How Should a Person Deal with Constant Doubts (Waswas) About Wudu and Salah After Completing Them?
Question
Salaam alaikum warahmatuLlah wabarakaatu,
I frequently forget and doubt myself after completing acts of worship. This happens only in worship, not daily life. For example, after finishing wudu and wearing socks, I later doubt whether I wiped over them at all, or even whether I made wudu in the first place.
In salah, I doubt whether I made intention, said the opening takbeer, or recited al Fatiha, which causes me to restart prayer multiple times. I know these are waswas, but because of my limited knowledge, I apply the principle “certainty is not affected by doubt” incorrectly. Since I doubt whether I performed the act, I assume I did not, and I repeat it. This leads to repeating wudu and prayers many times.
I have not found hadiths that allow ignoring these doubts, especially since wiping over socks, al Fatiha, the opening takbeer, and tashahud are pillars that sujud sahw does not compensate for.
How should I deal with this issue?
JazakaLlahu khairan.
Answer
Alhamdulillah, wassalatu wassalamu ala rasulillah, wa ala alihi wa sahbihi ajmain.
What you are experiencing is a recognized form of waswas in acts of worship, and Sharia has clear rulings for it. The difficulty you are facing is not due to lack of sincerity, but due to misapplication of legal principles. Once corrected, the burden is lifted.
1. The Shar‘i Context
Islam does not require certainty beyond reasonable completion, nor does it command repeating worship due to recurring doubts.
The Prophet said:
“If one of you finds something in his stomach and doubts whether he has passed wind or not, he should not leave (the prayer) unless he hears a sound or finds a smell.”
Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
This hadith establishes that post-action doubt is ignored unless there is certainty of invalidation.
2. Distinction Between Initial Doubt and Recurrent Waswas
The jurists distinguish between:
- Occasional doubt that arises during an act
- Persistent doubt (waswas) that comes after completion or repeatedly without evidence
In cases of persistent doubt, the ruling changes.
For the person affected by waswas:
- Doubts are not acted upon
- Acts of worship are considered valid once completed
- Repeating worship is not permitted
3. Correct Application of “Certainty Is Not Removed by Doubt”
You are applying the principle incorrectly.
اليقين لا يزول بالشك
Certainty is not removed by doubt.
The certainty here is completion, not absence.
If you:
- Completed wudu
- Completed salah
- Moved on to the next action
then that completion is the certainty.
Later doubts do not undo that certainty.
Therefore:
- You do not assume you failed
- You do not restart
- You do not repeat
Repeating worship due to waswas is contrary to Sharia.
4. Specific Applications to Your Examples
Wudu and wiping over socks
If you made wudu and wore your socks, then later doubted whether you wiped over them, your wudu remains valid. The doubt is ignored.
Doubting whether you made wudu at all
If you remember being in a state of wudu earlier and prayed, that is certainty. Later doubt does not cancel it.
Opening takbeer and intention
Intention does not require verbalization. Standing to pray with the intent to pray is sufficient. Doubting it afterward has no effect.
Reciting al Fatiha
If you habitually recite al Fatiha and did not consciously skip it, doubt afterward is ignored, even though it is a pillar.
In all these cases, you are not allowed to restart once the act is completed.
5. Ignoring Doubts Is Obligatory in This Case
For a person suffering from waswas, scholars stated that:
- Acting on doubt strengthens it
- Ignoring doubt weakens it
- Repetition is religiously blameworthy
The Prophet said:
“Shaytan comes to one of you and says: who created this and who created that, until he says: who created your Lord? If that happens, let him seek refuge with Allah and stop.”
Sahih Muslim
Stopping the thought is commanded, not engaging it.
6. Relevant Usul Principles
اليقين لا يزول بالشك
Certainty is not removed by doubt.
الأصل بقاء ما كان على ما كان
The original state remains as it was.
الوسوسة لا يلتفت إليها
Waswas is not given legal consideration.
These principles together establish that repetition is not allowed for one afflicted with waswas.
Final Ruling
Your wudu and salah are valid once completed. The doubts that arise afterward must be completely ignored, even if they concern pillars of prayer.
You are not permitted to repeat wudu or salah due to these doubts. Repeating them only strengthens waswas and contradicts Sharia.
From now on:
- Complete the act once
- Ignore all doubts afterward
- Do not restart under any circumstance
This is not negligence. It is obedience to Sharia.
Allah does not burden you with certainty beyond what is humanly possible, and ignoring waswas in your case is an act of worship.
And Allah knows best.