Question Yourself

When I began high school, I attended a local Friday night youth group halaqh. One night, the brother preparing the talk for the night handed out copies of an article with a series of self-reflective questions on it. The questions were very powerful, but as for what they were and what they asked, it seems just like a lost memory of my high school days.

Years later, an old friend from the youth group found his copy of the article while cleaning out his room. He showed it to me and I was blown away. Being older and more aware of Islam and myself, the questions on it hit home much harder.

I wondered where this list came from, so I gave it a Google search, inputing the questions from the list in quotations. It turns out the list is archived on Islaam.com; that list is actually an article entitled “Question Yourself” by Shaykh Husayn al-Awaaish translated for Hudaa Magazine back in 1995.

Read over the questions yourself and ask yourself how well you live Islam everyday in your own life, and ask Allah ‘azza wa jal to help you answer them better on a daily basis.

Dear Self,
Do you pray fajr (morning prayer) in the mosque in Jamaa`ah (gathering) every day?
Do you keep all prayers in the masjid in Jamaa`ah?
Did you read any portion of Allaah’s Book today?
Are you consistent in saying your thikr (words of remembrance) and praise of Allaah (T) and wird (regular daily dhikr) after every prayer?
Do you pray all the regular sunnah prayers (supererogatory prayers) before and after the fard prayers?

Were you humble and sincere in your prayers today, conscious of what you were reciting?
Did you reflect upon death and the grave?
Did you reflect upon the Last Day, its horrors and its perils?

Did you ask Allaah (three times) to let you into the Jennah? For, Anas, radhiallahu `anhu, reported that the Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam said:
When someone asks Allaah (three times) to let him into the Jannah, the Jannah says: ‘O Allaah, let him into his Jannah?’ And when someone asks Allaah (three times) to shelter him from the Fire, the Fire says: ‘O Allaah, protect him from the Fire’.” [At-Tirmidhee, an-Nasaa’ee, and al-Haakim; Saheeh al-Jaami` by al-Albaanee no. 6275]

Did you ask Allaah (three times) to protect you from the Hellfire?
Did you read any of the hadeeth of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam?
Did you consider keeping away from evil companions?

Did you try to avoid excessive laughing and joking?
Did you cry today for fear of Allaah?
Did you say the morning and evening thikr?
Did you seek forgiveness for your sins from Allaah for today?

Did you sincerely ask Allaah (ta`ala) for the Shahaadah (martyrdom) today? For, the Messenger of Allaah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:
“Whoever asks Allaah (ta`ala) for the Shahaadah with sincerity, Allaah will grant him the rank of martyrs, even if he dies in bed.” [Muslim and others]

Did you supplicate to Allaah to keep your heart firm upon His Deen?
Did you take advantage of the answerable periods (those during which supplications are answerable) to ask of Allaah?
Question Yourself

By Shaykh Husayn al-Awaaish
Translated by Imraan Husain
Hudaa October 1995
http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=392