Youth Lecture 11/02/11: Bringing Oneself to Account

This Friday night, we learned about bringing oneself to account.

`Umar ibn al-Khattâb (رضي الله عنه) once said, "Bring yourself to account before you are taken to account." He added, "Weigh your deeds before your deeds are weighed (by Allâh (سبحانه وتعالى))."

This issue of questioning oneself and taking oneself to account was practiced by the Salaf (early generations) of this Ummah. Hasan al-Basri (رحمه الله) said, "You will never meet a believer except that he brings himself to account."

The evil, wicked, wretched individual will never bring himself to account, and will never question himself. Allâh (سبحانه وتعالى) said about this kind of individual: وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا "And his affair has been lost." (TMQ Al-Kahf 18:28)

Ibnul Qayyim (رحمه الله) said taking account of oneself is one of the ways of treating the sick heart.

There are many sicknesses of the heart such as backbiting, jealousy, vindictiveness, etc. If one takes himself to account regularly on these matters, he will stop committing these actions, thus curing the sicknesses in his heart.

Ibnul Qayyim said taking account of oneself is of two types:

1. Taking account of oneself before doing an action

2- Taking account of oneself after doing an action

So how does one take himself to account before an action?

Firstly, you should pause at the first thought and intention - stop, take a step back, think and ponder, and do not rush to perform that deed - and do not proceed until it becomes clear that it is more beneficial to do the action than to abstain.

Hasan al-Basri (رحمه الله) said, "May Allâh have mercy upon the slave who pauses at the thought of doing an action and, if the action was for the sake of Allâh, he proceeds; and if it was for other than the sake of Allâh, he abstains."

Ibnul Qayyim (رحمه الله) put forward a 4-step plan for taking oneself to account:

Step One: If the nafs moves and wants to do an action, the slave steps back, pauses, looks and ponders. Then he asks: Is this something that is feasible or possible that can be accomplished, or is it not possible? If it is not possible, then he stops and does not proceed, because he recognises he cannot do it.

Step Two: If it is possible, then he pauses again and asks: Is performing this action better than leaving it? If it is better to abstain, then he does not proceed.

Step Three: If it is better to do it, then he pauses for a third time, and looks and asks: Is the reason and intent behind this action that he is seeking the Face of Allâh and His reward, or does he want some position or wealth or praise from the creation? And if his reason is to purely seek the Face of Allâh, then to Allâh belongs all praise. But if he realises that the intention is to seek a position or praise or wealth from the creation, then he stops and does not proceeds. And why does he stop? Why does he hold back? Ibnul Qayyim says so that your nafs does not get accustomed to ash-Shirk (Riyâ' (insincerity in performing a deed) is a minor form of Shirk), and so it doesn't become simple to perform an action for other than Allâh. And making it easy to do an action for other than Allâh will make it difficult to perform an action purely for Allâh.

Step Four: And if he finds that the action is for the sake of Allaah, he pauses again (the fourth time). The 'abd (slave) pauses, looks and investigates, checking himself, bringing himself to account before even doing the action and asks: Will he be aided in doing this action? Does he have supporters if the action is in need of that? If he needs supporters, and he doesn't have any, then he stays back from it; he refrains. Ibnul Qayyim (رحمه الله) said, "The slave refrains like the Messenger of Allâh (صلى الله عليه وسلم) refrained from Jihâd while in Makkah."

Wallâhu A`lam wa Ahkam (Ibnu Âdam)