Imagine there was a copybook in which you wrote down all the good and bad deeds you do every day, all your life. If you possessed such a book, what would you do? Would you try to count your good deeds and your sins? Would you look at your good deeds and take pride over them? Would you look at your sins and regret them? Would you wonder if there was a way to erase them, so that you could meet Allah The Almighty on the Day of Resurrection and receive your Book of Deeds in the right hand?

If such thoughts have crossed you mind, you should know you can keep your copybook clean by taking yourself to account. The early generations of Islam were in the habit of holding themselves to account regularly and would encourage each other to do the same.
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab said, “Hold yourselves in reckoning before you get held in reckoning, and weigh your deeds before they get weighed for you, because reckoning tomorrow (the Day of Resurrection) becomes easier when you hold yourselves for reckoning today; get prepared for the major exhibition, on that day you will exposed and nothing will be hidden.”

Allah The Almighty praised obedient people saying (what means): {Verily, those who live in awe for fear of their Lord; And those who believe in the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord; And those who join not anyone (in worship) as partners with their Lord; And those who give that (their charity) which they give (and also do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear (whether their alms and charities have been accepted or not), because they are sure to return to their Lord (for reckoning). It is these who hasten in the good deeds, and they are foremost in them [e.g. offering the compulsory Salaat (prayers) in their (early) stated, fixed times and so on].} [Quran, 23: 57-61]

‘Aa’ishah said, “I asked the Prophet about this verse saying, 'Are those who consume alcohol, commit adultery or fornication, and steal?' He said: ‘No! O daughter of the Siddeeq [the one who verifies the truth; an appellation for Abu Bakr ]; in fact they are those who fast, pray and spend in charity, yet they fear that Allah might not accept from them; those are the ones who rush into performing righteous deeds.’” [At-Tirmithi, Ibn Maajah and Ahmad]

This is how our honorable Salaf (righteous predecessors) were. They always tried to come close to Allah The Almighty by performing good deeds, and they rushed towards Him with different types of virtues and acts of worship. They held themselves to account for mistakes they committed, and most of all, they feared that Allah The Almighty might not accept their deeds from them.

Abu Bakr used to hold his own tongue and say, “This is what will cause my destruction.”

‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab recited chapter At-Toor until he reached the verse which says (what means): {Verily, the Torment of your Lord will surely come to pass.} [Quran 52:7] Then he cried so hard that he became physically ill and people visited him on account of this ailment.

Whenever ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Affaan used to stand by a grave he would cry until he would wet his beard and say, “If I am standing in a place between Paradise and Hell Fire, and do not know to which of the two Allah will command that I go, I would choose to become dust before knowing my destiny.”

‘Ali ibn Abu Taalib used to fear two things the most, following his desires and having a (false) hope of living long; he used to say, “As for the hope of living long, it makes one forget the Hereafter, and as for following one’s desires it prevents one from following the truth.”