Self-criticism and self-interrogation is that a believer always reviews whatever he says and does every day or even every hour, good or bad, right or wrong. He also thanks God for the good he has done and tries to erase his sins and deviations by asking God to forgive him and he amends his errors and sins by repentance and remorse. Self-criticism is the very important and serious attempt of a believer to assert himself in his loyalty to God.

 In a sacred verse with the command of:

 “Everything in the skies and earth belong with him. Even you declare or hide whatever you have in your hearts he will question you. Later He forgives whomever He wants, and punishes whomever He wants and He is able for everything”

 Allah The Most High mentions divine judgement and orders people to be prepared for this. In the previous verse of the verse above the rules of the topics like to become indebted, the record of them, and rules of testimony that Muslims should obey. After that the verse above implies the strength of the rules of law with ethical depth. Because in Islam ethical rules and rules of law comes from the same divine source and the order of Islam is both a system of education and a body of divine rules.

 As Ibn Arabi mentioned in his book Futuhat- ı Mekkiye , old pious people used to record all deeds of the day or remember them and use the sad matters carefully that cause worry in the heart and pangs of conscience among them, against storms of pride and whirlpool of haughtiness that may possibly happen in the future. And they took refuge with asking forgiveness for the things they see as sinful; against the epidemic of error and deviance they went into the quarantine of repent, finally they put the face on earth and they used to bend down with thanksgiving.

 Self-criticism may also be described as seeking and discovering one's inwardness and spiritual depth and exerting the necessary spiritual and intellectual efforts to acquire true human values and develop the sentiments that encourage them. It is by means of such efforts that a man distinguishes between what is good and bad and what is beneficial or harmful to him throughout his life and maintains the uprightness of his heart

 It is through continuous self-criticism that a man is enabled to evaluate the present and prepare for the future. Again, it is through self-criticism that he can make up for past mistakes and be absolved in the sight of God, constantly realizing self-renewal in his inner world in order to achieve a steady relation with God. This is so because it depends on whether a man can live a spiritual life and is aware of what takes place in his inner world that he can preserve his celestial nature as a true human being and keep his inner senses and feelings active.

 With respect to both his spiritual life and his everyday practical life, a Submitted one cannot be indifferent to self-criticism. On the one hand, he tries to revive his ruined past with the breezes of hope and mercy blown by Divine calls such as:

 "Repent to God” and "Turn ye to your Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (Will) before the Penalty comes on you: after that ye shall not be helped.

"(1)

 which come from the worlds beyond and echo in his conscience. On the other hand, through the warnings, at once as frightening as thunderbolts and as exhilarating as mercy, contained in the verses such as

 “O ye who believe! Fear Allah and let every soul look to what (provision) he has sent forth for the morrow. Yea fear Allah: for Allah is well-acquainted with (all) they ye do."(2)

 he comes to his senses and becomes alert (against committing new sins), being defended as if behind locked doors against all kinds of evils. Taking each moment of his life to be a time of germination in spring, he seeks ever-greater depth in spirit and heart with insight and consciousness arising from belief.

 Self-criticism is like a lamp in the heart of a believer and a warning person and a well-wishing adviser in his conscience. Every believing man distinguishes through it between what is good and evil and what is beautiful and ugly and what is pleasing to God and what is displeasing to Him, and by the guidance of that well-wishing adviser, he surmounts all obstacles, however seemingly insurmountable, and reaches his destination.(3)

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(1) Chapter Zumer, 39/54.

(2) Chapter Hashr, 59/18.

(3) Emerald hills of the heart, F. Gülen.