What Should be Said and Done by a Person Who is Afflicted by Whispering

It is reported on the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him), who declared that he heard it from the Prophet (Peace be upon him):

"The appointed angel whispers into the heart of the son of Adam and Satan whispers into his heart; the whispering of the angel is a promise of goodness, an affirmation of the truth, the hope of a goodly reward, while the whispering of Satan is a promise of evil, denial of the truth and despair of goodness. So if you find the whispering of the angel, praise and thank Allah and ask Him to give you from His Bounty; but if you found the whispering of Satan, seek refuge with Allah and ask His Forgiveness."[1]

'Uthman Ibn Abil-'As said to the Prophet (Peace be upon him): "Oh, Messenger of Allah! Satan intervenes between me and my prayer and my recitation (of the Qur'an) and he confounds me." Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:

"That is (the doing of) a devil who is known as Khinzab; so when you  perceive his effect, seek refuge with Allah from it and spit three times to your left." [2]

And the Companions complained to him that a person among them finds within himself something which he would rather be burnt to a cinder than to speak about; and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

"Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great! All praise and thanks be to Allah, Who repels his (Satan's) plot and reduces it to whispering."[3]

And he (Peace be upon him) advised one who is afflicted by any kind of whispering of association of ideas regarding the doers of actions, if it is said to him: "This is Allah, Who created all things in creation; then who created Allah?" —  that he should say:

"He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of everything."[4]

Likewise, Ibn 'Abbas said to Abu Zameel, when he asked about some thought which he found in his heart: What is it?" Abu Zameel said: "By Allah, I will not speak of it." Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "Is it some form of doubt?" Abu Zameel said: "Yes." He laughed and said: "No one is free from that; if you find such a thing within yourself, say:

"He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him)."[5]

So he showed them through this Verse the falseness of logical association of ideas and that the chain of creation begins with the Creator and there is nothing before Him, just as it ends with the last creation, after which there is nothing, and just as His Highness is that above which there is nothing and His Nearness is that more than which there is nothing more encompassing. And if there had been anything before him which had affected Him that would be the Lord, the Creator, therefore there can be nothing before the Creator, Who is Independent of all others, while everything else is in need of Him. He is the Self-existent, while all others exist through Him He exists with His Self and He is Eternal, and none existed before Him, while everything else existed having formerly been non-existent. He is Eternal and Everlasting, while everything else remains in existence through Him. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

"The people will keep on asking until one of them says: "This is Allah, Who created the whole of creation; then who created Allah?" So whoever finds any such thing (within himself) should seek refuge with Allah and it will cease."[6]

And Allah, Most High says:

"And if an evil whisper from Shaitan (Satan) tries to turn you away (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allah " [7]

And because the devil is of two types: One which is seen by the eye — and that is the human type — and one which is not seen and that is the jinn — Allah, Most High has commanded His Prophet to suffice himself against the evil of the human devil by avoiding him and by pardoning him and by opposing him with that which is better; and to suffice himself against the evil of the jinn by seeking refuge from him with Allah and He has combined the two in Surah Al-A’raf and Surah Al-Mu’minun.

For what is it but seeking refuge (with Allah) in humility, or to repel it with that which is better, they are both good and desirable.

This is the cure for the disease of the evil that is seen. And that is the cure for the disease of the evil that is unseen.