The fear of regret can be crushing. But a healthy fear of regret can also be incredibly motivating when we’re empowered by the tips and tricks given to us by both the Prophet ﷺ and Allah.
The fear of regret
Everyone operates a bit differently. Some people are motivated by hope, and others by fear. The fear of regret can led us to form life-changing habits, especially if we imagine the moment of how everything will end.
How exactly it’ll happen isn’t really what’s concerning, but the fear of the very the last thought being of what we wish we had done.
On the Day of Judgment
O the Day of Judgement, when the trumpets have blown and the souls are assembled, Allah (swt) gives us a very vivid image of what will happen. Wa-ji’a yawma idhin bi-jahannam, yawma idhin yatadhakar al-insan [89:23].
It’s at that moment, when hellfire is brought forth, that everyone suddenly remembers all of the sins they’ve committed. But what’s the point of remembering then? It’ll be too late. Yaqul ya laytani qaddamtu li-hayati [89:24]
That as reality hits so hard. We’ll be left to say, “If only I did more in life.” If only, I spent my time wisely. If only, I was willing to wake up early and instil good habits. No matter how many times we regret not doing enough, it will do us nothing if we start too late.
Now is the time to start. We never have a moment to lose. And while the fear of regret can really push us to stay away from sin, it can be empowering with the right mindset.
Empower yourself with knowledge
Take for example the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ who said, “The one who was devoted to the Qur’an will be told on the Day of Resurrection: Iqra, wartaqi, warratil – ‘Recite and ascend in ranks as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite.”
If you developed a habit of reading the Quran in this life, on the Day of Judgement, you will be asked to recite. And for every single ayah that you recited, you will rise in your ranks in Jennah.
You can use this hadith as motivation to a develop a habit of reciting the Quran. Similarly with other tips shared by the Prophet ﷺ. Make it a priority to go out and seek this type of knowledge and use it to push you to live in a way that minimizes your regret in this life and the next.
Download the Habits to Win Here and Hereafter Workbook as you follow along with this series!
