Assalamu ‘alaykum
1) How do I stop this waswasa? I have trouble reciting the fatiha because I keep thinking I’m saying it wrong, so I repeat and I start over and I get stressed and I don’t have khushoo’ anymore. The reason why I listen to waswasa because I keep thinking “my prayer will be wrong so I have to pronounce the fatiha near perfect otherwise, my prayer is not accepted and I will be judged”.
I say the fatiha ok outside of prayer but during only FARDH prayer, I get tongue tied and I repeat many times and so on. Prayer is very hard now. How do I stop without feeling guilty but with my prayer being accepted?
2) Also, is it haram to smile at a non-mahram so I’m not rude? No eye contact, just my mouth corners rise up and I look down. Like when the store person gives me the receipt and he smiles at me for niceness or when my teacher says good job or something.
Can I smile at a potential seeking marriage?
Jazakum Allahu khayrun
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
1] We advise that you identify a female aalima and tell her your difficulty. Recite the surah fatiha to her. If she corrects you and approves of your recitation, you should recite surah fatiha like that in salaah. There is no need for you to stress and become caught up with the tricks of shaytaan.
2] The smile of a woman is the focal point of her beauty. Therefore, a woman should not smile and express her beauty to any ghair mahrams [strangers]. One does not have to smile to display good character.
3] If a boy and girl wishes to see each other for marriage purposes,[i] they may offer each other a reasonable smile.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ridwaan Ibn Khalid Esmail [Kasak]
Student Darul Iftaa
Katete, Zambia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[i] المبسوط للسرخسي (10/ 155)
إنْ كَانَ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَهَا فَلَا بَأْسَ بِأَنْ يَنْظُرَ إلَيْهَا وَإِنْ كَانَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ يَشْتَهِيهَا لِمَا رُوِيَ «أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – قَالَ لِلْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ لَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً: أَبْصِرْهَا فَإِنَّهُ أَحْرَى أَنْ يُؤْدَمَ بَيْنَكُمَا»
الناشر: دار المعرفة – بيروت
الهداية في شرح بداية المبتدي (4/ 369)
ومن أراد أن يتزوج امرأة فلا بأس بأن ينظر إليها وإن علم أنه يشتهيها” لقوله عليه الصلاة والسلام فيه: “أبصرها فإنه أحرى أن يؤدم بينكما” ولأن مقصوده إقامة السنة لا قضاء الشهوة.
الناشر: دار احياء التراث العربي – بيروت – لبنان