Al = Muhasibah

al-Muhasabah

Self-Inventory

Dr. Yusuf=20 al-Qaradawi (Time in the Life of a=20 Muslim)

It is necessary for an individual to pause at the end of each day = that has=20 passed, in order to check himself and run through his achievements: = What has=20 he done in the course of the day? Why has he done it? What has he = omitted? Why=20 has he omitted it?

How excellent it would be if this self-criticism were to take place = before=20 one retired to bed.

This period of self-criticism and appraisal should=20 certainly be counted among man's moments of progress; it is a = moment=20 when man impartially sits as a judge over himself and reviews his = yearnings=20 and inclinations, his instincts and motivations. It is a moment when = the=20 believer appoints, out of his conviction, a policeman=20 to watch over himself, an investigator to probe him, and a judge to = condemn or=20 acquit him. In this way he progresses from = the state=20 of "the soul that incites to evil" to the state of "the self- = reproaching=20 soul" which reproaches its owner whenever he plunges into sin, or = falls short=20 of expectation.

In a hadith = we quoted=20 before it was said: "It behooves any sane person to have four periods = of time"=20 and one of the four periods is "a period in which he engages in=20 self-criticism."

The Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar = bin al-Khattab says: "Criticize and appraise yourselves = before=20 you are criticized and appraised on the Day = of=20 Judgment, and weigh out your deeds, before they are weighed out for = you."

"On that Day will men proceed in groups, sorted out, to be shown = their=20 Deeds. Then shall anyone who has done an = atom's=20 weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom's weight of = evil,=20 shall see it." (Qur'an 99:6-8)

`Umar himself, may Allah be pleased = with him,=20 used to whip his foot at night and say to himself: "Tell me, what have = you=20 done today?!"

Maimun bin Mahran, a=20 famous companion of the Prophet, used to say: "A=20 pious person scrupulously examines and appraises himself more than he = would a=20 tyrant ruler and a tight-fisted partner!"

Al-Hasan said: "A=20 believer polices his own Self; he criticizes and appraises it for the = sake of=20 Allah. The Final Appraisal (Hisab) = may turn=20 out to be mild on some people simply because they were wont to = appraise=20 themselves in this life; and the Final Appraisal on the Day of = Resurrection=20 may turn out to be rigorous on a people who took this life with = levity, and=20 thought they would not be called to account".

Then he described how this self-criticism and appraisal operates in = practice: "A fascinating thought (or idea) suddenly comes to the mind = of a=20 believer. He says to himself: 'By Allah = this is=20 fascinating, I need it! But no, never. Get = lost! I am=20 prohibited from executing you!'" (This is self-criticism and appraisal = before=20 the event).

And: "A believer may inadvertently do = something.=20 He would then turn to himself and say: 'What do you mean by this? By = Allah, I=20 cannot find an excuse for this. I shall never repeat it, insha'Allah!'" (This is self-criticism and = appraisal after=20 the event).

If a Believer fails to observe this brief period of soul-searching = daily,=20 then he should at least try to do so once every few days, or once a = week. In=20 this way, he draws up his life balance sheet, depicting to him his = (spiritual)=20 assets and liabilities.

A Believer should also have a longer period of this practice at the = end of=20 each month, and an even longer period at the end of the year, when he = bids=20 farewell to one year and prepares for and = welcomes=20 another.

This is the time to critically review the Past and plan=20 for the Future. This is the (spiritual) equivalent of his final = accounts for the year.

One blameworthy innovation initiated by the West and unfortunately = imitated=20 by some Muslims, is the annual birthday celebration, where people = are invited to a party and served with delicious food = and=20 drink.

At times, people obsequiously yield to meaningless rituals and = imitative=20 practices for which Allah has sent down no authority. For example, = they light=20 a number of candles, each one representing a year in the lifetime of = the=20 celebrant. Having lit the candles, the celebrant then histrionically = proceeds=20 to blow them out. Gifts are presented and=20 pleasantries exchanged on the occasion.

Rather than this blind, useless imitation, it is better for an = intelligent=20 and sensible person to seize this occasion, which marks the expiry of = one year=20 of his lifetime, to reconsider and reflect upon his life. At the end = of every=20 year, a careful trader applies the brakes in order to measure his = performance=20 over the past year, and establish his financial position at the end of = it. He=20 wants to know his profit or loss, and his assets and liabilities; i.e. = his=20 claims and the claims against him. An intelligent, sensible person = ought to do=20 likewise, in respect of his life. More than that, he should beseech = Allah to=20 bless his life, make his day better than yesterday, and his tomorrow = better=20 than today.

It is worthier for an intelligent and sensible person to call = himself to=20 account for one whole year of his life that has expired, in respect of = which=20 Allah, the Exalted, will question him. A year is not a short time. It = is a=20 period of twelve months; a month is on average thirty days; each day = has=20 twenty-four hours, each hour sixty minutes, and each minute sixty = seconds.=20 And every second should be counted as a = blessing, a=20 favor upon him from Allah and a trust from Allah in his hands.

It is worthier for this intelligent and sensible person to = commiserate with=20 himself over the turning of a page in the book of his life. Each day = that=20 passes is, as it were, a leaf that has withered and fallen from the = tree of=20 his life. May Allah have mercy on Al-Hasan = al-Basri when he says: "O son of Adam! You are but a bundle of days. As each day = passes=20 away, a portion of you vanishes away!"

Abu 'Ali ad-Daqqaq used to chant the = following=20 lines:

Each day that passes, a portion of me it takes away,
On = the heart,=20 a bitter taste it leaves, and then glides away.

Another poet says:

Man rejoices as long as the nights continue to pass by, =
Yet, he too, as they vanish gradually perishes = away.=20

Yet another poet says:

We take delight in every day that we have lived,
Yet each day that passes is a portion (gone) of = a=20 lifetime.

This is the view that every intelligent and sensible person ought = to take.=20 However, intelligent and sensible people are few in this=20 world.