lightofnur
Junior Member
There has been a problem that has been plaguing me for some time. For quite some time back, I have realized that I have a disorder, OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is a definition of OCD, from a website, "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is an anxiety disorder and is characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as handwashing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called "rituals," however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety."
My case of OCD is that of thinking I'm not clean. I keep washing my hands when I think I've touched something I consider dirty; making it almost like a ritual. Also, this problem has increased over time. At this point, I'm afraid of even sitting or touching the ground, in case it's dirty. For instance, at our school's assembly, we were asked to sit down on the tar and stones asphalt road. We weren't in the hall during that time, but outside. So with great reluctance, I sat on the ground, all the time thinking that I have dirtied my clothes by sitting there. I had also seen a dog walk around this area somewhere, and I wondered that I might have sat where it walked on or defecated on; though I can't see the najis, I only suspected it could be at random anywhere in the whole of the ground; so I may have possible sat on that area, I thought. Or that I might have stepped on najis (dog's faeces) with my shoe, and walked around my school, therefore anywhere sit on is likely dirty. This problem is pretty valid, as when I walk to school, the dogs often defecate by the road frequently, and I do walk along the path.
And then I think, do I have to purify myself like I have to if I touched a dog, or when it's wet? But then I think to myself, using this logic, that means everywhere I go or step on, I may have to purify myself in that manner, which I think Allah would not want to burden us with, and which seems impossible.
The thing is this.
My father wears slippers around the house, because he feels comfortable with it.
One day he was in a hurry, and accidentally went out of the house across the road with the same slippers. He re-entered the house, and walked around the house with the same slippers. In my area, there are many stray dogs which defecate and urinate on the road often. I became paranoid, thinking he may have stepped on the dog's faeces/urine by mistake (since I was not watching where he walked), and what was worst, he walked around the house with the slippers.
From that point on, I became paranoid, wondering whether to purify myself or not, whenever I accidentally stepped on wherever he walked on with his slippers. I know I sound very paranoid, but I can't help feeling worried. We have persuaded my father to wash his slippers (with soap, at least, and not the purifying method), but he is adamant, thinking I'm being too paranoid. He keeps on walking outside and inside with the slippers.
Sometimes, we wash the slippers, but he'll use it again to walk outside whenever he's in a hurry.
So my questions are,
1)Must we clean ourselves if we suspect an area to be filthy (and we were in contact with it), even though we can't see the najis, just purely out of suspicion?
2)If any object, such as clothes, items, etc is touched/in contact with by a dog, dog feces, etc, (or something equivalent to it), or is put on an area which is suspected to be dirty, even though we can't see the najis; how must we clean it? Or do we have to clean it at all?
3)If a dog has walked or defecated on an area, (at an open area, like outside), if the rain cleanses the area, is it considered purified?
4)Must I wash my father's slippers with soap or my using the 6 times water/1 time earth+water method?
5)Considering the problem with the slippers above, should I wash the areas he stepped on with soap, or leave it be? Or should I wash it with the purifying method using the earth? Can I pray on these places, or anyplace near it?
6)Also, I have found a soap, which is certified by various religious departments in my country which contains (90% earth). Can I use it?
I should just remind everyone that my father can be difficult, VERY strict and is adamant about his views. He would never listen to me and calls me "overly paranoid". He is not religiously inclined, but he respects me for following the right path. It's just that he has problems that I mentioned above. And no, this isn't about mistreatment of women (and even if it was, Islam doesn't teach that stuff).
I've found this ritual (no offense) extremely tiring, and I have to admit that I go through depression nowadays, and blame myself for being "paranoid". I don't know if I can ever live comfortably with this problem, and I have cried about it often. My family often berates me for being "overly paranoid". In my judgment, I am only trying to be clean to please Allah and so that my prayers are accepted. However, I do think that Allah does not place a heavy burden upon muslims - and on this part I agree with my family.
The only verse that calms me is this one (surah 2 verse 286),
"That verse is "On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear" 2:286. (This verse is also repeated in 6:152, 7:42 and 65:7)."
Please, please provide fatwa's/hadeeth/respectable views on this matter. I need an answer, as quick as possible. I follow only Islam's way, but technically speaking, I am definitely leaning towards the Shafi'e way of doing things. I'm not saying the Shafi'e way is wrong or anything, but anything with authenticity like hadeeth, the Al-Quran, is something that I follow without doubt - as all Muslims do, naturally.
