What is the ruling on frequent doubts and whisperings during prayer? Should one complete the prayer or repeat it? Is the prayer of one who has doubts in it accepted? What is the ruling on frequently swearing not to repeat it, then retracting that oath? And what is incumbent upon someone who cannot count the many expiations that have accumulated upon him and does not possess the means to provide their monetary value for feeding the poor?
"Waswasah" (whispering of Satan/obsessive thoughts) is a serious illness, and its best cure is to ignore it and pay no attention to it. You must not pay attention to any of it, no matter what it is. So, no matter how much Satan whispers to you that your prayer, ablution, or recitation is invalid, seek refuge in Allah from him and proceed with your worship. Do not use oaths; rather, be firm with yourself, and pray the prayer once. As for the oaths you swore and then broke: If you swore or broke them under the influence of "waswasah," such that you had no ability to prevent yourself from swearing or breaking them, then nothing is incumbent upon you. But if you swore and broke them by your own choice, then you must ascertain the number of oaths you swore and broke, and then offer expiation for each one of them, or offer one expiation for all these oaths, according to the Madhhab of the Hanbalis. And you must strive against yourself to abandon swearing oaths and refrain from them.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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