With 2026 upon us, many are setting personal goals and milestones to reach in the new year:
In finance, relationships, travel, or personal hobbies.
But what goals are we setting ourselves as believers, especially with the month of Ramadan fast approaching?
Here are 4 personal qualities all of us can aspire to as Muslims this year.
- A Believer Leads by Example
A man once came to Hasan Al Basri asking him to deliver a khutba on the virtues of freeing slaves.
As he believed that this practice was not common among the people of Iraq at that time.
The imam agreed, but he did not deliver it that Friday, rather he went away for a number of weeks, and when he followed up on the act, immediately people began freeing their slaves.
So, what happened? The imam said that at the time he himself did not have a slave, nor did he have the means to free one,
So he went looking for work, so he could eventually earn enough to buy the freedom of a slave.
And after that, the people followed suit.
Now, Hasan Al Basri was maybe one of the most famous people of his time, people would have listened and taken his words to heart regardless,
Yet he believed that he should lead by example, as that would have a greater impact in the community.
The same applies to us today.
In our families, our friend circles, our communities, whatever wrongs we wish to correct, or whatever good we wish to see, we should make sure we set the standard through our own practice.
- A Believer is Self-reproaching
In Surah Qiyamah Allah swears by “An Nafs Al Lawwama”- the self-reproaching soul.
That is an incredibly high praise, so what does it mean to have a self-reproaching soul?
It means to constantly hold oneself accountable. Not only for our mistakes, but even in our good deeds.
The self-reproaching soul is not satisfied with ‘good enough’, but is always looking for ways to improve.
It’s a quality that’s not always easy to uphold, especially a time where we are so outwardly focused.
Social media, and fast-paced lifestyles cause us to focus so intently on others, that we hardly give time to our own selves.
Even those who may consider themselves practicing and productive members of their community run the risk of falling into this problem.
Ibn Qudama once said:
“A person who ruins himself at the expense of trying to fix others is a fool. He is like a person who has scorpions in his sleeves but focuses on driving flies away from others.”
[Mukhtasar Minhaj Al Qasidin]
That is why it’s important to surround yourself with reminders.
Whether it’s personal goal-setting when it comes to acts of good, or keeping company of people who can hold you accountable.
Whatever means you can set in place to help you keep yourself in check, make a sincere intention to start now.
One should also remember that accountability isn’t just about looking at your actions;
What you should or should not do it’s also, more importantly, questioning your sincerity.
One of our pious predecessors said he had met around 30 of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ, and every one of them feared hypocrisy from themselves.
We find so many narrations and examples of this, especially among the seniormost Sahaba.
Like ‘Umar ibn Al Khattab going to Hudhayfa, asking whether the Prophet ﷺ had mentioned his name among the hypocrites.
Or Handhala, who in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ was so frightened at the thought he might be a hypocrite.
People whose eman nobody would ever doubt, whose status in this world and the next was known,
Yet they were in a constant state of questioning their intentions.
Going back to the example of Hasan Al Basri, he once said:
“No one fears hypocrisy but a believer. No one feels safe from hypocrisy but a hypocrite.”
[Jawab Al Kafi]
- A Believer Does Not Depend on People
The Prophet ﷺ once said:
“By him in whose hand is my soul, if one of you were to carry a bundle of firewood on his back and sell it, that would be better for him than begging a man who may or may not give him anything.”
[Bukhari]
What’s profound is that he ﷺ was speaking to an audience filled with the downtrodden and destitute,
But he ﷺ did not want them to feel reliant on other people.
Instead, he encouraged personal growth, taking charge of your own affairs.
That doesn’t mean rejecting help when it’s offered, rather it is to not give yourself excuses to depend on others, and instead aiming to be in a position to help others, with whatever means Allah has blessed you with.
We know from another narration that the upper hand is better than the lower hand [Bukhari]
Meaning the hand that gives, and is of help to others is better than the hand which receives.
Being independent of people is not just in material matters like wealth, but also in spiritual matters.
One of the qualities mentioned about the people who enter jannah without account is that they are those who do not seek ruqya from others,
Not because it’s haram to ask others for their du’a, but because they put their reliance entirely upon Allah, and in doing so reach the highest level of faith.
- A Believer is Never in Despair
To not despair is a literal command from Allah,
But there’s a difference between being hurt and being in despair,
Despair is when you settle into defeat permanently,
When you give up hope in Allah, whether because of your personal sins, or because of your outer condition.
It’s a sign of crookedness in one’s eman, because it causes one to doubt in Allah, His capacity to forgive, or His ability to change your situation for the better.
To feel guilt, grief, pain, or temporary defeat on the other hand are all natural.
The difference comes in how we respond in those moments of difficulty, as the Prophet ﷺ once said:
“Wondrous is the affair of the believer for there is good for him in every matter and this is not the case with anyone except the believer. If he is happy, then he thanks Allah and thus there is good for him, and if he is harmed, then he shows patience and thus there is good for him.”
[Sahih Muslim]
Of all the qualities mentioned, this might be the hardest to embody, because each and every one of us will be tested with goodness and hardship in our lives, and it’s easy to forget how to respond to those circumstances.
That’s why we should constantly remind ourselves of what we can and cannot control.
Allah will not ask us about what is beyond our capabilities, rather we will be questioned about how we chose to respond to those external forces.
Were we patient with those trials? Did we respond in a way that pleases Him?
Most importantly, did we keep the best opinion of Him throughout those trials?
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