Muhāsaba: To keep the nafs (the lower self) under control from situations that hinder its practice of religion, to purify it, and to isolate the nafs from all obstacles standing before the paths of purity, love, altruism (īsār), and ikhlas (sincerity), thereby increasing inner self-reproach (batinī lawm, i.e., self-blame) and disciplining the nafs. For the Sufi, this maqām (spiritual station) is a firm step and a struggle worthy of gratitude. For they follow in the footsteps of the Prophet, attaining hudā (guidance) through his guidance. As the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The intelligent one is he who calls his nafs to account and acts for what comes after death. The incapable one is he who follows the desires of his nafs and merely hopes for salvation from Allah.”[1]
Whoever calls his nafs to account cannot find a way to occupy it with bāṭil (falsehood), for he is occupied with obedience. Out of fear of Allah for his shortcomings, he reproaches his nafs. How then can this nafs find a way to laziness and frivolity (lehwiyyāt, amusements)?
Ahmed Rifāʿī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “From fear comes muhāsaba, from muhāsaba comes murāqaba (spiritual vigilance), and from murāqaba comes constant preoccupation with the Exalted Allah.”[2]
It is remarkable how this state of the Sufis, in their pure spiritual discipline and in planting the sapling of hidden self-reproach within themselves, resembles the method the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) applied to his Companions (ṣaḥāba)! It is narrated that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) once left his house with his stomach bent from hunger. He met Abū Bakr and ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with them) and realized that their condition was similar to his, for they too could not find daily food. A man from the Anṣār encountered them. Their cheerful faces did not deceive him; he understood their situation and invited them to be his guests. When they reached his house, they found dates, cold water, and shade. They ate from the dates and drank the water. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed, these are among the blessings for which you will be held accountable.”[3]
What kind of blessing is it for which people are held accountable and called to account? It is but a few dates and a sip of water to quench thirst. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) considered these to be among the blessings for which their Lord will call them to account on the Day of Resurrection. Is not this beautiful perspective of the Messenger of God a profound relaxation for the nature of the nafs, a strong control, a pleasant feeling, a subtle understanding, a great perception, and an intense sense of responsibility in every action of the nafs from the present to the future?
Self-accounting of the nafs instills a sense of responsibility towards the Exalted Allah, His creation, and the nafs itself, which is charged with the commands and prohibitions of the sharia. Through muhāsaba, one understands that man was not created in vain. Surely, he will return to the Exalted Allah. As the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) informed: “Allah will speak to each person individually without an interpreter. (The servant) will look to his right and see nothing but what he has sent forth. He will look to his left and see nothing but what he has sent forth. He will look ahead and see nothing but the Fire before him. So protect yourselves from the Fire, even if only with half a date; and if you cannot find that, then with a good word.”[4]
With sincere tawba (repentance), the servant turns to Allah, abandons transient occupations that distract from Allah, and runs to Him, leaving everything else. The Exalted Allah says in Sūrat al-Dhāriyāt 51:50:
“So flee to Allah. Indeed, I am to you from Him a clear warner.”
Travel to the Exalted Allah with the believing Sufi community, responding to the voices that come from the unseen—run as well!
O you who have believed! Fear Allah and be with those who are true. (al-Tawba 9:119)
The poet says in his poem:
“Indeed, the Sufi community are guests who have migrated to the presence of the Real (al-Ḥaqq).”
Thus, the Exalted Allah admits them to His lofty presence and the Most Holy Lord (Allah) grants them the station mentioned in Sūrat al-Qamar 54:55, recited by all the muḥibbīn (lovers of Allah):
They will be in a seat of truth in the presence of a Sovereign, Perfect in Ability.
He bestows upon them the station (indiyya) indicated by this command.
Shaykh Ahmad Zarrūq (may Allah have mercy on him) says in his “Qawāʿid”: Neglecting to call the nafs to account leads to immature and lax behavior regarding the nafs. Being negligent in the struggle with the nafs invites contentment with it. Excessive harshness brings about its aversion, while excessive leniency encourages its laziness. What is required is to combine constant muhāsaba with debate, to take what is near and sound in action, and not to show leniency in matters with clear rulings. One should not seek out hidden (doubtful) matters in action. One should examine the state of the acts one has abandoned or performed and heed the saying: “Whoever’s present day is not better than his yesterday is deceived. Whoever’s deeds do not increase is deficient. Perseverance in deeds is itself an increase.” Regarding this, Junayd (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If a person turns to Allah and busies himself with worship for a year, then turns away and ceases, what he has missed is greater than what he has attained.”[5]
Footnotes
- Reported by Tirmidhi in Kitāb Ṣifat al-Qiyāma from Shaddād ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him); he said the hadith is hasan.
