How to differentiate between waswas and our own thoughts?

Question

Recently I have been suffering from waswas ( whispers ). Am having some disturbing thoughts. However usually I am unable to tell if they come from my own brain or from waswas.

For example , This morning there was a small patch ( it was barely identifiable and it had dried very well so could barely see it ) on my underpants which I assume to be either water that I used for istinja the previous night or wadhi or madhi ) . It was unlikely that it was mani because the quantity was somewhat small, it didn't have a strong smell ( I don't know what mani smells like ) beside other signs ( my private part wasn't feeling sticky or anthing didn't seem to have come out andate dried on my private part or I could still get an erection - if you release mani you can't get an erecting for some time ) . In the morning I quickly dismissed that the patch was water or something else, probably not mani. However by midday the thought of the small patch I had seen began to haunt me and during my prayers I wasn't concentrating much and I was always thinking like what if I am in Janabah ? All my prayers are invalid :(

I have this internal feeling that I am actually pure but when I think of prayer or other worship I feel impure though that feels like a wrong thought but I can't dismiss it.

I initially assumed that to be waswas so I ignored it and prayed without ghusl but now it's late in the day and I feel like it must have been my own thoughts and my brain was putting up a logical argument although i doubt this too.

How to identify waswas and our own thoughts separately ? So that we can act upon each accordingly .

And are my prayers for the day invalid ?

Jazakallhu Khair

Answer 1

How to identify waswas and our own thoughts separately ?

Shaytan can take a part either making us thought about it and/or making the thought worse. However Waswas is our own thought.

To avoid the case you're experiencing now, just do ghusl just incase (if it's a mani). Bcs ghusl is like taking a shower just with instructions. After that the was was should be gone Insha Allah

And are my prayers for the day invalid ?

Judging from this

It was unlikely that it was mani because the quantity was somewhat small,

IF it's not mani Insha Allah it can be valid, but i cannot judge just based on description so i can't guarantee it's valid.

Answer 2

Brother,go with certainty Islam is a deen of certainity. There is a hadith of prophet telling a muslim not to do wudhu and leave masjid untill or unless you hear the sou d of a fart.It tells you that even if u feel a movement or sth but if you dont hear the fart than do not do wudhu Same applies to you. You are uncertain and too some extwnt believe that it is not mani so you shouldnt perform ghusl.Just do wudhu and recite La Haula Vala Quvva continuously InshaAllah you wont get doubts again and again