Question: I have been feeling so anxious for the last 6-7 months that I start feeling guilty for a certain thing, and then I go into loops of it. It escalated, and I cannot deconstruct it. I just feel like I have done something wrong. How do I get out of it?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question. I am sorry that you are feeling this anxiety and guilt for no reason, and I pray that you can get out of this. Convincing yourself that you have done something wrong clearly means that the Devil has taken hold, and you must expel him.
Resources
Please see this excellent article about feeling guilt and apply the steps of action and sincere repentance mentioned therein.
https://seekersguidance.org/articles/general-artices/overwhelmed-by-guilt/
Start changing the narrative in your mind. Whenever a feeling of guilt overcomes you, ignore it, and make dhikr, and immediately thank Allah for one of your blessings. Allah, Most High, reminds us, “So, (O mankind and Jinn,) which of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?“ [Qur’an, 55:13]
See this link about gratefulness over guilt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9tzjqtSYvA
Thought Control
No one is perfect; one cannot always control what comes, but do cast the thought out as soon as it comes and say “A’udhu biLlahi min ash-Shaytan ir-rajeem“. The Shaytan will eventually tire of giving you these thoughts because you just end up remembering Allah. It will take practice but you will get it; make a sincere intention to not let these thoughts lounge around, but throw them out, seek refuge from the Devil, and make dhikr. Eventually, the thoughts will go, trust me.
Ask Allah genuinely to help you get rid of these thoughts and for guidance and aid through the Prayer of Need and by making du’a before dawn. He will surely come to your aid, and you must be absolutely certain that He will. Please see the answers at the link below. May Allah give you the best in this world and the next.
https://seekersguidance.org/tag/thoughts/
[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.