- Sayyid Ahmad al-Rifāʿī (may Allah have mercy on him), al-Burhān al-Muʾayyad, p.56
- Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, vol.4, p.545
- Reported by Muslim in Kitāb al-Zakāt from ʿAdiyy ibn Ḥātim (may Allah have mercy on him), and by Tirmidhi in Kitāb Ṣifat al-Qiyāma.
- Ahmad Zarrūq, Qawāʿid, p.75
- al-Arbaʿīn fī Uṣūl al-Dīn, p.196
From the Erginli Dictionary
(ḥiṣn al-badan; muʿāqabat al-nafs ʿalā taqṣīrihā; muhāsabat al-nafs)
Obedience is the path to salvation; knowledge is the guide on this path. The essence (foundation) of obedience is warāʿ (scrupulousness), the essence of warāʿ is taqwa (God-consciousness), the essence of taqwa is muhāsabat al-nafs, and the foundation of muhāsabat al-nafs is khawf (fear) and rajāʾ (hope). The guide for self-accounting is knowledge...
What is self-accounting of the nafs? I asked this question. I was answered thus: It is to observe and pay attention by distinguishing what Allah does not love from what He loves. Moreover, self-accounting of the nafs is divided into two: accounting for future deeds and reflecting on present deeds. The Qur'an and Sunnah have indicated the necessity of accounting for future deeds, and the scholars have agreed on this. (Riʿāya, 12)
Muhāsaba... My brother, know your nafs, examine its states, carefully and compassionately investigate the knots in your conscience, fearing its ruin. For you have no other nafs. If it is destroyed, it is a great calamity and a dreadful disaster. Therefore, my brother, look at your nafs with a careful and sharp gaze so that you may recognize the calamities of your deeds, the corruption within you, and what your tongue is inclined toward.
Then, restrain the reins of its desires, pull it with the wisdom of fear and the truthfulness of opposition, gently direct it in your actions toward ikhlas, in your conscience toward right intention, in your speech toward correct logic, and in your heart toward sound intention. Abandon unnecessary things that you believe are love for the world and not blameworthy to look at, and avert your gaze from desires and obscenities that your Lord does not want. Protect your nafs sincerely by avoiding listening to, doing, or consuming what Allah does not want, covering what must be covered, and correcting all your desires, preventing your nafs from enjoying anything your Lord does not desire. (Riʿāya, 60)
Abū Yazīd (al-Bisṭāmī) said: There are ten things that are the fortress of the body: guarding the eyes, turning the tongue with dhikr, self-accounting of the nafs, acting with knowledge, preserving proper conduct, distancing the body from worldly occupations, seclusion from people, striving against the nafs, abundant worship, and following the Sunnah. (Shaṭaḥāt, 104)
Allah the Exalted has said: O you who have believed! Fear Allah, and let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow. (al-Hashr 59:18) Taking the path of muhāsaba after seeking permission leads only to tawba.
Muhāsaba has four pillars: The first is to compare your sin with His blessing. But this comparison is difficult for one who lacks three things: the light of wisdom, having a bad opinion of the nafs, and distinguishing between blessing and tribulation.
The second pillar of muhāsaba is to distinguish between what is from Allah's blessing upon you and what is from you (your intentions and deeds, your response to blessings). Thus, you realize that the evidence is against you for your sin and upon your obedience. The ruling is evidence against you, leaving you with no excuse.
The third pillar of muhāsaba is to realize that every act of obedience that pleases Him is necessary for you, and that every sin for which you blame your brother will inevitably return to you, and that when the time comes, you will set up the Balance (Mīzān) with your own hand. (Manāzil, 8)
The merchant's accounting with his partner is to check the principal, profit, and loss so that surplus and deficiency become clear. If there is surplus in profit, he gives it to his partner and thanks him. If there is a loss, he asks his partner to pay it and make up for it in the future. Similarly, the servant's religious capital is the obligatory acts, his profit is the supererogatory acts and virtues, and his loss is his sins. The season for this trade is the entire day.
His constant dealing with the nafs that commands evil should be as follows: First, he calls his nafs to account regarding the obligatory acts. If he has performed them on time, he thanks Allah and encourages his nafs to similar worship. If he has neglected an obligatory act, he makes it up. If he performed it imperfectly, he tries to make up for the deficiency with supererogatory acts. If he has committed a sin, he occupies himself with punishing and reproaching his nafs, as a merchant does with his partner to make up for a loss.
Likewise, in worldly matters, to avoid loss, one checks the profit and loss by counting the grains and carats; so too in religion, one must save the day. At the same time, he must guarantee for his nafs the account that will be examined by others on the Day of Resurrection, and thus check his gaze, thoughts, sitting, standing, eating, drinking, sleeping, even his silence—why he is silent, his stillness—why he is still.
