Assalamu Alaykum Shaykh, My question is about how Shayatin can adversely impact our lives with their waswasahs? Do all mental health issues, such as overthinking and panic attacks, emerge from waswasah? How can we stop it? Are they signs of weakness of Imaan and Tawakkul? Reading your recent article about Prophet SaW’s life and difficulties has given me a deeper understanding of the test of Allah. However, as normal human beings, how can we make our lives more bearable, and how can we increase our Tawakkul?
Answer:
Assalāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh.
Your question reflects sincerity and a desire to understand your inner experience through the lens of Qur’ān, Sunnah, and the guidance of our scholars. May Allah reward your concern and increase you in clarity and tranquillity.
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When we speak about the influence of Shayṭān, it is essential to remember that his primary tool is whispering, subtle suggestions and distortions that try to push the heart away from remembrance, certainty, and calmness. Allah tells us that the devil whispers, retreats, comes back, magnifies fears, beautifies sins, feeds doubts, and tries to confuse a person in moments of vulnerability. But these whispers do not force a person, nor do they have power over the believer who remembers Allah. They are invitations, not commands.
Whispering does not mean weakness. In fact, the Prophet ﷺ told the Companions, some of whom were troubled by the strange thoughts entering their hearts, that this discomfort is a sign of faith, because the believer dislikes the whisper and feels disturbed by it. This means the heart is alive. Only a dead heart feels nothing.
It is important, however, to distinguish the spiritual phenomenon of whispering from psychological and emotional challenges. Not every anxious thought, panic attack, or episode of overthinking is from Shayṭān. The scholars, including Imām al-Nawawī, Ibn al-Qayyim, and others, recognized that some intrusive thoughts arise from illness, exhaustion, emotional trauma, or the natural functioning of the mind. The Prophet ﷺ acknowledged human sorrow, grief, fear, and sadness as natural states. He himself experienced deep emotional pain at times, after the death of Khadījah, during persecution, and at moments of great responsibility. These emotions did not diminish his rank, and they do not diminish yours.
A panic attack may come from anxiety. Constant overthinking may come from stress or internal pressure. A feeling of dread might come from burnout or lack of rest. These conditions require compassion, not self-blame. Islam does not shame a person for being human. Hardship is part of the divine design of life. Allah tells us plainly that He will test us, and the Prophet ﷺ taught that those most beloved to Allah are tested the most, not because they are weak, but because they are strong enough for refinement and elevation.
Shayṭān tends to attack through the door already open: tiredness, fear, emotional pain, loneliness, sin, or spiritual neglect. He tries to make small problems feel huge and tries to shake the believer’s focus by feeding confusion and uncertainty. But he has no authority over the believer who keeps turning back to Allah. His whispers weaken as the heart strengthens through remembrance, obedience, and good company, and through practical strategies that bring emotional stability.
To reduce the power of whispering, the Prophet ﷺ taught very simple but profound methods. The first is regular dhikr. The heart that remembers Allah becomes like a fortified home that the devil finds no entrance to. Reciting the morning and evening adhkār, Āyat al-kursī, and Sūrat al-Baqarah are among the most powerful spiritual protections. Seeking refuge with Allah whenever a whisper arrives weakens it immediately. Ignoring baseless thoughts is also crucial, for Ibn Taymiyyah said that the whisper grows when you feed it with attention and dies when you starve it.
Alongside spiritual means, Islam encourages practical remedies. If a person experiences mental health difficulties, seeking professional help is not a lack of faith, it is obedience to the Prophet ﷺ, who said that for every illness Allah created a cure. Therapy, counseling, medical treatment, a structured daily routine, sleep, social support, and physical activity are all part of a holistic Islamic approach to healing. The body, mind, and soul are interconnected; strengthening one strengthens the others.
You asked how to make life more bearable as ordinary human beings. One part of the answer is accepting the nature of this world: it is a place of tests, ups and downs, moments of light and moments of heaviness. No one escapes this pattern, not even the greatest of creation. But Allah equips us with inner tools, prayer, duʿā’, Qur’ān, mindfulness, patience, and gratitude, to transform the burden into spiritual elevation. Hardship becomes easier when we stop resisting its existence and instead ask Allah to strengthen us through it.
As for increasing tawakkul, reliance on Allah grows through three elements working together. The first is knowing Allah, His mercy, wisdom, gentleness, and power. A person only trusts whom they know. Deepening knowledge of His Names and Attributes naturally strengthens reliance. The second element is action. The Prophet ﷺ taught us to “tie the camel and then trust in Allah,” meaning tawakkul is not passive; it is the combination of effort and surrender. You take all reasonable steps, but you place the outcome entirely in Allah’s hands. The third element is the heart’s surrender, contentment with Allah’s decree, remembering past blessings, and recognizing that what Allah chooses for His servant is often better than what the servant would choose for himself. Ibn al-Qayyim beautifully said that true tawakkul is a peaceful heart resting in the certainty that Allah’s plan is wiser than one’s own.
In summary, whispering is real, but not every mental struggle comes from Shayṭān. Experiencing intrusive thoughts does not diminish your iman. Islam gives us both spiritual and practical tools to manage thoughts, emotions, and difficulties. Hardship is part of life, but with the right inner orientation, it becomes a means to deepen faith. Tawakkul grows through knowledge of Allah, sincere effort, and a heart that trusts the One who never abandons His servants.
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