Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Waswasah may be treated with two easy remedies:
1.
Remember Allah a great deal and obey Him. This is the way to
attain peace of mind, stability and reassurance, and to ward off the
Shaytaan and his whispers, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allaah — Islâmic
Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allaah verily,
in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest”
[al-Ra’d 13:38]
“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female —
while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him
We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful
provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the
best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter).
98. So when you want to recite the Qur’aan, seek refuge
with Allaah from Shaytaan (Satan), the outcast (the cursed one).
99. Verily, he has no power over those who believe and put
their trust only in their Lord (Allaah)”
[al-Nahl 16:97-99]
“Say: “I seek refuge with (Allaah) the Lord of mankind,
2. “The King of mankind —
3. “The Ilaah (God) of mankind,
4. “From the evil of the whisperer (devil who whispers
evil in the hearts of men) who withdraws (from his whispering in one’s heart
after one remembers Allaah).
5. “Who whispers in the breasts of mankind.
6. “Of jinn and men”
[al-Naas 114:1-6].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his
Tafseer: Sa’eed ibn Jubayr narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said concerning the
phrase “the whisperer (devil who whispers evil in the hearts of men) who
withdraws”: The Shaytaan hovers around the hearts of the sons of Adam,
and if a person forgets the remembrance of Allaah and becomes heedless, he
whispers to him (waswasa), but if the person remembers Allah, he withdraws.
This was also stated by Mujaahid and Qataadah.
Al-Mu’tamir ibn Sulaymaan narrated that his father said: I
was told that the shaytaan or the whisperer blows into the heart of the son
of Adam at times of sorrow and times of joy, but if the person remembers
Allah, he withdraws. End quote.
2.
Turning away from the waswasah and distracting oneself from
it, and not paying any attention to it or responding to it. This guarantees
that it will go away and one will be cured of it.
Although this remedy is difficult in the beginning, it
becomes easier later on. All you have to do is strive and make the effort,
and ask Allah for help. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “As
for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide them to
Our paths (i.e. Allaah’s religion — Islamic Monotheism). And verily, Allaah
is with the Muhsinoon (good-doers)” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:69].
Ibn Hajar al-Makki (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked
about the disease of waswasah - is there any remedy for it?
He replied: There is an efficacious remedy for it, which is
ignoring it completely, even if one feels hesitant about doing so, because
once a person stops paying attention to it, it cannot remain for long;
rather it will go away after a short time, as those who were guided by Allah
have experienced. But if a person pays attention to it and acts upon it, it
will continue to increase until it drives him insane, and even worse than
that, as we have seen in many of those who were tested by it and paid
attention to it and to its devils. End quote from al-Fataawa al-Fiqhiyyah
al-Kubra (1/149).
Secondly:
The end of menses is signalled by one of two signs:
(i)
Complete dryness such that if
the women were to insert a piece of cotton and the like, it would come out
clean with no trace of blood or yellow or brownish discharge on it.
(ii)
Emission of the white
discharge, a white liquid which is well known to women.
You should not hasten to do ghusl until you are certain that
you have become pure. Al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his
Saheeh: Chapter on the beginning and end of menses; women used to
send cotton pads with traces of yellow on them to ‘Aa’ishah and she would
say: Do not hasten until you see the white discharge, meaning thereby
becoming pure from menses.
It was also narrated by Maalik in al-Muwatta’, no.
130
Thirdly:
If you see complete dryness and do ghusl, then some brownish
or yellowish discharge comes, that does not matter, because yellowish or
brownish discharge after becoming pure is not menses, because of the hadeeth
of Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: We did not regard the
yellowish or brownish discharge after becoming pure from menses as anything
important. Narrated by Abu Dawood (307); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh Abi Dawood.
There is no shortcoming or sin on one who delays doing ghusl
and praying until she is certain she has become pure. Rather this is what
she should do, because it is haraam to pray when one is menstruating.
Fourthly:
If we assume that you did ghusl before you really had become
pure, then you did not repeat your ghusl, your fasts on the first and second
days were not valid, because you were menstruating. But on the following
days your fast was valid, because in order to fast, it is not stipulated
that one should have done ghusl following menses or janaabah.
Based on that, if you saw complete dryness, then your ghusl
was valid and your fast was valid.
If you were too hasty and did ghusl and fasted before
complete dryness occurred, then you have to make up the fast of the first
and second day, but with regard to the rest of the month, your fast is valid
and you do not have to do anything further
Our advice to you is what we have stated above of the
necessity of treating waswasah and ridding oneself of it, and not paying any
attention to it.
We ask Allah to guide and help you.
And Allah knows best.