We must strive to rid ourselves of long hopes by reflecting on their harmful effects and keeping in mind the virtues of remembering death. By doing so, we can succeed in reforming ourselves and aligning our lives with the path of righteousness. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                     صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

The second cause: lack of self-accountability

Dear Islamic brothers! Another significant reason that obstructs our self-reformation and prevents us from changing for the better, is the absence of self-accountability. This is when we review and evaluate our actions. Unfortunately, we seldom assess ourselves or reflect upon our deeds.

This lack of self-accountability renders a person heedless of his Hereafter and distances him from righteous deeds. A person who engages in regular self-accountability and assesses his actions begins to love goodness and strives to avoid sins. The thought of death remains ever-present in his mind, and the fear of Allah becomes deeply ingrained in his heart.

This is why our pious predecessors رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ would habitually conduct self-accountability daily, evaluate their actions, and tremble with the fear of Allah. For instance:

The fortunate soul who held himself to account

Abū Bakr al-Kattānī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه states that there was a man who regularly held himself accountable for his mistakes and sins. One day, he calculated the number of years he had lived, which totalled 60. Then, he calculated the days, which amounted to 21,500 days.