حَاسِبُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُحَاسَبُوا

“Hold yourselves accountable before you are held accountable. Weigh your deeds before they are weighed against you. And know that the Angel of Death has reached others before you — and he is heading toward you. So be wise.”

Umar was known for his extraordinary self-discipline and his method of nightly self-audit. He would reflect at the end of each day on what he had done, what he had said, and what had been in his heart. He believed that the Muslim who does not examine himself in this world will be examined on the Day of Judgment with no preparation. He called this practice muhasabah — self-reckoning.

When did you last sit in silence and review your day — not to feel good or bad about it, but simply to see it clearly? What would you find if you did that tonight?

Before sleeping tonight, spend five minutes in muhasabah. Ask: what did I do today that I would want to account for? What did I miss? What do I want to do differently tomorrow?

“Hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable. Weigh your deeds before they are weighed.”

— Taqwa Daily