3.1 Introduction To Station Of Accounting - Muhasabah

One of the references of this station is that Ayah in Surah al-Hajj:

Oh you who believe, practice piety and it is compulsory on every person and soul (male or female) to look at what they are sending forth for the hereafter and be pious. Do not be like people who forgot. Because Allah (SWT) makes them forget themselves. They are the sinful people.

That means our words and actions and intentions that we are sending ourselves to the hereafter. Thus, the concept of watching over ourselves is recommended by Allah (SWT) as a form of practicing piety. Allah (SWT) is watching everything that we are doing anyway and is recording everything.

To understand this station, need to consider this example: Imagine that you are a director of a company, you will be keeping records of everything from a tax perspective won’t you for auditing. If this has been don’t truthfully and clearly then you are not afraid of being audited. If you haven’t had your tax return for years or there is some sort out there – then you would be freaking out wouldn’t you?

This is the same as the person who doesn’t do accounting on their own actions. Urafa say that the more we pay attention to this the more we can climb the spiritual ladder. This is a compulsory step. It is one of the signs of sincere repentance. Like if I wasn’t sincere then I would still be doing the bad.

To this extent Imam Al-Kazim (‘a) says:

“He is not one of us as our follower, the one that does not keep a record of their actions everyday. If it is a good action – he or she will ask to give them more by being appreciative. If it is a bad action then they will be making repentance.”

We need to be conscious of what we have done.

One of the great Ullama, called Said Ibni Tawous wrote a book titled – accounting the self – this is one of the best books in the area of Muhasabah. Sayyid Allamah Tabatabai was also one of the scholars that really believed in this stage of muhasabeh.

3.2 The Station Of Accounting – Muhasabah

Muslim mystics say that we should start the day by having a number of conditions. Throughout the day we should be watching ourselves to keep the eyes open to whatever we say and do. At the end of the accounting then we should be:

Musharkah – placing conditions on yourself

Murakaba – watching your actions

Muhasaba – accounting your actions

Mu’akaba – punishment for your actions

Concentration on Muhasabah, Prophet (S) stated in his will, advised Abu Thar:

“No one can be among the pious people unless they keep track of what he or she is doing. In the sense that you should be accounting everything you do.”

Ayatollah Hasan Zada said:

“Record everything that you do during the day, and on the Day inshallah you will be given sustenance.”

Imam Khomeini (ra) said:

“In the morning, tell yourself is it a big deal to be good for just one day, not forever but just one day. For this day promise me that you will not commit a sin.”

During the day keep watch of your actions, then remember that promise that you have made to yourself – to beat your nafs al-ammarah. Leave bad deeds and actions to another day.

Story of the shop keeper and customer:

There was a shopkeeper that put a sign up saying ‘today cash, tomorrow credit’. One customer came to him and said I don’t have cash today so might as well be tomorrow. And he came back tomorrow and guess what – the same sign was hung up and the customer when coming back said – hey I dont have cash today so I might as well come back tomorrow. However, this is an endless loop if you keep thinking about it and a form of deception if you think about it because based on the sign there is no tomorrow because todays tomorrow is tomorrow’s today – so in short you can’t win.

This is the way we need to approach to soul. One of the benefits of doing things for forty (40) days is that the soul will eventually get used to it. This technique contributes considerably towards massaging the soul and training it to become one’s second nature.

A story of an old couple:

An old couple came to see a sheikh to draft up their will. They filled it out and they came to the section on the rituals – they didn’t do 50 years of lapsed prayers, fasting, khums etc etc. Unfortunately, they did not realize that they had all these obligations to do.

Allah (SWT) is the accouter.

We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account. (21:47)

Another ayah says:

The weight of an atom good / bad will not escape

This emphasis the importance of our own accountability of our own actions before Allah (SWT) accounts for our deeds.

3.3 Method Of Accounting The Self And One’s Actions

A good method of doing this is the account for your sins in a table. List all the wajibat, haram, makrooh, mustahab, or I don’t know, all the things I have said, all that I have eaten, saw, done during the day. At the end of the day make the total of it.

Prophet (S) went on a trip and arrived at a place with no grass, they asked them to collect some wood. They said we can’t there is no wood here. He told them to try and make an effort. They came back and each had a bit here and there to make a big bundle and the Prophet (S) captured that opportunity and said. ‘And such the sins of your actions will be collected.

We have been given the opportunity through the blessings of Allah (SWT) to have life to utilize these blessings to build our lives and buildings in the hereafter. What have we built for ourselves on the Day of Judgement. We should be asking Allah (SWT) to change these actions to be beneficial for us in the hereafter. Who cares how many buildings and possessions we have in this world if it is the hereafter that we should be focusing on. We desperately need this on the Day.

The Quran says: Why don’t you consider and plan for things as you need them in the hereafter

Urafa say:

Keep a record of the deeds that you do, and the blessings that you have received. Compare the blessings you have received (breathing is a blessing) with the sins that you have committed. And see how much we have not been appreciative

Do not be proud of your good deeds – otherwise this is the fuel burning the trees that we are planted for ourselves on the day of Judgement. Say after this that ‘this was a blessing from Allah (SWT)’ it’s not from ourself.

Be mindful of the obligations we have to make between us and Allah (SWT). At the end of the day after you have seen your book of action for today, go towards the Qibla, and after you have said glory and thank you for the blessings that you have received during that day as well as ask for repentance for the sins that you have committed. Say:

illahi ‘afwaka, ‘afwaka, ‘afwak - illahi ‘afwaka, ‘afwaka, ‘afwak ya man khitaman naboowata bi mohammaden (S) ikhdimli fi youmi hatha bikhayr, washahree bikhayr, ya sanatee bikhayr, wa ‘omree bikhayr

Oh you the one whom sealed the Prophethood with Prophet Mohammad (S), seal for me today with good, and this month with good, and this year with good, and end my life in this world with good.

Hadith states:

“You will get the reward of Martyrs in the way of Allah (SWT) when you recite this dua.”

This is imperative in our quest to end our lives like martyrs, do Jihad al-Akbar in striving against the sinful soul.