Table of Contents
Watching the Heart Continually
Constant self examination is the habit of regularly looking into one’s heart, intentions, and actions in order to keep tawḥīd pure. It is not a single moment, but an ongoing inner conversation a believer has with himself before, during, and after actions. Allah praises those who hold themselves to account, and warns those who feel secure and self satisfied.
Allah says:
“O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do.”
(Qur’an 59:18)
This verse gathers both God consciousness and self evaluation. The believer looks to what he is sending ahead for the Hereafter, measuring his deeds, his beliefs, and his intentions. This continuous looking protects tawḥīd from being eroded by heedlessness, sins, and subtle forms of shirk.
The early Muslims used to say that the soul, if not held to account, will drag the person away from Allah. Constant self examination is a mercy from Allah because it alerts the believer before the final accountability on the Day of Judgment.
Allah says:
“O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.”
(Qur’an 33:70–71)
Self examination is how a person measures whether his words, actions, and inner states conform to obedience to Allah and His Messenger. Through this, Allah rectifies the deeds and forgives the sins of the servant.
The Prophet ﷺ taught that the true wise person is the one who holds his own soul to account. He ﷺ said:
“The intelligent person is the one who subdues his soul and works for what is after death, and the incapable is the one who follows his desires and then hopes upon Allah.”
(Tirmidhī)
In this hadith, subduing the soul includes watching its movements, its desires, its reactions, and its whispers. It is impossible to protect tawḥīd if a person leaves his soul unchecked and then merely hopes that matters will be well in the Hereafter.
Self examination is not despair and it is not self hatred. It is a clear and honest look at oneself in the light of revelation, paired with hope in Allah’s mercy and determination to improve for His sake.
Constant self examination is an obligation of the heart that supports tawḥīd. It means: regularly checking beliefs, intentions, and deeds against the Qur’an and Sunnah, then correcting them sincerely for Allah alone.
Before Actions: Checking Intentions and Motives
The first place where self examination protects tawḥīd is before starting any action. At this stage, a believer asks: “Why am I about to do this? For whom is this deed? Does it please Allah? Is there any share in it for my ego, my reputation, or my desires?”
Allah says:
“And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth…”
(Qur’an 98:5)
Sincerity is the essence of tawḥīd in worship. Before each act of worship or any good deed, the heart must be tested: is this deed pure for Allah alone, or is there a mixture of wanting praise, status, or benefit from people?
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Actions are only by intentions, and every person will have only what he intended.”
(Bukhārī, Muslim)
This hadith is the foundation of looking at one’s heart before acting. If a person intends worship for other than Allah, he has violated tawḥīd al ulūhiyyah in that act. Even if he believes that only Allah is Lord and Creator, his act of worship is corrupted if it seeks people instead of Allah.
Before any deed, the believer trains himself to pause and ask three questions:
“Is this allowed by Allah?”
“Is this for Allah?”
“Does this bring me closer to Him or away from Him?”
These simple questions place a filter over behavior and habits. They also reveal hidden motives. A person might discover that something he calls “service” or “dawah” is in reality a search for praise, control, or attention. When he discovers this, constant self examination requires him to correct the intention before proceeding, or to abandon the act if he cannot purify it.
The Prophet ﷺ warned of people who do good outwardly but are inwardly seeking other than Allah. He said:
“Whoever learns knowledge by which the Face of Allah is sought, yet he learns it only to attain some worldly gain, he will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”
(Abū Dāwūd)
This shows how crucial it is to check intentions in religious acts. Knowledge of Islam, teaching, da‘wah, prayers, charity, and all acts of obedience must be measured in the heart before they are done. Constant self examination at this stage is a protection of tawḥīd from riya (showing off) and from turning worship into a tool for worldly goals.
During Actions: Guarding Sincerity and Presence
Self examination does not end once a deed begins. During any act of worship, the believer remains alert to the state of his heart. He notices if pride, self admiration, or a desire to be seen by people enters. If such feelings appear, he corrects his inner state.
Allah says:
“So woe to those who pray, but who are heedless of their prayer, those who make show [of their deeds].”
(Qur’an 107:4–6)
In this verse, Allah warns of those who perform prayer outwardly but are distracted from its reality, and those who display it in front of people for reputation. Constant self examination during acts of worship protects the servant from becoming one of them.
The Prophet ﷺ described a subtle form of shirk that can appear while a person is worshipping. He ﷺ said:
“What I fear most for you is the lesser shirk.” They said, “What is the lesser shirk, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “Riya (showing off). Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection, when He is rewarding people for their deeds: ‘Go to those for whom you were showing off in the world and see if you find with them any reward.’”
