Peace and mercy be upon you. I am a 33-year-old woman, and since I was young, I have felt gas escaping during prayer. Initially, it was only during certain prayers, but it has now become a constant issue in all my prayers. I find myself repeating prayers multiple times, sometimes up to ten, because I have judged myself to have a condition of incontinence. I try to dismiss these thoughts as whispers from the devil, but I am confused to the point of dreading and feeling heavy about praying. Is this incontinence, or is it just the devil's whispers? I do not hear any sound or smell anything; I only feel something at the edges of my anus. I cry and suffer a thousand times a day. Many scholars have told me that this is just a whisper, and when I try to apply the ruling for whispers, I end up thinking that I might actually be sick and that my ruling is different. I am exhausted.
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1 Answer
And peace and mercy be upon you.
Ayatollah Khamenei and Ayatollah Sistani (may Allah protect them):
Firstly, this feeling is not sufficient to conclude that gas has escaped, as gas has specific characteristics such as sound and smell. In cases of doubt about the release of gas, the ruling for those who are prone to whispers is to assume that their ablution is not invalidated. As for the state of whispers you are experiencing, it is clear that all jurists explicitly state—based on religious texts—that the duty of someone who is prone to whispers is to disregard these thoughts and assume purity regarding anything they doubt, even if they are certain of the impurity of something—unlike what happens to other people who are aware of it—their knowledge is not taken into account, and their duty is to assume purity. If a person afflicted with whispers follows this religious ruling and assumes purity regarding everything they doubt, even if they are certain of its impurity, they are excused before Allah even if their actions are contrary to reality. The same applies to doubts about the release of gas and doubts about the invalidation of actions.
Advice
Those who are prone to whispers should recognize that this state is blameworthy both rationally and religiously, as it deviates from moderation and wastes a person's energy without yielding any benefit. Whispers are not a form of piety or concern for the sacred laws, but rather a kind of disturbance in a person's perception, weakness in their will, and submission to the whispers of the evil devil, as mentioned in the hadiths. If one understands this meaning well and recognizes the reality of this state, they can move to the second stage.
This stage involves striving hard to control oneself, take charge of their will, and prevent the devil from manipulating them. They should resolve to do so, firmly believing that Allah will not punish them for disregarding what they doubt on the Day of Judgment. If they doubt impurity, they should not pay attention and should assume purity, following the usual practice in this regard. The more they repeatedly disregard doubts, the weaker the power of imagination over them will become until it dissipates, and the devil will despair of clinging to them, allowing them to maintain a balanced approach to purity and impurity. They should be certain that if they enter this arena with a sense of challenge, they will prevail, and Allah will assist them, weakening the devil's schemes against them, as Allah says, 'Indeed, the plot of the devil is weak.' May Allah guide you to what is right.
We also advise you to review the following question:
How to deal with whispers regarding purity and impurity
May you be successful in all good.
Source:
Ayatollah Khamenei (may Allah protect him): Educational Message - Purity - Ablution (4) - Rulings of Ablution + Answers to Inquiries - Purity - Whispers and Their Treatment
Ayatollah Sistani (may Allah protect him): Official site: 1, 2, 3.