Answered by Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil
Question: Assalam aleykum,
Is believing that sins come between me and Allah a form of shirk? I am also suffering from obsessive whispers. Please help me.
Answer:Assalamualaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray this finds you well. Please forgive me for the delay.
Shirk
It was narrated from Anas that the Messenger of Allah (upon him be blessings and peace) said: “Every son of Adam commits sin, and the best of those who commit sin are those who repent.’” [Sunan Ibn Majah]
No, believing that sins come between you and Allah is not a form of disbelief. Sins do block us from attaining closeness to Allah. However, please do not lose hope in His forgiveness. His doors of Mercy are wide open for you.
Waswasa
Dear questioner, it sounds like you are struggling with waswasa (baseless misgivings). This trial can feel overwhelming, so place your trust in Allah. He can cure you of this.
Solutions
1) Find a protective daily litany such as Wird Al-Latif and recite it.
2) Please speak to your doctor about your obsessive whispers.
3) Find a culturally-sensitive psychologist or counsellor.
4) Identify your key points of religious stress and speak to a scholar or write to us about it.
May Allah heal you, and bring you closer to Him. Please keep in touch.
Please see:
A Reader on Waswasa
A Reader on Tawba (Repentance)
Selected Prophetic Prayers for Spiritual, Physical and Emotional Wellbeing by Chaplain Ibrahim Long
Wassalam,
[Ustadha] Raidah Shah Idil
Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil has spent almost two years in Amman, Jordan, where she learned Shafi’i’ fiqh, Arabic, Seerah, Aqeedah, Tasawwuf, Tafsir and Tajweed. She continues to study with her Teachers in Malaysia and online through SeekersHub Global. She graduated with a Psychology and English degree from University of New South Wales, was a volunteer hospital chaplain for 5 years and has completed a Diploma of Counselling from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. She lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with her husband, daughter, and mother-in-law.