) and salah (prayer), so when you feel totally at satan’s hands offer nawaafil (voluntary prayers) and seek ALLAH’s help, when you feel anxious due to the whispers of satan, be patient and do not start ritualizing your compulsions (the acts you do to minimize anxiety e.g. washing hands again and again, checking and cleaning your clothes time and again etc). 

Quran describes itself as Shifa (cure) for those who believe, so when you feel yourself trapped into satanic whispers, ask ALLAH to guide you and heal you through the Qur’an. Some people may get waswaas like: I didn’t pronounce the word of Quran correctly, or I did not use the correct articulation point etc.: to avoid such wasaawis one can try different methods e.g recite in louder voice, ask someone to listen you so that if you pronounce something wrong they may correct you, or record your recitation and listen to it later on but one should not leave recitation due to these waswaas ان شاء الله) 

Verily Allah truly says:Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember. (Surah Numl 27:62) 

3. Know the limitations of your enemy :“Verily he has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord. His power is only over those who obey and follow him, and those who join partners with Him” (Surah An Nahl 16:99-100)

This Ayah mentions how we make Satan have power over us. If we put our trust only in Allah, and we have firm belief in Allah, then Satan can’t penetrate into our thoughts-that-become-actions. Thoughts are like traffic that’ll keep on coming, but you have to decide which vehicle to ride on. Not every thought is worthy of being transformed into an action. We have to filter the thoughts coming from Satan and drop them, and only ride on thoughts that have a sound origin. 

From one angle satan is a powerful enemy because it is invisible to us, on the other hand, satan can become totally helpless because all it can do is to attack our thoughts and cannot force us into actions.   

4.Islamic Solution for OCD is Stop Blaming Yourself :Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Allah Most High has forgiven the wasaawis that arises in the hearts of the people of my nation until one acts upon them or talks about them” (Al-Bukhari, Al-Muslim). 

This hadith is such a big support for all of Muslims! When you are not to be blamed if any negative thought comes to your mind then WHY to blame yourself “willingly” by thinking that “these bad thoughts are my own and I am such a bad person to think this way, how can others love me when I am so bad, when I think this way?” etc. Are you not destroying your peace yourself? Remember: “He wants ease for you, and does not want hardship for you” (Surah Al Baqarah) 

5. Islamic Solution for OCD Reattribute :Reattribute these negative thoughts as “from shaitan” and not your “own” and Realize that the intensity and intrusiveness of the thought or urge is a trap of satan to misguide you from the true path. The more attention you pay to it, the more intense these thoughts would become and satan will overcome you, and if u will try to talk to yourself to resolve these thoughts, you will get more trapped into them. So attribute these thoughts as satanic whispers and do not fall in them, as they say: “We may not be able to choose what kinds of thoughts come into our mind but we definitely make the choice of what kind of thoughts we want to dwell in.” When we know through Qur’an and Sunnah that satan whispers in the hearts of mankind, then we should be certain that all negative thoughts are from satan and not our own. 

6. Islamic Solution for OCD Refocus :Refocus your mind towards something positive.
Work around these thoughts by focusing your attention on something else, by something else we mean something “positive” and “worth doing”. We humans are here in this world for accomplishing a great task, let’s focus on that and be not misguided by our greatest enemy. Plan for your days and nights, how you are going to get to your mission? 

7. Islamic Solution for OCD Revalue :Do not take these thoughts at face value. They do not define the ‘real you’ and are from satan to mislead you. Value yourself in the light of Iman and good deeds that you do for the sake of ALLAH. These thoughts are not significant at all and you can’t judge yourself according to what satan tells you. Satan will tell you that you are going great ‘only’ when you are wrong, and it will tell you that you are a hypocrite etc. whenever you are on the right. 

8. Islamic Solution for OCD is Seeking Help from those around you :Those who have developed OCD to a greater level, it would be very difficult for them to stop following these obsessions, their motivation matters a lot in this. And secondly they can develop different ways to get rid of this problem, e.g. they can ask a family member to play part in it, to remind them of their problem with care and affection. The best way to get one’s self out of it is to “taper it off”, which means to gradually decrease your compulsions. 

(Help taken from four steps dealing method presented by Psychiatrist Jeffrey Schwartz, author of Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior)

 Put in a nut-shell, waswaas = obsessions + compulsions whose origin is an extra-dimensional whisper from Shaitan (satan), and the more you let these grow in your heart the more they disturb you. So don’t dwell into these thoughts injected into you by your enemy and keep on refocusing yourself in the right direction. 

Managing OCD: An Islamic Solution for OCD

While faith plays a significant role, managing OCD often requires a multi-faceted approach. Here are some steps that individuals can take, incorporating Islamic principles:

1. Seek Professional Help: Consulting with mental health professionals who are knowledgeable about OCD is crucial. Therapy and, if necessary, medication can be effective tools for managing symptoms.

2. Establish a Routine: The structured nature of Islamic daily rituals, such as Salah (prayer) and Dhikr (remembrance of Allah), can provide a sense of order and stability for individuals with OCD.

3. Practice Patience: Coping with OCD can be challenging, and setbacks are common. Patience is a virtue highly regarded in Islam, and individuals should be gentle with themselves during their journey to recovery.

4. Community Involvement: Engaging in community activities and volunteering can foster a sense of belonging and purpose, which is essential for mental well-being.

FOR VARIOUS QURANIC TAWEEZ OF SURAH, CLICK HERE