Waswas

The term Waswas (in Arabic وسوس) in Islam literally refers to "whispers (usually from Shaitan [Satan])". However, the term is usually used to refer to doubts and temptations. It is commonly believed that Satan and his minions tempt Muslims to sin and weaken their faith in Islam through doubt. When Muslims have negative thoughts about Islam, or thoughts that go against the teachings of Islam this is usually regarded as waswas (or waswasa). Critics see this as a way to dismiss concerns around Islam and excuse human and biological natural drive.

Waswas in the Qur'an

The Arabic word وسوس (waswas) in various forms appears five times in the Qur'an.

The first two refer to the story of Adam and Eve. The fa- prefix means "but" or "then".

In one instance the Quran says the soul whispers. The tu- simply indicates present tense, 3rd person, feminine, singular verb.

Two times in a chapter 114. The al- indicates definite article (before a noun). The yu- indicates present tense, 3rd person, singular, masculine verb.^[1]

Tafsir Al-Jalalayn says that the "whisperer" in 114:4 is Satan:

Relevant Quotations

Association with science denial

Doubt is a cornerstone of the scientific method. However, the concept of waswas attributed doubt to evil supernatural forces.

There are many instances of believers trying to "cure" themselves from waswas ^[2]. The basic treatment method is ruqya - exorcism. Verses from the Qur'an are recited on the "posessed" Muslim. There is also a possibility of self-ruqya ^[3], where Muslim tries to get rid of waswas by praying and reading the Qur'an (and other practices).

Psychology

The waswas-avoiding behavior could probably be best described, in a secular way, as a psychological repression. A Muslim represses his "bad" thoughts. He pushes them out of his consciousness, into the unconscious mind. From the unconscious mind, the repressed thoughts might express themselves in dreams or as inner voices.

The therapy for psychological repression is basically the opposite of what "Islamic therapy" does. In Freud's psychotherapy, the psychotherapist re-introduces the repressed thoughts back into the conscious mind ^[4]. The conscious mind then learns to live with the previously-repressed thoughts and so there is no more repression. While the Islamic treatment of waswas is trying to repress the "bad" thoughts so much that they become silent. Which is not possible, because repressed thoughts don't disappear. They only hide in the unconscious mind and there they still affect a person's behavior and cause psychological problems.

References