Waswas: Difference between revisions
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==Critical thinking== | ==Critical thinking== | ||
In the waswas-avoiding philosophy, you don't gather all information and then make rational conclusions. You gather only information which is in line with Islam, which creates a ''confirmation bias'' | In the waswas-avoiding philosophy, you don't gather all information and then make rational conclusions. You gather only information which is in line with Islam, and everything which is not in line with Islam (regardless if it's true and logical) is dismissed. This creates a ''confirmation bias'' in Muslim minds. | ||
For example, when Muslims try to prove that Allah exists, they often try the creationist argument, that "the world exists, therefore somebody must have created it". And now the question "Who created Allah then?" destroys their argument. But their argument was in line with Islam and this counter-argument is against Islam, so the first one continues to be widely accepted, but the counter-argument is dismissed as "waswas": | For example, when Muslims try to prove that Allah exists, they often try the creationist argument, that "the world exists, therefore somebody must have created it". And now the question "Who created Allah then?" destroys their argument. But their argument was in line with Islam and this counter-argument is against Islam, so the first one continues to be widely accepted, but the counter-argument is dismissed as "waswas": | ||
Revision as of 14:18, 24 December 2016
Waswas (in Arabic وسوس) in Islam is a term for "whispers from Shaytan". When a Muslim has some thoughts against Islam, he disregards them as waswas - a voice of Shaytan.
Waswas in the Qur'an
The Arabic word وسوس (waswas) in various forms appears 5 times in the Qur'an.
The first two refer to the story of Adam and Eve. The fa- prefix means "but" or "then".
Then one time it's a persons soul which whispers. The tu- simply indicates present tense, 3rd person, feminine, singular verb.
And two times in a short sura 114. The al- indicates definite article (before a noun). The yu- indicates present tense, 3rd person, singular, masculine verb.
114:1 Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of men,
114:2 The King of men,
114:3 The god of men,
114:4 From the evil of the retreating whisperer (ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ, al-waswasi)
114:5 Who whispers (يُوَسْوِسُ, yuwaswisu) into the hearts of men,
114:6 From among the jinn and the men.
Tafsir Al-Jalalayn says that the "whisperer" in 114:4 is Satan:
From this we can conclude that the concept of waswas (Satan whispering into Muslim minds) is described in the Qur'an, so it is definitely a part of the Islamic doctrine.
Waswas in hadith
Muslims are forgiven thoughts against Islam (the "whispers from Satan") as long don't act upon them and keep silent:
Most of the whispers come from urinating in a place for bathing:
It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin Mughaffal that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"None of you should urinate in the place where he bathes, for most Waswas (devilish whispers) [1] come from that." [1] I.e., with regard to whether the urine has soiled his body or not.Satan runs away farting, then comes back and whispers into hearts of Muslims when they pray, so they don't know how many rakats they have done:
But when Muhammad forgets how many rakats he has done during prayer, it is because he is just a human being (and it doesn't seem to be a product of Satan whispers):
"Alqamah prayed five (rak'ahs) and was told about that. He said: 'Did I really do that?' I nodded yes. He said: 'What about you, O odd-eyed one?' I said: 'Yes'. So he prostrated twice, then he narrated to us from 'Abdullah that the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed five (rak'ahs), and the people whispered to one another, then they said to him: 'Has something been added the prayer?' He said: 'No.' So they told him, and he turned around and prostrated twice, then he said: 'I am only human; I forget as you forget.'"
Muhammad sprinkled water on his "private parts", so that he doesn't get whispers from Satan:
Soothsayers make accurate predictions thanks to hearing waswas:
Waswas is a sign of faith:
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that some people from amongst the Companions of the Apostle (ﷺ) came to him and said:
Verily we perceive in our minds that which every one of us considers it too grave to express. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Do you really perceive it? They said: Yes. Upon this he remarked: That is the faith manifest.Critical thinking
In the waswas-avoiding philosophy, you don't gather all information and then make rational conclusions. You gather only information which is in line with Islam, and everything which is not in line with Islam (regardless if it's true and logical) is dismissed. This creates a confirmation bias in Muslim minds.
For example, when Muslims try to prove that Allah exists, they often try the creationist argument, that "the world exists, therefore somebody must have created it". And now the question "Who created Allah then?" destroys their argument. But their argument was in line with Islam and this counter-argument is against Islam, so the first one continues to be widely accepted, but the counter-argument is dismissed as "waswas":
So the waswas concept is against the concepts like critical thinking and logic.