Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 37943 — The words of al-Hasan al-Basri

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Indeed, the believer is a guardian over his own self, and he takes account of himself for the sake of Allah. The reckoning will be light on the Day of Resurrection only for those who took account of themselves in this world, and the reckoning will be hard on the Day of Resurrection only for those who did not take account of this matter. Indeed, when something suddenly comes to the believer and pleases him, he says: By Allah, I desire you, and you are indeed something I need; but by Allah, there is no means of reaching you. Alas! A barrier has been placed between you and me. And when something slips from the believer, he returns to himself and says: What did I intend by this? What have I to do with this? I have no excuse for this. By Allah, I will never return to this, if Allah Almighty wills. Indeed, the believers are people whom the Qur'an has bound, and it stands between them and their destruction. The believer is a captive in this world, striving to free his neck; he feels safe from nothing until he meets Allah Almighty. He knows that he will be held accountable for all of that.