Muhasabah is – As we know that no human being is free from sin, so it would be nice if we always
do self-introspection or in Islam it is called muhasabah.
Muhasabah is one of the recommended actions in Islam. Muhasabah needs to be made a necessity
in human beings, because it provides many benefits in life in this world and in the hereafter.
Muhasabah needs to be done to assess and re-examine what we have done, and then improve ourselves.
So, what is muhasabah?
Understanding Muhasabah
According to the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI), muhasabah is introspection. A correction of
one’s own attitude and actions.
Come on self-reflection book! Defining muhasabah is introspection or self-correction for all
the actions, words, and thoughts that we do in our daily lives. This book also mentions that if
we want to be a better person, then we must always istiqomah in keeping ourselves on the straight path and
at the same time achieving peace of mind.
According to A Kang Mastur (2018: 88) in his book entitled Yuk, Muhasabah, he explained that muhasabah comes from
the Arabic word ” hasiba-yahsabu-hisab ” which etymologically means calculation.
Meanwhile, in Islamic terminology, muhasabah is a person’s effort in evaluating himself for
every good and bad in all aspects of his life.
The book Yuk Muhasabah also contains the most appropriate ways you can do to get peace in life and become a
true winner. You also gain knowledge about ways to jump-start the myriad of potentials you
have.
Because the truth is to be a winner, let alone to achieve a peaceful life is not an easy thing.
That ‘s why this book will tell you how to achieve it.
Muhasabah is usually done at night before we rest, namely by correcting all attitudes, actions, and
self-errors throughout the day. This is so that the mistake is not repeated in the future and
can become a better person.
Proof of Muhasabah
Islam teaches its people to always reflect, here are some of the arguments related to muhasabah are as follows.
- QS An-Nur verse 31 which means “Repent to Allah, O you who believe, so that you will be successful.”
- QS Al-Hasyr verse 18 which means “O you who believe, fear Allah. Let everyone
consider what he has done for tomorrow. Fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is
All-Knowing of what you do.” - QS Al-A’raf verse 201 which means “Indeed, those who are pious when anxiety is overwritten by Satan, they
remember Allah, then immediately they see (his mistakes).” - From Syadad bin Aus Ra., Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “A smart person is someone who evaluates
himself and does good deeds for life after death. Meanwhile, a weak person is one who
follows his own desires and dreams of Allah SWT. (HR. Tirmidhi). - Narrated by Umar bin Khattab, Rasulullah SAW also once said: “Account yourself before you are given an
account, and decorate yourselves (with good deeds), because there is something wider and bigger, and
something that relieves reckoning on the Day of Resurrection, namely people who ponders over himself while
in the world.” (HR. Tirmidhi). - Rasulullah SAW, quoted by Al-Ghazali, said: ” Indeed, I ask forgiveness and repent to Allah 100
times a day.” (Imam Al-Ghazali). - Umar RA said through Imam Al-Ghazali, “You should do muhasabah on yourself before you are brought to
account. Weigh your deeds before they will be weighed.” (Imam Al-Ghazali, Ihya
Ulumiddin)
How to Do Muhasabah?
Muhasabah is self-introspection which can be done independently by oneself or together. At
school, surely some of you have experienced doing muhasabah with friends and teachers.
Usually this muhasabah activity is carried out at school just before the exam. There are
various purposes, it can strengthen our faith in Allah, strengthen our self-confidence to learn, and to
apologize to parents.
If you want to do the muhasabah yourself, you can try it by calming down by doing ablution first before
doing the muhasabah. Then, you can reflect after the prayer and then speak directly to the
Creator through a prayer.
Actually there are many ways to do muhasabah, some ways of muhasabah are as follows.
1. Evaluate the matter of intentions, practices, as
well as sins
The first thing to muhasabah is to reflect on what we have been through in life. Then,
evaluating, do we have the intention to become a better person? Have we done the practices that
God commanded? And have we realized how many sins we have committed?
After you know the answer, immediately intend to always be more obedient to Allah SWT and stay away from all His
prohibitions.
2. Carry out the prayer of repentance
When you regret all the sins you have committed, then as a devout Muslim you will immediately repent.
One form of practice that you can do is to establish a prayer of repentance.
The procedure for praying repentance is the same as praying in general, but it can consist of two, four, or
delicious cycles. Then at the very end of the prostration, confess all the sins you have
committed and ask Allah SWT for forgiveness.
As the Prophet said, “The closest thing between a servant and his Lord is when he prostrate, so pray a lot at
that time.”
3. Receive suggestions and input from others
As a human being, sometimes we need other people to make us aware of the mistakes we have made.
Therefore, having pious friends is really needed, because they can remind each other to always
reflect and evaluate themselves.
The Prophet said, “Indeed, I am only human like you. I forgot just like you guys forgot.
Therefore, remind me when I forget.”
So how important it is for friends to remind each other and support each other for muhasabah.
Then in the hadith it is also explained, “If Allah wills good for a leader/official, then Allah will give him an
honest companion/helper who will remind him if he is negligent and will help if he remembers.” (Narrated
by Abu Dawud)
4. Make friends with godly people
One of the sustenance that Allah gives to his servant is to be surrounded by pious friends.
That way, they will always advise each other and remind each other of the mistakes that have been
made, solely so that they can be together in goodness.
5. Being alone
One useful form of introspection and evaluation is to be alone when doing muhasabah. Umar bin
Khaththab said: “Correct yourself before you are judged and decorated (with good deeds) for the great
performance (on the Day of Resurrection).” (HR Tirmidhi).
