When does one qualify as insane

[Insignia]

Assalamu Aliekum,

I am sorry to bother you all with this. I have a few problems and forgive me, I do not want to go into too much detail.

I have been going through some severe mental turmoil for quite some time. I need to know in detail what Islam says about insanity.

When does one qualify as insane? What are the conditions that a person exhibits who is insane according to Islam?

When I ask these questions some people try to comfort me by saying "If you are well enough to type this message, you are not insane". Well sadly with no textual proof this does not comfort me and does sound like wishful thinking.

Also, it is important for me to know information in regards to a person who is sometimes insane and sometimes sane. I would like to know how the five pillars work in this case. What if on a daily basis one sometimes becomes insane and sane, and back and forth? How could Hajj ever be accepted from him? Furthermore how does fasting work? What if he becomes insane during a fast? Does he have to make up the fast later? And I am wondering the same in regards to Salah.

I'd do anything to avoid the hellfire. And I know that in Islam the insane are granted entry straight into Jennah. So that doesn't sound so bad. But here's the part that scares me. In Islam an insane person's actions are not accepted. I read that this not only includes bad deeds, but good deeds as well (sorry I don't have the link). Now I am a revert. My condition has been about the same since even before I was Muslim. So I presume that if I am insane now I was insane then as well. Thus I am very scared that my reversion is not valid and the sane side of me (which has been lost) is still a kaffir.

Please help.

[Abdul Lateef]

Assalamu Alaykum,

Brother, rather than that, I think you are suffering from Waswasa (whisperings) of the satan. His objective is to confuse you and prevent you from progressing forward, so he puts an obstacle in front of you. In your case, it seems like his end goal is to make you doubt your imaan. You are muslim without a shadow of doubt.

Sometimes people suffer from this problem with regards to wudhu and cleanliness, or salah and other acts of worship. Books have even been written about this topic. It is not an unknown problem, and there are tried and tested methods of dealing with it.

For spiritual illnesses, you should contact a shaykh who specialises in that field. Which country do you live in? If you're in England, you can try and get in contact with Shaykh Riyadh-ul-Haqq. Otherwise, try and contact Shaykh Yunus Patel of South Africa (which you can do online). Both are reputable scholars and spiritually able. Shaykh Nuh Keller is a reputable and capable scholar in Jordan who can help you. He is also a revert and you can get in touch with him too over the internet or phone. These people are like spiritual doctors, so go to them and seek a cure for your problem. May Allah Ta'ala heal you and protect you. Ameen.

Finally, do you know Ayatul Kursi? Recite it after your daily 5 prayers, and also recite it before sleeping for the night. If you don't know it, then memorise it. It is very short, but a very powerful means of protection, with Allah's will.