Problems and Solutions

Some brothers have asked questions in various talks and lectures, including questions about a number of problems, 'diseases of the heart' (spiritual problems), and very real obstacles that they are facing. Sheikh Al-Munajjid answered these in a series of studies entitled *Shakaawa wa Hulool* (Problems and Solutions).

This book presents five problems — missing Fajr, excessive laughter, Waswaas (insinuating thoughts from the Shaytan), staying up late, and a short temper — each with both a theoretical diagnosis and a set of practical, actionable steps drawn directly from the Quran and authentic Hadith.

Whoever relieves a believer of some of the distress of this world, Allah will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of Judgment… Allah will help His slave so long as the slave is helping his brother.

— Sahih Muslim

A brother complained: *'I miss the Fajr prayer on most days, and I hardly ever pray it at the right time. I have tried to wake up at the right time, with no success. What is the solution?'*

The solution has two aspects: theoretical and practical. The theoretical foundation comes first — the Muslim must know both the immense reward of Fajr and the serious warning for missing it.

The Reward of Fajr Prayer

Whoever prays the dawn prayer in congregation, it is as if he had prayed the whole night long.

— Sahih Muslim, no. 656

The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are the Isha prayer and the Fajr prayer, but if they only knew what they contain, they would come even if they had to crawl.

— Musnad Ahmad; Saheeh al-Jaami' 133

Angels come to you in shifts by night and by day. They meet at the Fajr prayer and the Asr prayer, then those who had stayed with you at night ascend, and are asked: 'How did you find My servants?' They say: 'We left them when they were praying, and we came to them when they were praying.'

— Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Fath 2/33

Whoever prays al-Bardayn will enter Paradise.

— Sahih al-Bukhari — al-Bardayn are Fajr and Asr

The Warning for Missing It

Whoever prays Fajr is under the protection of Allah. Do not put yourselves in a situation where Allah has to call you to account for your negligence, because whoever finds himself in this situation will be sorted out and then thrown on his face in the Fire of Hell.

— Sahih Muslim, p. 454

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: *'If we did not see a person at Fajr and Isha prayers, we would think badly of him.'* Regular performance of these two prayers is an indication of a person's faith and a measure of his sincerity — only those who are determined and sincere will manage to maintain them consistently.

Practical Steps to Wake for Fajr

1. Sleep early — the Prophet ﷺ disliked sleeping before Isha and talking idly afterwards. Know your body's needs and work backwards from Fajr time to determine when you must sleep.
2. Be in a state of purity (taahir) and recite the Athkaar before sleeping. This helps the heart prepare for waking.
3. Have a sincere intention when going to sleep that you will wake for Fajr. A corrupt intention — hoping the alarm will not ring — guarantees failure.
4. Remember Allah immediately upon waking — this loosens one of the knots of Shaytan and gives the motivation to rise.
5. Seek help from family and friends: wake your wife, ask your children to alert you, arrange with neighbors or university housemates to knock on each other's doors.
6. Make du'aa' — supplication is one of the greatest sources of strength in all things.
7. Use alarm clocks wisely — place them far enough from the bed that you must get up to turn them off.
8. Throw water on the face of one who refuses to wake — the Prophet ﷺ praised both the husband who does this for his wife and the wife who does this for her husband (Musnad Ahmad; Saheeh al-Jaami' 3494).
9. Do not sleep alone — the Prophet ﷺ forbade a man to sleep alone, partly because there will be no one to wake him for prayer.
10. Become lively immediately on waking — get up straight away rather than in stages, which almost always ends in going back to sleep.
11. Switch on a light immediately — this dispels sleepiness.
12. Do not eat heavily before sleeping — overeating causes deep, heavy sleep.
13. Take a siesta during the day, so that less sleep is needed at night.
14. Do not sleep after Asr or before Isha — both interfere with the natural sleep cycle and make Fajr harder.
15. Cultivate sincere devotion to Allah — the Muslim whose heart truly burns with love of Allah and fear of His displeasure will find that Allah helps him wake, even when the circumstances seem against him.

No father should say: 'They have exams, they are tired, let them sleep.' True parental mercy means waking your children to worship Allah, not protecting them from it. Children should see their father wake them for Fajr as an act of love — because it is.

Someone asked: *'Our gatherings with friends and colleagues are filled with too much laughter, going to extremes. This phenomenon is becoming ever more widespread. What is the solution?'*

Laughter itself is not haram. Allah says:

The Prophet ﷺ himself was known for his pleasant demeanor and warmth with family and companions. The problem we are addressing here is *excess* — the gatherings that explode with guffaws, where laughter becomes the entire point and nothing useful is gained.

How the Prophet ﷺ Behaved Regarding Laughter

His laughter was never more than a smile.

— Musnad Ahmad, 5/97; Saheeh al-Jaami' 4861

I never saw the Messenger of Allah laughing so heartily that his back teeth showed; he would only smile.

— Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), reported in Abu Dawud no. 5098

The Warning Against Excess

Do not laugh too much, for excessive laughter kills the heart spiritually.

— Ibn Majah, no. 4193; as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, no. 506

Among the bad effects of excessive laughter: it spiritually corrupts the believer's heart; it leads da'iyahs (callers to Islam) to rely on humor rather than substance, attracting audiences who come for entertainment, not guidance; and it is often used as a false escape from real stress and anxiety — a drug that numbs but does not cure.

The correct treatment for stress and anxiety is the treatment of the Prophet ﷺ: when something was troubling him, he would pray. When distressed, he would say: *'Ya Hayyu ya Qayyoom, bi rahmatika astagheeth'* — 'O Ever-Living, O Eternal One, by Your mercy I seek Your help.' This is the real cure.

Practical Steps to Reduce Excessive Laughter

1. Remember death, the grave, the Day of Judgment, the Sirat, and the Fire — read the texts that describe these scenes and sit with people whose hearts are devoted to Allah.
2. Think about the state of the Muslim Ummah — its suffering, its trials, and its need for sincere effort. This sense of responsibility leaves little room for frivolity.
3. Avoid gatherings where the purpose is making each other laugh, and avoid those known for this.
4. When laughter arises in a gathering, suppress it — just as one suppresses a yawn — then gently introduce a useful topic: a beneficial book, an important discussion, or a charitable project.
5. As a last resort, if nothing works, leave the gathering — protecting yourself is an obligation: 'No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another' (Quran 6:164).

A person asked: *'I am suffering from many insinuating thoughts (Waswaas) about the nature of Allah. There are thoughts going around in my mind that I cannot utter because they are not befitting to Allah. It is so bad that I doubt my own faith. What is the cure?'*

This is a well-known affliction, and the Prophet ﷺ addressed it directly. The Hadith contain everything needed to overcome it.

Prophetic Guidance on Waswaas

The Shaytan may come to any one of you and say: 'Who created Allah?' If any one of you experiences this, let him say: 'Aamantu billahi wa rasoolih (I believe in Allah and His Messenger),' and that will drive him away.

— Saheeh al-Jaami' 1657

Whoever experiences anything of this Waswaas, let him say three times: 'Aamantu billahi wa rasoolih,' and that will drive it away.

— Saheeh al-Jaami' 6587

The Shaytan may come to any one of you, until he asks: 'Who created your Lord?' If this happens to anyone, let him seek refuge with Allah and let him stop these thoughts.

— Saheeh al-Jaami' 7993

Think about the signs of Allah, do not think about Allah Himself.

— Saheeh al-Jaami' 2975

Six Steps to Overcome Waswaas

1. Say 'Aamantu billahi wa rasoolih' (I believe in Allah and His Messenger) — the Prophet ﷺ prescribed this specific phrase as the cure.
2. Seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytan: say 'A'oothu billahi as-Samee al-Aleem min ash-Shaytani ar-rajeem, min hamzihi wa nafkhihi wa nafathih' (I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, from the accursed Shaytan and from his slander and evil insinuations).
3. Spit drily to the left three times — this is an established Sunnah prescribed for this situation.
4. Stop the thoughts immediately — do not follow them or engage with them. As the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Let him stop.' Continuing to engage only makes it worse.
5. Recite Surah Al-Ikhlas (Qul huwa Allahu ahad) — it describes the attributes of the Most Merciful and is the equivalent of one-third of the Quran. Its recitation drives away these thoughts.
6. Keep the mind focused on the creation of Allah — His signs in the heavens and earth — rather than on His nature, which the human mind cannot comprehend.

Importantly, the very fact that these thoughts disturb you — that you feel them to be wrong and inappropriate for Allah — is itself a sign of faith. The Prophet ﷺ was asked about such thoughts and said: *'That is a clear sign of faith.'* (Sahih Muslim) The person who has no faith would feel no disturbance at such thoughts.

This is one of the most widespread problems of our time. But not all staying up late is the same. There are three kinds:

1. Staying up for worship — Qiyaam al-Layl, Quran recitation, guarding the borders of Islam, seeking knowledge. This is the worthy kind, so long as it does not lead to missing something more obligatory (such as Fajr).
2. Staying up for a permissible reason — keeping company with a guest, traveling at night, shift work required by one's role. This is permitted as long as it does not lead to neglect of obligations.
3. Staying up to commit sin — watching forbidden content, backbiting, idle gossip, cards and Haram games. This is Haram, and those who do it are sinners deserving of Allah's punishment.