May Allah Bless you.
My case of OCD is that of thinking I'm not clean. I keep washing my hands when I think I've touched something I consider dirty; making it almost like a ritual. Also, this problem has increased over time. At this point, I'm afraid of even sitting or touching the ground, in case it's dirty. For instance, at our school's assembly, we were asked to sit down on the tar and stones asphalt road. We weren't in the hall during that time, but outside. So with great reluctance, I sat on the ground, all the time thinking that I have dirtied my clothes by sitting there. I had also seen a dog walk around this area somewhere, and I wondered that I might have sat where it walked on or defecated on; though I can't see the najis, I only suspected it could be at random anywhere in the whole of the ground; so I may have possible sat on that area, I thought. Or that I might have stepped on najis (dog's faeces) with my shoe, and walked around my school, therefore anywhere sit on is likely dirty. This problem is pretty valid, as when I walk to school, the dogs often defecate by the road frequently, and I do walk along the path.
And then I think, do I have to purify myself like I have to if I touched a dog, or when it's wet? But then I think to myself, using this logic, that means everywhere I go or step on, I may have to purify myself in that manner, which I think Allah would not want to burden us with, and which seems impossible.
The thing is this.
My father wears slippers around the house, because he feels comfortable with it.
One day he was in a hurry, and accidentally went out of the house across the road with the same slippers. He re-entered the house, and walked around the house with the same slippers. In my area, there are many stray dogs which defecate and urinate on the road often. I became paranoid, thinking he may have stepped on the dog's faeces/urine by mistake (since I was not watching where he walked), and what was worst, he walked around the house with the slippers.
From that point on, I became paranoid, wondering whether to purify myself or not, whenever I accidentally stepped on wherever he walked on with his slippers. I know I sound very paranoid, but I can't help feeling worried. We have persuaded my father to wash his slippers (with soap, at least, and not the purifying method), but he is adamant, thinking I'm being too paranoid. He keeps on walking outside and inside with the slippers.
Sometimes, we wash the slippers, but he'll use it again to walk outside whenever he's in a hurry.
So my questions are,
1)Must we clean ourselves if we suspect an area to be filthy (and we were in contact with it), even though we can't see the najis, just purely out of suspicion?
2)If any object, such as clothes, items, etc is touched/in contact with by a dog, dog feces, etc, (or something equivalent to it), or is put on an area which is suspected to be dirty, even though we can't see the najis; how must we clean it? Or do we have to clean it at all?
3)If a dog has walked or defecated on an area, (at an open area, like outside), if the rain cleanses the area, is it considered purified?
4)Must I wash my father's slippers with soap or my using the 6 times water/1 time earth+water method?
5)Considering the problem with the slippers above, should I wash the areas he stepped on with soap, or leave it be? Or should I wash it with the purifying method using the earth? Can I pray on these places, or anyplace near it?
6)Also, I have found a soap, which is certified by various religious departments in my country which contains (90% earth). Can I use it?
I should just remind everyone that my father can be difficult, VERY strict and is adamant about his views. He would never listen to me and calls me "overly paranoid". He is not religiously inclined, but he respects me for following the right path. It's just that he has problems that I mentioned above. And no, this isn't about mistreatment of women (and even if it was, Islam doesn't teach that stuff).
I've found this ritual (no offense) extremely tiring, and I have to admit that I go through depression nowadays, and blame myself for being "paranoid". I don't know if I can ever live comfortably with this problem, and I have cried about it often. My family often berates me for being "overly paranoid". In my judgment, I am only trying to be clean to please Allah and so that my prayers are accepted. However, I do think that Allah does not place a heavy burden upon muslims - and on this part I agree with my family.
The only verse that calms me is this one (surah 2 verse 286),
"That verse is "On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear" 2:286. (This verse is also repeated in 6:152, 7:42 and 65:7)."
Please, please provide fatwa's/hadeeth/respectable views on this matter. I need an answer, as quick as possible. I follow only Islam's way, but technically speaking, I am definitely leaning towards the Shafi'e way of doing things. I'm not saying the Shafi'e way is wrong or anything, but anything with authenticity like hadeeth, the Al-Quran, is something that I follow without doubt - as all Muslims do, naturally.
May Allah Bless you.