(Ahmad)
This hadith shows how riya is connected to constant self examination. Without watching the heart during actions, a believer can slip into this lesser shirk without noticing. Tawḥīd is not only a belief in the mind, it is a living choice in every act of worship to seek Allah alone.
During an act, the believer also checks his awareness of Allah. If his mind wanders or his heart is empty, he gently returns himself to focus. This does not mean that every moment will be perfect, but it means that he refuses to be content with long periods of heedlessness in worship.
Allah says:
“Certainly will the believers have succeeded, those who are humble in their prayer.”
(Qur’an 23:1–2)
Humility and focus in worship require continuous inner attention. Constant self examination here is not to paralyze the believer or to fill him with doubts about the validity of his deeds, but to keep the heart awake. It is a training that over time allows the worshipper to notice early when his intention slips, and then to bring it back to Allah.
In addition, during actions that involve others, such as giving charity publicly or participating in community projects, self examination must be stronger. The eyes of people are a test. The believer asks himself: “If no one saw this, would I still do it in the same way? Would I still be as eager, or as generous?” If the answer is no, then the heart needs correction so that the deed is truly for Allah.
After Actions: Honest Evaluation and Repentance
When an action is complete, a new phase of self examination begins. The believer looks back and assesses the deed, not with arrogance but with humility. He asks: “Was this deed in accordance with the Sunnah? Was my intention pure? Did I fall into self admiration or pride afterwards? Did I harm anyone in the process? Did I give the act its proper right?”
Allah mentions the righteous as those who even after giving charity, fear their standing before Him. He says about them:
“And they who give what they give while their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord.”
(Qur’an 23:60)
‘Ā’ishah رضي الله عنها asked the Prophet ﷺ about this verse, and he explained that they are not those who drink alcohol or steal, but those who fast, pray, and give charity yet fear that it may not be accepted from them. This fear is not despair, but it is a fruit of constant self examination. They do good, then they worry about its acceptance and they ask Allah to accept it.
The Prophet ﷺ taught a supplication that reflects this attitude. He would say after deeds:
“O Allah, accept it from us. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing.”
(paraphrased from Qur’an 2:127, and used by the Prophet ﷺ when he finished certain acts)
The believer who examines himself after an action also looks for mistakes and sins that might have occurred. If he finds them, he does not ignore them. He hastens to repentance.
Allah says:
“And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves, remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins, and who can forgive sins except Allah, and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.”
(Qur’an 3:135)
This verse shows the path after discovering a fault: remember Allah, seek forgiveness, and avoid persistence. Constant self examination makes a person quick to notice his sins, and therefore quick to repent. In this way, sins do not become a habit that darkens the heart and weakens tawḥīd.
After a good deed, the believer also guards himself from kibr (arrogance) and ‘ujb (self admiration). He remembers that every success is from Allah. Allah says:
“And whatever you have of favor, it is from Allah.”
(Qur’an 16:53)
If a person prays, fasts, gives, or teaches, then looks at himself with satisfaction and claims the credit, his heart has veered from pure tawḥīd. Self examination after deeds means that he attributes all good to Allah and blames his own self for shortcomings. This humility is a shield against spiritual pride, which is a path to ruin.
The Role of the Heart and Conscience
Constant self examination is primarily a work of the heart. The physical actions are only a reflection of what is inside. The heart is the place where tawḥīd is affirmed or broken, and it is also the place where intentions are formed and desires are felt.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart.”
(Bukhārī, Muslim)
Because the heart is central, self examination must begin there. A person asks: “What do I love most? What do I fear most? Upon whom do I rely most? Whose pleasure do I seek? When I am alone, what occupies my thoughts?” These questions reveal where tawḥīd stands in the heart.
Allah says:
“And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.”
(Qur’an 2:165)
This verse indicates that love is a key measure of faith. Constant self examination asks: “Is my love for anything or anyone equal to, or above, my love for Allah?” If such a state is found, the believer strives to correct it, because complete tawḥīd gives the deepest love to Allah alone, and then loves everyone and everything else through that love.
The conscience of the believer, when trained by revelation, becomes a powerful aid to self examination. The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Consult your heart. Righteousness is what the soul feels at ease with and the heart feels at ease with, and sin is what wavers in the soul and causes uneasiness in the chest, even if people give you a verdict.”
(Ahmad)
This does not mean that personal feelings can replace the Qur’an and Sunnah, but it means that a heart enlightened by revelation will often recoil from sin and hypocrisy. Constant self examination notices these inner reactions and takes them seriously. When the chest feels narrow and worried about something, the believer examines whether he is entering into something doubtful or disliked by Allah.
The heart also needs regular remembrance to remain soft and responsive. Allah says:
“No! Rather, the stain has covered their hearts of that which they were earning.”
