How Do I Get Rid of Bad Thoughts?

QSalamu `alaykum, Over the past 8-9 months I have been having a problem with evil thoughts. The thoughts that I have are all kufr (ideas of disbelief) that come in my head. Then suddenly I get bad thoughts about Allah. I love my Islamic religion and God (Allah), but it pressures me all the time. I tried the du`aa’ you guys gave to other people who have a similar problem, but the thoughts just keep coming back. Sometimes when the problem gets worse, I cry a little. And I am scared I will have to be like this for the rest of my life. I hope I have come to the right place. Please help me. Thanks.


ANSWER

Short Answer: Try to find out if there are particular times when you get these bad thoughts. Concentrate on your daily life—what does your day look like? How close to God’s guidance are you? How often do you get in touch with God during the day? Try to schedule times alone with yourself when you can build your relationship with God. Don’t ever allow yourself to get depressed when you find that the going isn’t as easy as you first thought it would be. Remember that the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions also went through moments of difficulty. What carried them through these difficult times was their faith in Allah and their determination to constantly develop themselves as better Muslims.

Salam,

Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam. 

The first thing I want to tell you, brother, is that you shouldn’t worry about your problem. You aren’t strange or “bad” in any way. You are facing what many people face today. 

Support AboutIslam.net


One of the greatest things about Islam comes from the word “Islam” itself. Islam primarily means “submission to God.” It is this submission that guides a Muslim throughout his or her life.

Trust God

3 Basic Psychological Needs of Prayer


In essence, when you submit to God, you are acknowledging that He is your Creator, and, therefore, you trust Him Who created you to be the best possible guide for you in this world and the next. 

This simple acknowledgment is the first step into building a relationship with your Creator. He has proven His love for you by first creating you and giving you a mind to think.

And then by sending you prophets and messengers and books to guide your life. In the Quran Allah again and again reaffirms His mercy and love for mankind, when He says:

{It is He who sends down upon His Servant [Muhammad] verses of clear evidence that He may bring you out from darknesses into the light. And indeed, Allah is to you Kind and Merciful.} (Al-Hadeed 57:9)

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that Allah said:

My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him (Al-Bukhari).

God’s Mercy and Forgiveness


Also, in this following hadith, Allah’s boundless mercy and forgiveness are emphasized:

O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it. (At-Tirmidhi).

Contemplate Nature


The Power of a Thankful Heart

In our daily lives, we sometimes forget this love that Allah has for us. We are caught up in day-to-day details of life and blow little problems out of perspective and lose sight of the bigger picture.

I do not know where you live, but I suggest that you take some time off from man-made substances and go search for God’s creation. It is in nature more than anywhere else that you find the beauty and sublimity of creation.

Don’t just look at it—feel it. Touch a flower and feel the texture of its petals. Take a deep breath and smell the scents of the grass and the earth and the breeze.

Look at all the different color combinations in plants and birds and animals.

Watch a bird building its nest or flying in the sky. Watch an ant scurrying along the ground. Remember that contemplating God’s creation is in itself a form of worship.

And reflect on the following verse of the Quran:

{Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain! Glory be to Thee; save us then from the chastisement of the fire.} (Aal `Imran 3:191)

Reflect and Think of Life


As you take in the sights and sounds and smells of nature, think to yourself: this is not apart from me; just as God created this, He created me. That bird and that ant are not just arbitrarily living their life; they are doing exactly what God has told them to do. 

Now think about your own life. How close to God’s guidance are you?

Again, you have to keep in mind that what is important is not perfection—which no one in the history of earth has ever attained—but rather, it is the effort and the sincerity of the effort that are important.

What takes you away from God?

Try to find out if there are particular times when you get these bad thoughts. Concentrate on your daily life—what does your day look like?

The Love of God


How Do I Get Rid of Bad Thoughts? - About Islam


How Do We Gain Allah’s Love at a Higher Degree?


How often do you get in touch with God during the day?

Try to schedule times alone with yourself when you can build your relationship with God. You say that you love Islam and Allah. 

Remember that whoever loves someone, tries to please him/her and to get as close as possible to him/her. So try to get as close as possible to Allah. 

Building and maintaining this relationship requires a lot of effort, patience, and perseverance. Don’t ever allow yourself to get depressed when you find that the going isn’t as easy as you first thought it would be.

Remember that the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions also went through moments of difficulty. What carried them through these difficult times was their faith in Allah and their determination to constantly develop themselves as better Muslims. 

I hope that I have helped you with this answer. May Allah grant you peace and bless your life with many, many mercies.

Please do not hesitate to write back if you have any further comments or questions and please stay in touch.