The Priority of Doing Muhasabah
Because muhasabah is one of the most important things, you should do muhasabah every day.
Because it turns out, muhasabah has various virtues. As found in research conducted by
the School of Education and Modern Languages, UUM College of Arts and Sciences, Universiti Utara
Malaysia .
The results of this study indicate that muhasabah can be identified as an alternative effort to develop
good moral values. This is also related to the possibility of self-development and moral
development.
Along with the words of Imam Al-Ghazali who linked muhasabah with repentance. The two cannot
be separated, the act of repentance is a correction of an act or attitude from oneself which is done with
regret.
As a human being, every day we are never free from mistakes and mistakes, however, through muhasabah,
Allah, the Most Forgiving, welcomes these sinful servants. He also reported that His
forgiveness is greater than the sins committed by his people.
That is the explanation contained in the book Muhasabah The Sinner. It was also explained that
when we do muhasabah, Allah forgives all the sins and mistakes of his people, mistakes are erased, bad is
replaced with good and grace is poured out.
Then the priority of muhasabah is as follows.
1. It is the nature of a pious servant of Allah
The pious person is the one who brings the best provisions for the hereafter. However, the
journey does not always get a smooth road. It could be that person feels tired and weak or
could just feel bored. Muhasabah will help in dealing with various obstacles that will be
faced.
Maimun bin Mahran Rahimahullah said: “No servant becomes pious until he does muhasabah over himself harder than a
coworker who is stingy who makes calculations with his friends.”
2. The result of muhasabah is repentance
Many people commit immoral acts, but Allah SWT still bestows favors on them. The person does
not realize that it is a form of istidraj or a form of suspension towards destruction from Allah SWT, as His
word means:
“And those who deny Our verses, We will draw them gradually (towards destruction), in a way that they do not
know.” (QS Al-A’raf: 182)
The verse above is a form of warning from Allah SWT, so we should be afraid of this warning.
so it’s good for us to always do self-introspection. don’t let the blessings that God
has given us be a form of istidraj.
The true muhasabah will lead us to repentance which will begin with a form of regret. As
Rasulullah SAW said: “Regret is repentance.” (Reported by Ibn Majah, Ahmad and authenticated by
al-Albani in Shahiih al-Jaami’ ash-Shaghir).
3. Add energy to worship
Muhasabah will be an additional energy in itself when we carry out all the commands of Allah SWT.
Muhasabah is something that needs to be done so that we are not trapped in error, let alone
disobedience.
This can also be a moment to charge yourself , remember what you have done to find the good in it, and
develop yourself to become a better person and be loved by Allah SWT.
Muhasabah Aspects in Islam
1. Aspects of worship
The aspect of worship is one aspect of muhasabah. Because, worship is the main purpose of
human creation. As the word of Allah SWT which means “And I did not create jinn and humans
except that they worship Me.”
2. Aspects of work, fortune, and age
Muhasabah is an opportunity for Muslims to do self-introspection regarding what they have done while in the
world. Therefore, the aspects of age, work, and sustenance are important to pay attention
to.
From Ibn ‘Abbas Ra Rasulullah SAW once advised someone, he said,
“Take advantage of five things before five things: (1) Your youth before your old age comes, (2) Your healthy
time before your sickness comes, (3) Your rich period before your poverty comes, (4) Your free time before you
are busy, (5 ) Your life before your death comes.”
3. Aspects of social life
The aspect of social life in question is our relationship with fellow human beings. As
Rasulullah said,
“Do you know who the bankrupt person is?” They replied: “The one who is bankrupt among us is
the one who has no dirhams and has no possessions.”
The Messenger of Allah said: “Verily, those who are bankrupt from the people of the Day of Judgment
bring the reward of prayer, fasting and zakat. But he also came with the sin of tyranny.
He never railed against this person, accused without any evidence against that person, asked
for such and such property, spilled this person’s blood and fought against that person.
So as a ransom for this tyranny, it is given between the advantages of this person, such and such and such.
Until the end of the special, it has been distributed to those who were wronged while not all of
their wrongdoing has been redeemed, (HR Muslim no. 6522).
When is the Right Time for Muhasabah?
1. Initial time
Imam AL-Ghazali recommends that someone allocate time for muhasabah or self-introspection in the morning.
Muhasabah is carried out at the beginning of the most important time, to plan goodness and
strengthen commitment to goodness and stay away from evil. It is on such occasions that a
person sets a severe condition for himself in elevating him to the truth.
“Know, a servant as providing time at the beginning of the day to determine a tough condition for himself as
advice on the truth should provide time at the end of the day to ‘demand’ and ‘judge’ himself both motion and
silence.” (Imam Al-Ghazali).
2. End of time
Imam Al-Ghazali also advised Muslims to do muhasabah at the end of time. Muhasabah at the end
of time is quite important as a form of opportunity for a person to introspect all his actions, whether
silent or moving.
So, when is the right time for us to do muhasabah? It can be said muhasabah at the beginning
and at the end of time is equally important. Imam Al-Ghazali recommends that anyone do this
muhasabah on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.
He also said that as wise people, we can do muhasabah in the morning and evening, early and weekends, as
well as at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year. There is no provision that we
only do muhasabah at the end of the year. We can do Muhasabah whenever we want.
Sinaumed’s, we already know that muhasabah is an attitude of self-introspection that we need to do in order to
become a better self. Sinaumed’s can also find out the best way to do muhasabah and other related
matters by reading books that you can find on sinaumedia.com .
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