(Qur’an 83:14)
Sins place a stain upon the heart. Without self examination and repentance, these stains can pile up until the heart becomes hard. At that point, advice and reminders are less effective. This is why constant self examination is not optional; it is a necessary cleaning process to preserve the heart’s ability to recognize truth and submit to Allah.
Daily Moments of Account
To make self examination constant, the believer includes it in his daily routine. It does not have to be long or complicated. Short, honest moments can shape the entire path of a person.
One powerful time is in the evening, before sleep. A believer reviews his day, recalling his prayers, words, dealings, and private moments. He thanks Allah for every good deed and every protection from sin. He seeks forgiveness for every wrong. He reconciles with those he has harmed, at least in his heart, and plans to fix what he can the next day.
Allah says:
“And whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”
(Qur’an 99:7–8)
Reflecting on this verse each night helps a person realize that nothing is lost. No minor good deed and no small crime will be forgotten. This awareness pushes him toward honesty in self evaluation.
The early Muslims used to say that the believer has two court sessions every day. The first is between himself and his Lord, where he reviews his deeds. The second will be on the Day of Judgment. If he is strict in this world with his own soul, his situation will be easier when Allah judges him.
The Prophet ﷺ taught specific remembrances to say at the end of the day which themselves include self evaluation and repentance. He ﷺ said:
“The master of seeking forgiveness is that the servant says: ‘O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I am upon Your covenant and promise as much as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your favor upon me and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for indeed no one forgives sins except You.’ Whoever says it during the day, certain of it, and dies before evening, will enter Paradise; and whoever says it at night, certain of it, and dies before morning, will enter Paradise.”
(Bukhārī)
This supplication gathers recognition of Allah’s favors, admission of one’s sins, and sincere seeking of forgiveness. It is a perfect example of the attitude of constant self examination: seeing both the blessings and the faults, and turning to Allah with humility and hope.
Self examination can also take place after prayers, during times of silence, while traveling, or whenever the heart is free from distractions. A simple inward question like “How is my heart with Allah right now?” can bring many things to the surface. Over time, these small checks create a habit, and the heart becomes more and more used to aligning itself with tawḥīd.
Balancing Fear, Hope, and Effort
Constant self examination must be balanced. If a person looks only at his faults, he may fall into despair and think that Allah will never accept him. If he ignores his faults, he will become arrogant and careless. The Qur’an teaches a path that combines fear, hope, and active striving.
Allah says:
“Inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful, and that My punishment is the painful punishment.”
(Qur’an 15:49–50)
Both sides are mentioned together: mercy and punishment. The one who examines himself must remember both. When he sees his sins, he fears Allah’s punishment and is ashamed before Him. When he sees Allah’s favors and the promises of forgiveness, he hopes in Allah and does not give up.
Allah also describes the true believers as:
“…those who give and their hearts are fearful because they will be returning to their Lord.”
(Qur’an 23:60)
Their fear does not stop them from doing good. Instead, it fuels more action and more sincerity. This is the balanced state that constant self examination aims for: a heart that is alert to its weakness, but still active in obedience and full of trust in Allah’s mercy.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“If the believer knew what is with Allah of punishment, none would hope for His Paradise, and if the disbeliever knew what is with Allah of mercy, none would despair of His Paradise.”
(Muslim)
This hadith indicates the vastness of both Allah’s mercy and His justice. Self examination is not about counting one’s sins and then sinking into hopelessness. It is about using that knowledge to push oneself toward repentance, good deeds, and deeper sincerity.
The effort of self examination itself is a sign of life in the heart. A person who cares enough to look inside, to correct mistakes, and to seek Allah’s pleasure is already different from one who is heedless. Allah says:
“Is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom?”
(Qur’an 6:122)
The “light” in this verse includes the light of awareness, conscience, and self correction that comes from faith. Constant self examination is a walking with that light. Through it, the believer avoids the traps of Shayṭān, the deviations of the nefs, and the subtle forms of shirk that threaten tawḥīd.
At the same time, the believer never relies on his own self examination or efforts. He knows that guidance and steadfastness come only from Allah. The Prophet ﷺ, though he was the most guided of creation, would often say:
“O Changer of the hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion.”
(Tirmidhī)
If this was the supplication of the Prophet ﷺ, then the believer who examines himself must often repeat it. He asks Allah to keep his heart firm upon tawḥīd, to show him his faults, to forgive his sins, and to grant him sincerity in every moment of life.
In this way, constant self examination becomes not a burden but an honored form of worship. It is the servant walking humbly with his Lord, always checking, always correcting, always turning back, until he meets Allah with a sound heart.