After confirming all that his nafs must do and verifying what he has fulfilled, the remainder becomes apparent. Then he should persevere in it and, as a merchant records the remainder in his ledger after accounting, he should write it on the page of his heart. (Iḥyāʾ, 139)
Among the spiritual stations... self-accounting of the nafs is to check its excesses and deficiencies, what is for and against it.
One who truly strives against his nafs is a person of mujāhada (spiritual struggle) and muhāsaba. (ʿAwārif, 47)
...A thing, in its essence, becomes a ḥāl (spiritual state), then takes the form of a maqām (station). The emergence of a sense of muhāsaba in the servant's heart, then its disappearance due to the dominance of carnal qualities, and its reappearance at times—if the servant maintains the state of muhāsaba, it continues. The disappearance of the state of muhāsaba with the emergence of carnal traits continues until divine aid arrives. With Allah's help, the state of muhāsaba prevails over the servant, and the nafs is subdued. The state of muhāsaba encompasses him entirely, becoming the homeland, place of stability, and station of the nafs. (Other states are similar; Jāmiʿ)... (ʿAwārif, 273; Jāmiʿ, 138)
...When this becomes constant and established in the servant, he rises from the station of muhāsaba to the station of murāqaba. When muhāsaba becomes his station, murāqaba becomes his state. Then, as the state of murāqaba, due to the occasional dominance of error and heedlessness in the servant's inner world, leads to the overcoming of error and heedlessness, Allah supports His servant with His help. Thus, after murāqaba becomes a state, it turns into a station. The station of muhāsaba only becomes stable with the arrival of the state of murāqaba. When the servant is granted the possibility of rising to the state of mushāhada (spiritual witnessing), his murāqaba becomes stable and turns into his station. (ʿAwārif, 273–274)
Muhāsaba is to check the principal, profit, and loss so that surplus and deficiency become clear. The servant's religious capital is the obligatory acts, his profit is the supererogatory acts and virtues, and his loss is his sins. Therefore, he must first call his nafs to account regarding the obligatory acts; if he has committed a sin, he occupies himself with punishing his nafs to make up for the deficiency. (Qudāma, 401)
Muʿāqabat al-nafs ʿalā taqṣīrihā (punishing the nafs for its shortcomings): Know that when the murīd calls his nafs to account and sees a deficiency or commits a sin, he should not let it go. For at that moment, committing the sin is easy for him, and breaking away from it is difficult. In this case, a person should punish his nafs with a permissible punishment, just as he punishes his family and children. (Qudāma, 402)
Muhāsaba has three steps, gathered after resolving to make tawba. In the step of Islam, the seeker attains blessings and gathers the light of wisdom, a bad opinion of the nafs, and the ability to distinguish blessing from tribulation. In the step of iman, he distinguishes what is for Allah or from Him from other things. In the step of ihsan, he knows that the acts of obedience that please him are against him, and the acts of obedience for which he blames his brother are in his favor. (Rawḍa, 477)
At the beginning (bidāya), muhāsaba is to balance good and evil. In the section on doors (abwāb), it is to compare good and evil and their importance, to submit to good, and to destroy evil. In dealings (muʿāmalāt), it is to compare times of presence and observance with times of wakefulness and heedlessness.
In ethics, it is to compare virtues and vices, good and bad qualities. In principles, it is to compare resolve with periods of inactivity (fatara); in the spiritual path (sulūk), to gather himmas (spiritual aspirations) and distinguish separation; in intimacy with the Real, to compare it with the loneliness of being with people. In remedies, muhāsaba is, in the station of ihsan, to be close to the spiritual elite and to be illuminated by the light of ḥaqīqa (inner reality), balancing times except for the stillness of falsehood. In states, muhāsaba is to account for the times when spiritual flashes surround or depart from a person, when longing and ecstasy are present or weak, and when taste arises or disappears, as long as these states persist.
In walāya (friendship with God), muhāsaba is to pay attention to the balance between the presence and cloudiness of the moment, between comforting the nafs and, if possible, removing distress. In realities (ḥaqāʾiq), muhāsaba is between the influxes of expansion and contraction, times of manifestation and concealment, and until spiritual sobriety prevails over spiritual intoxication. In the end (nihāya), muhāsaba is between the states of fanāʾ (annihilation in God) at the beginning of love and the emergence of transformation until reaching fanāʾ, in union and separation, in realization and individuation, and in the realization of absolute tawhid (the oneness of God) in the station of ahadiyya. (Jāmiʿ, 274)
Self-accounting of the nafs concerns acting, refraining from action, and speaking about the tastes and ecstasies obtained through struggles. Then, this self-accounting becomes established as a station in the servant, and from this station, the servant rises to another. (Bughyat, 18)
Source: Zafer Erginli (ed.), Dictionary of Sufi Terms with Texts.