Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can affect nearly every aspect of your life—relationships, work, school, hobbies, and even your faith. For religious people, OCD may latch onto deeply held beliefs, triggering unwanted, intrusive thoughts about committing sins or moral failure. In response, they may resort to compulsions, such as excessive prayer or confession, to neutralize them.
If you’re a Muslim with OCD, you may struggle to know where your religious practice ends and where OCD begins, and that confusion is completely normal.
Keep reading to learn more about how OCD symptoms can interfere with your religion, and how specialized therapy can help get them under control.
What is scrupulosity OCD?
OCD is a mental health condition that causes a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, images, urges, feelings, or sensations that cause fear and anxiety. Compulsions are repetitive mental or physical actions done to relieve distress from obsessions or to prevent a feared outcome from coming true.
A common subtype of OCD is scrupulosity or religious OCD, which centers on fears about offending or violating religious principles, rules, or values. In the context of Islam, this may involve intrusive thoughts about not being a perfect Muslim or unintentionally going against your faith, which some people refer to as “Islamic OCD.”
Scrupulosity OCD can be especially challenging because it attacks what you hold the most sacred. In the Islamic faith, intrusive thoughts are referred to as “wasawis,” which are unwanted whispers from Shaitan (Satan) into a person’s heart and mind.
Islamic scrupulosity is sometimes described as a disguised or hidden disease because it creates overwhelming guilt and shame. People with this OCD subtype may fixate on specific rules or rituals in the Islamic faith, while unintentionally neglecting other parts of the faith that provide hope, liberation, and salvation.
If you have Islamic OCD, you may start to view harmless or unpreventable thoughts and actions as sinful, which ultimately can fuel deep and unwarranted guilt. Over time, this may turn into hopelessness and desperation, especially as intrusive doubts shake your confidence in your faith practices, or even in the teachings of the religion itself.
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Common obsessions of Islamic OCD
Below are some common obsessions in Islamic OCD:
- I may have said a prayer improperly.
- My cleaning ritual was interrupted, and therefore, I am dirty.
- I may have said or done something to offend Allah.
- This thought is sinful, and therefore, I have sinned against Allah.
- Did I accidentally ingest food or water when I was not supposed to?
Islamic OCD compulsions
People with Islamic OCD may perform the following compulsions to neutralize intrusive thoughts:
- Excessive handwashing or showering after feeling contaminated or impure.
- Seeking reassurance from religious leaders, friends, or online fatwa forums.
- Repeating prayers or rituals over and over again until they feel perfect.
- Avoiding people, places, or objects that feel impure, even if religiously they are not.
- Excessively reciting scripture to keep yourself in good standing with Allah.
- Mentally reviewing religious rulings to reassure yourself that you’re not committing a sin.
Common triggers of Islamic OCD
Islamic scrupulosity OCD may trigger situations involving various aspects of your faith. OCD is often called a “doubting disorder,” and with this subtype, doubts about devotion to Allah or feelings of being religiously impure can become significant sources of distress.
Common triggers of Islamic OCD may include:
- Doubts about being clean enough to meet religious obligations.
- Thoughts about not being devoted enough in your faith or worship.
- Certain words or phrases that you fear may be blasphemous.
- Being near certain animals that are considered religiously impure.
- Blasphemous thoughts.
Are intrusive thoughts a sin in Islam?
No. In Islam, intrusive thoughts are not sinful, especially if the thoughts are not acted upon. While the Quran doesn’t explicitly define intrusive thoughts, the idea of whispers and doubts from Shaitan is not seen as sinful, but rather an attempt to disrupt your relationship with Allah.
How can I tell if it’s Islamic scrupulosity OCD, and not devout faith and practice?
It can be hard to tell the difference between religious devotion and OCD-related fears, especially when both involve a desire to become a better Muslim. One major sign of Islamic OCD is the relentless need for absolute certainty. OCD likes to convince you that you need to feel 100% sure you’re doing something right, or you’re not following your faith properly. In contrast, Islam doesn’t require you to be perfect—it asks for sincere effort and trust in Allah, which scrupulosity can take advantage of.
Scrupulosity exploits your desire to be close to Allah. Shaitan uses intrusive thoughts to distract you and shake your confidence. However, know that these thoughts aren’t helping you become a “perfect” Muslim—they’re making you anxious, overwhelmed, and spiritually disconnected.
If the thoughts are causing intense, recurring anxiety, guilt, and doubt—especially about your salvation—they’re not signs of stronger faith—they’re signs of OCD. The goal for every Muslim is to strengthen their faith and connection to Allah, and scrupulous thoughts can distract you from this goal. True devotion brings you closer to Allah, not fear and desperation.
Simply put, obsessions and compulsions are what separate OCD from healthy religious practice. Understanding this pattern can help you take the path toward healing.
How to treat Islamic scrupulosity OCD
Islamic OCD—as with any subtype of OCD—is treatable with exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy. ERP is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) specifically designed to treat OCD.
With the help of an ERP therapist, you’ll gradually face your fears while resisting the urge to engage in compulsive behaviors, such as rituals, excessive prayer, or mental reviewing. Over time, you’ll learn to sit with the discomfort from intrusive thoughts, like uncertainty or impure thoughts, without feeling the need to neutralize them.
Staying consistent with ERP therapy can help you get your life back from OCD while also strengthening your relationship with Allah and His mercy.
Bottom line
As a devoted Muslim, it can be very difficult to experience blasphemous or unwanted thoughts. But know these thoughts aren’t a reflection of your morals and values, and that there’s help available. Working with an ERP therapist specializing in scrupulosity OCD can help you manage your OCD symptoms and help restore a more peaceful relationship with your faith.
Key takeaways
- Islamic OCD is a form of scrupulosity where intrusive thoughts and compulsions center around religious practices, purity, and devotion to Allah.
- Intrusive thoughts—even blasphemous or disturbing ones—are not sinful in Islam and do not reflect your faith or character.
- The need for absolute certainty and repeated religious rituals often signals OCD, not genuine devotion.
- Exposure and response (ERP) therapy is the most effective treatment for OCD and can help Muslims regain peace in both life and faith.