This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi's book Sahih Fazail-e-Amaal.
Allah Almighty says: ﴿قُلْ أَنَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُنَا وَلَا يَضُرُّنَا وَنُرَدُّ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ كَالَّذِي اسْتَهْوَتْهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ فِي الْأَرْضِ حَيْرَانَ لَهُ أَصْحَابٌ يَدْعُونَهُ إِلَى الْهُدَى ائْتِنَا ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَىٰ ۖ وَأُمِرْنَا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾
"Say, shall we call upon besides Allah those who neither benefit us nor harm us, and shall we turn back after Allah’s guidance has come to us? Like one whom the devils have enticed to wander on the earth confused, having companions inviting him to guidance, 'Come to us.' Say, 'Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance, and we have been commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds.'"
Reference: (6-Al-An'am:71)
In this noble verse, Allah Almighty explains through an example that if someone accepts the religion but then falls prey to the whispers and deceptions of Satan, such a person is like one who leaves a fruitful palm grove and comes into a barren, leafless desert. When his companions, who care for him, invite him out of the deep pits of these whispers, he has nothing but webs of doubts and suspicions. Consequently, he becomes a victim of misguidance.
Since Islam is established on firm foundations of certainty, and every matter in it is supported by the unshakable pillar of evidence and proof, it is the dignity of a believer and Muslim that once they accept faith and certainty, they do not fall prey to satanic whispers about it.
وعن النعمان بن بشير رضي الله عنهما قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: ”إن الحلال بين وإن الحرام بين، وبينهما مشتبهات لا يعلمهن كثير من الناس ، فمن اتقى الشبهات استبرأ لدينه وعرضه، ومن وقع فى الشبهات وقع فى الحرام ، كالراعي يرعى حول الحمى يوشك أن يرتع فيه ، ألا وإن لكل ملك حمى ، ألا وإن حمى الله محارمه ، ألا وإن فى الجسد مضغة ، إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ، ألا وهى القلب“.
Narrated by Sayyiduna Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with them both) that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: Indeed, the lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between them are doubtful matters about which many people are unaware. Whoever avoids doubtful matters has protected his religion and honor, and whoever falls into doubtful matters falls into the unlawful, like a shepherd who grazes his animals near a private pasture; soon, his animals will enter it. Beware! Every king has a pasture, and Allah’s pasture is what He has forbidden. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted, and that is the heart.
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Faith, Chapter: The Virtue of One Who Clears Himself of Doubt, No: 52 – Sahih Muslim, Book of Sales, Chapter: Taking the Lawful and Avoiding Doubtful Matters, No: 1499.
That is, Allah, the Lord of Glory, has clarified everything lawful and unlawful, and has remained silent on some matters. It is the duty of a believer and Muslim to fulfill Allah’s commands, consume what is lawful, and avoid what Allah has prohibited. This is what is required. But during this, one should not allow any doubts or suspicions to enter. Because doubts are like termites that slowly eat away the strong structure of certainty. Therefore, even approaching their vicinity is not permitted.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is a practical example in this regard, showing how he trained the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them), clarified the factors of firmness in their faith and belief, and took practical steps to protect them from doubts and suspicions:
"Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyida Safiyya (may Allah be pleased with her) came to meet the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while he was in I'tikaf. Afterwards, when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to leave her at the mosque door, two Ansari companions passed by, greeted the Prophet, and passed on. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Stay where you are! (and listen to me) This is Safiyya bint Huyay.' (Who is my wife, do not think otherwise.) The companions said in surprise: SubhanAllah! O Messenger of Allah, (will we doubt you?) This was difficult and distressing for them, so the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
”إن الشيطان يبلغ من ابن آدم مبلغ الدم ، وإني خشيت أن يقذف فى قلوبكما شيئا“.
"Satan runs through the human body like blood; I feared that he might plant some suspicion in your hearts."
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of I'tikaf, Chapter: Does the One in I'tikaf Go Out for His Needs to the Mosque Door, No: 2035
Before anyone falls into doubts and suspicions, their doubts should be removed. Because if someone falls prey to doubts, they will cause others to fall into them as well, and thus a mountain will be made out of a mustard seed. Therefore, it is beneficial to clarify the matter beforehand.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that some companions came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: We sometimes have thoughts and doubts in our hearts that are difficult for us to express. (What is the solution?) The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked: "Is that really your condition?" They said: Yes! He replied: "That is clear faith."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, Chapter: Explanation of Whispers in Faith, No: 132
From this hadith, it is understood that doubts and whispers will come to the heart, but they should not be given attention and efforts should be made to reject them. If expressing dislike for these whispers is faith, then falling into these doubts and suspicions is equivalent to losing faith.
