The end and early of the year are the best times to reassess the things we have done throughout the year and learn from them. There are a few things to make us self-reflecting Muslims in life.  

Regretting the Sins That We Have Committed

Man is a creature who has always been prone to neglect and sins. However, the sins that have been committed should not be allowed to occur continuously; it is necessary to repent and abandon them.

Prophet ﷺ said: “All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who are given to repentance.” 

[At – Tirmidzi & Ibn Majah]

Allah declares the repentance of sinners through His word:

وَٱلَّذِينَ عَمِلُواْ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ ثُمَّ تَابُواْ مِنۢ بَعْدِهَا وَءَامَنُوٓاْ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِنۢ بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيم

But those who committed misdeeds and then repented after them and believed – indeed your Lord, thereafter, is Forgiving and Merciful.

[Surah Al-A’raf 7: 153]

Learn from Mistakes

In everyday life, we will definitely make mistakes. Mistakes are the learning process to make us more mature in knowing the meaning of life. Mistakes in actions are proof that we have tried to do something. That is the process of maturity and learning.

A wise person will learn from his mistakes to rise and be better than ever. Stop reprehending and blame yourself, then feel prolonged remorse. The Prophet ﷺ taught us that if something goes wrong, say:

قدر الله وما شاء فعل 

Allah has decreed (it) and what He willed, He has done.

Happier Life

This pattern of life is diverse. There is happiness, joy, sadness, remorse, gloom, and so forth. Choose a happy and joyous life even if we are in a difficult situation. Maybe it is hard to do but it is not impossible to be done. If we are feeling sad, find someone who can please us, whether it is family or friends. Do activities that can make us content, such as chit-chatting with people who are cheerful and so on.  

A past ulama’ still considered his life happy while imprisoned by saying: “There is nothing my enemies can do to me, my heaven is in my heart, wherever I go, it stays with me.” Increase the recitation of the Quran while feeling sad, and may Allah remove that feeling and change it into a happy one.

Forgiving Yourself

Every act is prone to right or wrong. If we have tried and succeeded, it is an overflow of grace that Allah has given us. But if it is not, learn from what happened and forgive yourself.

Allah always opens the opportunity to accept His servants despite their many mistakes, so a human being should be able to forgive himself for any misfortune that has befallen and rise back up with a new spirit and determination. If Allah can forgive His guilty servants, why can’t humans forgive themselves and start a better life?

Prophet ﷺ said: “A strong believer is better and loved by Allah than a weak believer.“

Be a Better Muslim

Being a good and better person is a requirement in life whether in family, educational institution, employment and so on. Striving to be the best among the best without envy and bringing down others is an admirable trait.

The context of becoming better can be seen from various perspectives such as employment, communication, morals, speech, learning, and others. If you haven’t been the best in one point, try to be the best in another. If you can’t be the best in the job, be the best in communication and the attribute of being helpful. If you are not yet the best in learning, be the one that has good morals towards the teacher and so forth.

Through solid muhasabah (self-reflection), not only will we learn about ourselves, but it will improve our lives in this world to develop our relationship with Allah and improve our lives in the hereafter. No matter how we choose to practice muhasabah (self-reflect), we will see its benefits and changes if we are istiqomah (constant) in doing so. In shaa Allah.

Abdul Rahman Rahuni

Ustadz Abdul Rahman Rahuni is a graduate of the Islamic University of Madinah  studying in the field of Islamic Sharia. He is currently a lecturer at Sekolah Menengah Ugama Islamiah, Tawau, Sabah.