Muhasabah meaning
What Is Muhasabah? Meaning and How to Do It
Muhasabah is the Islamic practice of taking account of yourself: looking back on your day before Allah with gratitude and honesty. Here is what it means and how to do it in five minutes a night.
The meaning of muhasabah
Muhasabah (محاسبة, also written muhasaba) comes from the Arabic root ḥ-s-b, "to count, to take account". In Islam it means muhasabat al-nafs: taking account of yourself, looking honestly at your deeds and intentions before Allah, being grateful for the good and seeking forgiveness for the wrong.
Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said: "Take account of yourselves before you are taken to account, and weigh your deeds before they are weighed." (reported by at-Tirmidhi)
The same practice in other languages
- Arabic: محاسبة النفس (muhasabat al-nafs)
- Turkish: nefis muhasebesi
- Indonesian and Malay: muhasabah diri
- Uzbek: nafs muhosabasi
- Urdu: محاسبہ (muhasba)
- English: self-accountability, daily self-reflection in Islam
How to do muhasabah each night, in 5 minutes
- Sit quietly after Isha or before sleeping.
- Look back on the day: what you did, said and felt. Be honest, not harsh.
- Thank Allah for the good, by name: the prayer you made, the kindness you showed, the patience you kept.
- Seek forgiveness for what went wrong, and decide how to put it right.
- Set one intention for tomorrow, and make du'a.
Muhasabah is not meant to make you anxious. The scholars described it as a balance: gratitude so you see Allah's favour on you, and honesty so you keep growing.
Muhasabah with Niyyah
Niyyah is a muhasabah app and Islamic journal. You tell it about your day in your own words; it listens, notices the good you did, and keeps your night with a Quran verse and a du'a. It never checks your worship or makes you go through a list. Women on their period are never asked whether they prayed.
Niyyah is a free Islamic journal app. Each night, tell it about your day in your own words, typed or spoken. It keeps your diary with a Quran verse and a du'a for your day, in English, Arabic, Turkish, Indonesian, Malay or Uzbek.
Questions
What does muhasabah mean in Islam?
Muhasabah (muhasabat al-nafs) means taking account of yourself: reviewing your deeds and intentions before Allah, thanking Him for the good and seeking forgiveness for the wrong.
Is it spelled muhasabah or muhasaba?
Both are transliterations of the Arabic محاسبة. Muhasabah is common in Malaysia and Indonesia; muhasaba is also used in English.
When should I do muhasabah?
Any time, but many Muslims do it at night after Isha or before sleeping, looking back on the whole day.