The Harm of Staying Up Late

Allah created night for rest and day for activity. Those who reverse this natural rhythm suffer for it — physically, spiritually, and in their daily work. Among the specific harms of staying up late:

• Missing Fajr entirely, or praying it without concentration after dragging oneself out of bed.
• Physical deterioration — one hour of sleep at night is worth twice as much as sleep taken at other times.
• Poor work performance and shoddy effort — raising legitimate concerns about whether one's salary is entirely halal.
• Missing the blessed time of the early morning: the Prophet ﷺ said: 'The early morning has been blessed for my Ummah' (Saheeh al-Jaami' 2841).
• Inability to observe voluntary worship, such as the last-third-of-the-night prayer or the pre-dawn meal for voluntary fasting.
• Sleeping at inappropriate times — after Asr or before Isha — which only deepens the cycle.

Practical Solutions

1. Form the habit of sleeping early — it is a habit, and habits can be changed with determination and a few days of consistent effort.
2. Get married — the single young man with no responsibilities often stays up late with friends by default. The married man feels responsibility to his wife and children and comes home early.
3. Feel the weight of your responsibilities — toward your family, your Ummah, your Lord — and you will stop squandering time.
4. Take a daytime siesta instead of sleeping at the wrong times: the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Take a siesta, for the Shayateen do not take siestas' (Saheeh al-Jaami' 4431). This reduces the need for long night sleep.
5. Avoid sleeping after Asr and before Isha, both of which disrupt the natural rhythm and make it harder to sleep at the right time.

A person complained: *'I get very angry very quickly. If there is the slightest provocation, I quickly explode and start to break things, swear, curse and utter threats of divorce. This problem has caused me so much embarrassment, and has made most people hate me, even my wife and children and closest friends. What can I do?'*

Anger is a tendency that comes from the Shaytan. Only Allah knows how much evil and sin results from it. Islam has a great deal to say about this characteristic, and the Prophet ﷺ described multiple remedies — both preventive and immediate.

The Prophet's ﷺ Core Advice on Anger

A man came to the Prophet and said: 'Advise me.' He said: 'Do not become angry.' The man repeated his request several times, and each time the response was: 'Do not become angry.'

— Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Fath 10/465

I thought about what the Prophet had said, and I realized that anger is the source of all evil.

— Musnad Ahmad, 5/373 — the companion reflecting on this advice

Do not get angry, and Paradise will be yours.

— Saheeh al-Jaami' 7374

Six Prophetic Remedies for Anger

1. Seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytan — say 'A'oothu billahi min ash-Shaytaan.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'I know a word which, if only he would say it, this anger would leave him' (Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Fath 6/377). This is the first and most immediate step.
2. Keep quiet — the Messenger ﷺ said: 'If any one of you gets angry, let him keep quiet' (Musnad Ahmad; Saheeh al-Jaami' 693). Anger makes a person say things he cannot take back — words of kufr, curses, divorce (talaq) — all of which can destroy relationships. Keeping quiet prevents all of these.
3. Change your position — sit down if you are standing; lie down if sitting does not calm you. The Prophet ﷺ said this, and Abu Tharr (may Allah be pleased with him) demonstrated it in practice: when a man broke his water trough, Abu Tharr — feeling the anger rise — first sat down, then lay down. When asked why, he quoted the Hadith (Musnad Ahmad, 5/152). Al-Khattabi explained: 'The one who is standing is ready to move and destroy things. The one who is sitting is less likely to do so, and the one who is lying is not able to do anything of the sort.'
4. Remember the Prophetic advice — reflect on the words: 'Do not get angry, and Paradise will be yours.' When the anger begins to rise, bring this promise to mind.
5. Perform wudu — the Prophet ﷺ said: 'Anger comes from the Shaytan, and the Shaytan is created from fire; fire is extinguished with water, so if any one of you gets angry, let him make wudu.' (Abu Dawud; Saheeh al-Jaami'). The physical act of washing with water has a calming effect.
6. Reflect on the destructive consequences of acting in anger — divorce said in rage, children who grow up afraid of you, friends who avoid you, a reputation for being unreasonable. No moment of expressed rage is worth any of these consequences.

The person who sincerely wants to rid himself of this problem should know that anger can be controlled — it is not an unalterable part of the personality. The Prophet ﷺ gave us the tools. The question is whether we are willing to use them.

The strong man is not the one who can wrestle another to the ground. The strong man is the one who controls himself when he is angry.

— Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 6114

Each of these five problems — missing Fajr, excessive laughter, Waswaas, staying up late, and a short temper — is common, widespread, and defeating. Each one weakens the Muslim's relationship with Allah and with the people around him.

What makes this book remarkable is not that it identifies problems — we all know our weaknesses. What is remarkable is that the solutions are not Sheikh Al-Munajjid's inventions. They come directly from the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, tested across centuries, and they work — for the one who applies them with sincerity and determination.

The theoretical knowledge — knowing the reward, knowing the warning, knowing the harm — is the first step. It creates the motivation to act. The practical steps are the second step. Together, they are sufficient for the Muslim who truly wants to reform himself.

Allah will help His slave so long as the slave is helping his brother.

— Sahih Muslim