A true believer is being watched in every while; a genuine followers of Islam believes that he will be accountable to the Day of Judgment in front of Almighty Allah for his every deed which occurs my his mind or by body. Whatever a believer expresses himself or not, if he harnesses wrong things or sins in his mind, of course he will have to be accountable. Taqwa, consciousness of Allah, prevents every Muslim from doing forbidden things in Islam. Justice has been regarded as the fundamental essence of Islam. Every incumbent, according to Islamic guidelines, is liable to his own responsibilities.
As Islam says-everyone is responsible and everyone will be questioned for his or her responsibilities. Thus, a true believer fosters Taqwa and Taqwa prevents him from wrongdoings, from infringing justice because of fear of Allah. In this way, transparency, accountability and responsiveness are ensured, and Islamic guidelines of self-accountability facilitate to obtain good governance. The article focuses on how Islamic guidelines of self-accountability facilitate to ensure good governance. The paper addresses on related issues and concepts like the concept of governance and good governance, Islamic guidelines on the self-accountability in reference with Qur’an and Hadith, and the relationship between self-accountability in Islam and good governance. Main message of Qur’an on self-accountability that Allah knows well his servant if the servant expresses his mind or conceals his minds; Allah knows everything-what the servant is doing openly or in secret.
Taqwa, consciousness of Allah, prevents Muslim from wrongdoings; prevents sins at first which arises on mind. Thus, self-control due to fear of Allah facilitates good governance. This study will be useful for policy makers, academia, practitioners, and earnest learners to understand the relationship between Islamic guidelines on self-accountability and good governance. Good governance implies presence of rule of law, safeguard of human rights, and existence of honest and efficient government, accountability, transparency, predictability and openness. A competent management of a country’s resources and affairs in a manner that is open, transparent, accountable, equitable and responsive to people’s needs. The essence of faith of Muslim is hesab (accountability) to almighty Allah; Iman (faith on Allah, his books, angels, and related matters), fundamental basis of all activities in Islam, guides Muslim in every moment. Shariah, the legal guide of Islam, specifies how every business of a Muslim would be conducted, how every activity of a Muslim would be governed.
Shariah is the legal guide of Islam on the basis of Quran (revelation of Allah) and Hadith (speech, direction and activity of Prophet Muhammad) to lead life or Shariah is a way of life according to Islamic guidelines. In broad sense, accounting is central in Muslim’s faith; accountability to Allah and to the community is paramount in Islam. Self-accountability refers to one’s own review on his or her activities with identifying wrongdoings and promising for correction in future. Islam sees accountability as Amanah (trust) which includes everything which is entrusted upon to the individual as well as instructed to do take care of. Amaanah incorporates protecting individual capacities from engaging any deed which is not pleasing to Allah and guarding the rights of others which are entrusted to take care of. Islam requires proper manner to maintain Amanah whether it is public or private trust. In Quran, Allah said- ‘O you have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts (things entrusted to you and all the duties ordained by Allah) while you know [the consequence]’. Al Anfal, 8:27.
Taqwa, consciousness of Allah, prevents a person from any wrongdoing which would cause disgruntle of Allah; Taqwa demands Ta’ah, obedience of Allah, in every moment whether the person is in alone or not. The goal of Iman is to create consciousness of Allah (Taqwa), crucial objective of Iman for pleasing Allah, makes individual accountable to Allah if the person is being watched or not being watched; a Muslim believe that Allah is watching him/her ceaselessly. Ihtesab-e-Nafs (Self-Accountability) is one of the basic tenets of Quran, has been considered as tool against insinuation of Satan (evil). Eminent Islamic scholars-Al-Mawardi, Ghazali and Ibn Al-Qayyum see as self-accountability is a necessity for self-control. Famous Arabic lexicographer Ibn Manzur, author of Lisan al-‘Arab, defines Ihtesab (accountability)-‘counting of merits and demerits of a person’. Political thinker Al-Mawardi, author of ‘Al-Ahkam alSultaniyya’ and ‘Adab al-Din wa al-Dunya’ defines-“Self-accountability is to visit one’s own day-and-night activities and then to decide that I will continue my good deeds and leave the bad in future repenting about such actions”.
Imam Ghazali thinks that self-accountability is to review one’s previous deeds like a businessman who reviews his financial statements periodically and asses which brought benefit and which caused loss. Self-accountability is a unique facet of Islamic administration and it is attributed to a great principle which covers not just administrative chores but also individual and social acts. This principle is established from the idea that the existence of human life is a basis for the worship of God, and therefore, all the administrator’s work, actions and even gestures are related to whether he obeys God’s orders and avoids God’s prohibitions or not. This knowledge then holds him accountable for his work to his creator, the creator of this universe. From this point of view, self- accountability is considered as a first line of defense to face administrative corruption.
Accountability and transparency regards as the cornerstone of good governance where incumbent person is accountable to the multiple stakeholders like-government authorities, immediate superior executive, constituents, and to the citizens of the country. Islam covers in every phase of human life, introduced as ‘Islam is the complete code of life’, where immense importance with due guidelines was given by Ouran and Hadith on self-accountability. Aforementioned guidelines of Islam guides explicitly to a believer that he or she is solely accountable to the almighty Allah even the individual passes the time alone, will be judged in the Day of Judgment, is oriented to receive rewards or punishment.
—The writer is a PhD in Islamic thought and culture from NUML Islamabad and the author of five books and forty research publications.
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