Religious obsessions and compulsive acts compromise approximately two thirds of all obsessive compulsive disorder symptomatology in Muslim patients. Imam's mosque is consulted before a psychiatrist.

To explore the Islamic jurist's views and methods in dealing with obsessions and compulsions.

Introduction of guidelines for managing OCD in some Muslim patients.

We began studying the different opinions of scholars in defining obsessive compulsive behaviour focusing on the tight criteria required by the Maliki Jurists to consider the individual being obsessed. This was followed by a thorough review of other Islamic doctrines.

The jurisprudential therapeutic approach includes:

– obsessions are satanic whispers not originating from the self, which is equivalent to “It is not me but my OCD” in modern cognitive behavioural approach;

– diverting attention from the obsessive thought rather than engaging with it;

– not to respond to the obsessional thought (response prevention);

– listing of religious permits;

– focusing attention on acts of worship;

– thought stopping.

At the end we added various jurisprudential rules to be remembered by patients such as certainty does not fade with scepticism, no defiles by doubt, there are no doubts for a man with excessive doubts.

Exposure and response prevention techniques are deeply rooted in Islamic jurisprudence and are practised with conviction by OCD Muslim patients. We produced specific guidelines that could be used by clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals in dealing with OCD patients top ensure their engagement in therapy.

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.