Question:

Assalamu aleikum dear brother,

Recently I developed a problem. My problem is when something bad is happening in my life I lose my temper and bad thoughts about Allah are coming to my head. I try to push them out. I push them out successfully when I am not praying. But when I am prying these thoughts are coming to my head again and the worst thing is these thoughts make me to think that I am not worshipping Allah. These thoughts make me to believe that I am worshipping a wall in front of me. When I go into ruku or sajde it makes me to believe that I am worshipping a wall. The idea is coming to my head saying that Allah does not want me to succeed in my life and for this reason bad things are happening and this idea makes me to think I am doing ruku or sajde not to Allah, it makes me to believe I am doing ruku or sajde to the wall. I try to push out this idea when I am going into ruku or sajde but it is not easy. Sometimes it looks like I am doing it deliberately especially when i lose my temper. I do not want to have these thoughts and I ask your help what I should do to solve this problem. And more important question: does it constitute shirk?

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Life is filled with many tests.  Difficulties, hardships, and problems come upon individuals so that they may get closer to Allāh Ta’ālā.

You state that you lose your temper when something bad happens in your life. However, for a Mu’min (believer), there is no bad situation in his life. Everything that happens to a Mu’min (believer) is for his own good. Consider the following Hadith:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «عَجَبًا لِأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ، وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ، فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ، صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ (صحيح مسلم

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam said: How strange is the situation of a Mu’min (believer). Every situation of his is good. And this is only for a Mu’min. If he experiences happiness, he thanks Allah, and this is good for him. And if he experiences difficulty, he exercises patience, and this is good for him. (Sahih Muslim)

At times we may not understand why we are experiencing apparently difficult situations. At this juncture, we must trust in Allah and have conviction that Allah is All-Wise. Whatever He does is filled with wisdom. Our insignificant intelligence may not be able to comprehend the wisdom in the decisions of Allah. However, we must have conviction, that whatever is happening is happening for my own good.

For example, at times the father punishes his son in an effort to instill good qualities in him. At that time, the son does not understand the benefit of his father’s reprimand. Rather than thanking the father, the son rebels. However, due to the punishment, good qualities are developed in the child’s life. If the father does not punish him, then the child will remain with evil qualities throughout his life.

You state that you entertain evil thoughts and you ask if such thoughts constitute Shirk. Such thoughts do not constitute Shirk. In fact, the fact that you are averse to such thoughts is a sign of your strong Imaan. Consider the following Hadith:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: جَاءَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَسَأَلُوهُ: إِنَّا نَجِدُ فِي أَنْفُسِنَا مَا يَتَعَاظَمُ أَحَدُنَا أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ، قَالَ: «وَقَدْ وَجَدْتُمُوهُ؟» قَالُوا: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: «ذَاكَ صَرِيحُ الْإِيمَانِ (صحيح مسلم)

Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu Anhu narrates that some people came to Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam and said, “We find that such thoughts come to our mind (and we dislike such thoughts to such an extent) that we find it severe to even talk about these thoughts. Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam asked, “Do you really find it (the dislike for such thoughts in your heart)? They replied in the affirmative. Then Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam said, “That is clear Iman.” (Sahih Muslim)

Whenever you experience such thoughts in the future, do not worry as such thoughts will not affect you. For example, if a hungry man merely entertains thoughts of eating food (and does not actually eat food), such thoughts will not affect and decrease the level of his hunger.

Our advice to you is that you be calm and relax, and have conviction that Allah Ta’ala loves you.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

(Mufti) Abdul Azeem bin Abdur Rahman

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