Importance Of Self-Accountability (Ehtisab) As Suggested By Ghamidi Sahab
Whatever rituals Allah has prescribed for us is a minimum required to achieve this objective. Salah for example, on one hand represents worship to Allah in its reality but as an objective, it helps in rememberance of Allah. This is both the minimum and the obligatory portion in religion and it serves the purpose of remembering Allah hence a constant reminder of accountability as well. This however does not mean that Muslims are not allowed to come up with other secular means which also complement this purpose of religion or serve as a reminder. What Ghamidi Sahab has suggested is something based on human experience which can complement these actions, and not as a sole independent measure. Measures given by Allah are enough for a Muslim if one follows them in their letter and spirit. But since we as humans sometimes forget the objective behind Salah and take it as a mere ritual while ignoring its spirit ( and same is the case with other rituals ), in such circumstances, other secular measures like self-accountability before sleeping at night serve as a supporting measure if one has become victim of the same forgetfulness. It is to make up for our own carelessness and not a way to indicate that God has somehow failed to give us the appropriate measures. The measures are there, but we seldom use them in their right spirit.