Muhasabah - Self-Accounting
The practice of examining one's deeds and spiritual state for continuous improvement.
Muhasabah (المحاسبة) is self-accounting—examining one's actions, intentions, and spiritual state. Umar ibn al-Khattab said: 'Take account of yourselves before you are taken to account.' This practice prevents the accumulation of sins, identifies areas for improvement, and maintains awareness. Muhasabah is ideally done daily, reviewing what was done for Allah's sake and what fell short. It leads to tawbah (repentance) and resolution for improvement. The scholars recommend doing muhasabah before sleep, treating each day as a complete unit to be assessed.
O you who believe, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow.
Al-Ghazali made muhasabah central to his spiritual method, teaching that the soul is like a business partner—it must be audited regularly to ensure it is fulfilling its duties.
Quran
Written about in
- What Islam says about forgiveness
You cannot seek forgiveness for what you have not named, so Islam attaches a nightly audit to it. Umar ibn al-Khattab's line — take account of yourselves before you are taken to account — sets the tone: the accounting is yours to run, daily, and it is meant to be specific.