Ethic scholars have emphasized in their books on the necessity of these two principles for acquisition of good moral habits and salvation from vices, and certainly no one can traverse mental and moral perfection stages without these two.
Vigilance is the same full attention to the manner of deeds and actions before performing them, and self-examination is concerned with reviewing the consequences and effects of an action after performing it.
Sometimes, a little ignorance and self-unawareness in each of these two stages involves man in an unlucky destiny, relieving of which is not easily possible.
The situation of man's spirit in this part is just like his body. A man has to observe different hygienic points for preserving his physical health, and pay attention to the affairs, which may cause different diseases before eating any food and living in any environment. Once he has to be vaccinated for prevention from diseases. Somewhen he has to observe special diets in view of food and such like, and occasionally he should go under precise medical examinations by proficient physicians, and after affliction to disease and its treatment, he should strengthen his health for compensating convalescence and removing its bad effects.
For challenging with moral deviations and acquiring spiritual health too observing all of these affairs is necessary. In general, the man who is interested in acquisition of good moral habits should consider following aspects:
1- He should always watch his condition and know that, before him, God is always observing and watching him. Holy Quran says:
أَفَمَنْ هُوَ قائِمٌ عَلى کُلِّ نَفْس بِما کَسَبَتْ).
(What, He who stands over every soul for what he has earned?). It is inferred from this verse that God is watching and looking man like the one always standing over him.
And also it says:
اِنَّ اللهَ کانَ عَلَیْکُمْ رَقِیباً).
Surely God ever watches over you.
And it is narrated in a tradition from Prophet S.A.:
«اُعْبُدِ اللهَ کَاَنَّکَ تَراهُ فَاِنْ لَمْ تَکُنْ تَراهُ فَاِنَّهُ یَراکَ».
Worship God as you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He sees you.
It is interesting that this tradition is mentioned for the interpretation of the word goodness in the verse
اِنَّ اللهَ یَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَ الاِْحْسانِ).
God bids to justice and good-doing.
That is to say the source of all goodnesses is vigilance.
2- Before starting each speech and action, a man should study precisely its incentive, result and end as it is narrated in the tradition:
«اِنَّهُ یُنْشَرُ لِلْعَبْدِ فِی کُلِّ حَرَکَة مِنْ حَرَکاتِهِ وَ اِنْ صَغُرَتْ ثَلاثَةُ دَواوِینَ: اَلاَْوَّلُ لِمَ; اَلثّانِی کَیْفَ; اَلثّالِثُ لِمَنْ».
When performing each action, whatever small it may be, three books are opened for registering its specifications: first book for why, and the second for how, and third for whom.
In other words, the incentives of action is registered in the first book, and quality of action in the second, and its purpose and final aim in the third one.
Surely, considering such reality will control man against misdeeds.
3- Everyday, he should precisely examine his deeds after performing the routine works. If he has made a sin, mistake and wrong deed, he should wash away its effects from his heart and soul in a bid to prevent it from being rooted and changing into a mental condition through reflecting on the ominous consequences of that deed, and blaming and rebuking himself, and making appropriate decision for more severe vigilance and control in the future, and performing good deeds as much as the bad one for restoring the luminosity and purity of his heart and soul, and he should engage in strengthening his belief, soul and spirituality (repentance is nothing more than these) like the one who has gotten rid of a physical disease.
The issue of self-examination and compensation of action is so critical that Prophet S.A. says:
«اِنِّی لاََسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ وَ اَتُوبُ اِلَیْهِ فِی الْیَوْمِ سَبْعِینَ مَرَّةً».
I ask God's forgiveness and I repent to Him seventy times everyday.
It goes without saying that repentance of Prophet S.A. is not for sin, rather it is for the manner of worships.
1- Thunder sura (13), verse 33
2- Women sura (4), verse 1
3- Majlessi, Beharol Anvar, 279/72
4- The Bee sura (16), verse 90
5- Ehyaol Oloum, and Mohajjatol Beisae
6- Feise Kashani, Mohajjatol Beisae, 315/2
