Waswasah in pronunciation of Tashahhud

13-9-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

Salam. Please do not refer to other answers and reply soon. I am going through a severe emotional trauma. I have been suffering from Waswasah (obsessive/devilish whisperings) regarding apostasy, purification, and pronunciation in prayer for a long time. It has now reached the point that sometimes the devil makes me want to leave the prayer (may Allah forgive me). I try to follow the easiest fatwa to reduce the hardship. So I do not recite Surat Al-Faatihah behind the imam. My question is: can I follow the Hanafi opinion that says that the prayer is valid if one sits for a duration of the Tashahhud in the final sitting even if he does not recite it? Due to Waswasah in pronunication of the Tashahhud, I keep restarting it and cannot finish it with the imam, and it takes too long when praying alone. Please guide me. I want to obey Allah with peace of mind.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

You do not need to follow the Hanafi opinion in this regard. You should recite the Tashahhud only once and not repeat any part of it, no matter how much the devil whispers to you that you mispronounced it. This is the solution and the remedy for this Waswasah.

If you follow the opinion that is easier for you in matters which scholars held different opinions about, then there is no harm in that. Nevertheless, the best way to treat Waswasah is by ignoring it in any form it may occur, and whether it be in purification, prayer, or anything else. So do not respond to Waswasah at all, and carry on with your acts of worship without giving any concern to Waswasah.

Allah knows best.