Importance of reflection and taking stock of oneself
Question

                I have recently begun a form of reflective mediation every night after 'Isha prayer. I sit in silence focusing on my breathing and I reflect on my past, the sins I have commited, and the good deeds I have done. I then focus on the future and what do I need to do to keep striving in the way of Allah. There are similar sufi practices such as Muraqabah and Muhaasabah.

I base these actions on the hadith of Umar ibn Khattab (ra), "Take account of yourselves before you are taken to account, weigh your deeds before they are weighed."

Is this form of silent dhikr/ meditation bid'ah? Does it go against the Quran and Sunnah?

How can I be reflective of my life in a way that is Shariah compliant?
Praise be to Allah.
	Reflecting upon signs in the universe and Islamic teachings 
	mentioned in the texts is one of the great acts of worship enjoined and 
	encouraged in the Qur’an.

	Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the 
	meaning):

	“Those who remember Allah 
	(always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, 
	and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): 
	Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! 
	(Exalted are You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give 
	us salvation from the torment of the Fire”

	[Aal ‘Imraan 3:191]

	“Allah is He Who raised the 
	heavens without any pillars that you can see. Then, He rose above (Istawâ) 
	the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). He has subjected the sun 
	and the moon (to continue going round), each running (its course) for a term 
	appointed. He manages and regulates all affairs, He explains the Ayât 
	(proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) in detail, 
	that you may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord. 
	
And it is 
	He Who spread out the earth, and placed therein firm mountains and rivers 
	and of every kind of fruits He made Zawjain Ithnaîn (two in pairs - may mean 
	two kinds or it may mean: of two varieties, e.g. black and white, sweet and 
	sour, small and big) He brings the night as a cover over the day. Verily, in 
	these things, there are Ayât (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.) for 
	people who reflect”

	[ar-Ra‘d 13:2-3]

	“Allah it is He Who has 
	subjected to you the sea, that ships may sail through it by His Command, and 
	that you may seek of His Bounty, and that you may be thankful, 
	
And has 
	subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; it 
	is all as a favour and kindness from Him. Verily, in it are signs for a 
	people who think deeply”

	[al-Jaathiyah 45:12-13].

	This refers to reflecting upon the signs in the universe such 
	as the heavens, the earth, mountains and rivers; that also includes 
	reflecting upon one’s own self and how one was formed and created, as Allah, 
	may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):

	“And on the earth are signs for 
	those who have Faith with certainty, 
And also 
	in your own selves. Will you not then see?”

	[adh-Dhaariyaat 51:20-21].

	With regard to reflecting upon Islamic teachings mentioned in 
	the texts, Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

	“(This is) a Book (the Qur’an) which We have sent down to 
	you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of 
	understanding may remember”

	[Saad 38:29].

	Part of reflecting and pondering is looking at what one has 
	sent on ahead of deeds.

	The Qur’an teaches us to do that in the verse where it says 
	(interpretation of the meaning):

	“O you who believe! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And 
	let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow, and fear 
	Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Aware of what you do”

	[al-Hashr 59:18].

	This is taking stock of oneself. There is a famous report 
	from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that speaks of it:

	Take stock of yourselves before you are brought to account; 
	weigh yourselves before you are weighed, for that will make the Reckoning 
	easier for you tomorrow, if you take stock of yourselves today and prepare 
	yourselves for the great presentation on the Day when you will be be brought 
	to Judgement, and not a secret of yours will be hidden.

	Narrated by Ibn Abi’d-Dunya in Muhaasabat an-Nafs (p. 
	22); Ahmad in az-Zuhd (p. 120); Abu Nu‘aym in al-Hilyah 
	(1/52). It was classed as da‘eef by al-Albaani in ad-Da‘eefah (1201) 
	and by Abu Ishaaq al-Huwayni in his Takhreej li Tafseer Ibn Katheer 
	(1/478). He said: The men of its isnaad are thiqaat (trustworthy) but there 
	is a break in the chain between Thaabit ibn al-Hajjaaj and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, 
	because he never met him. End quote.

	Taking stock of oneself is required before doing any deed, 
	whilst doing it and after doing it, at all times.

	Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

	With regard to taking stock of oneself after the deed is 
	done, Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

	“O you who believe! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And 
	let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow”

	[al-Hashr 59:18].

	This refers to taking stock of oneself after doing any deed. 
	Therefore ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Take stock of 
	yourselves before you are brought to account.

	Al-Hasan said: The believer is responsible for himself and 
	must take stock of himself. And he said: The believer may see something (of 
	worldly matters) by accident and like it, so he says: By Allah I desire you 
	and you are something that I need, but by Allah I do not have the means to 
	attain you; there is no way, for there is a barrier between me and you. And 
	he may do something without thinking, so he starts checking himself, saying: 
	Why did I do or say that? By Allah I will never go back to that again, if 
	Allah wills.

	The believers are people who are restrained by the Qur’an, 
	which protects them and prevents them from indulging in that which could 
	bring about their doom. The believer is a prisoner in this world, striving 
	to ransom himself (from Hell), and nothing will make him feel secure until 
	he meets Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. He knows that he will be 
	brought to account for his hearing, his sight, his tongue and his physical 
	faculties; he will be brought to account for all of that.

	So it should be understood that just as the individual should 
	have a time at the beginning of the day when he pledges to restrain himself 
	and to do righteous deeds, he should also have a time at the end of the day 
	when he examines himself and takes stock of himself and all that he did, 
	just as traders in this world do with their partners at the end of every 
	year or month or day. What is meant by taking stock is that he should look 
	at his capital and his profits and losses, so that he may see whether he is 
	gaining or losing. In religious terms, his capital is the obligatory duties; 
	his profit is supererogatory deeds; and his loss is sin. So let him take 
	stock, first of all, of obligatory duties, and if he commits a sin, let him 
	impose on himself some sort of punishment, so as to make up for his 
	heedlessness.

	It was said that Tawbah ibn as-Summah was in ar-Raqqah, and 
	he used to take stock of himself. One day when he was doing that, he 
	realised that he was sixty years old. He worked out the number of days of 
	his life, and realised that it was twenty-one thousand and five hundred 
	days. He screamed and said: Woe is me! Am I going to meet the Sovereign with 
	twenty-one thousand and five hundred sins? How about if there were ten 
	thousand sins every day?! Then he fell down dead, and they heard a voice 
	saying: How quickly he was taken to al-Firdaws al-A‘la (the highest 
	Paradise)!

	This is how a person should take stock of himself with every 
	breath he takes, with every sin of the heart (i.e., thoughts, feelings and 
	emotions) and every action he does, at every moment. If a man were to throw 
	a stone into his house for every sin he commits, his house would be filled 
	within a very short period of time. But he does not pay much attention to 
	remembering his sins, although they have already been recorded against him.
	“Allah has kept 
	account of it, while they have forgotten it” 
	[al-Mujaadilah 58:6].

	End quote from Mukhtasar Minhaaj al-Qaasideen (p. 373)

	Thus you will realise that what you are doing of reflecting 
	upon what you have committed of sins and what you have sent forth of good 
	deeds, and what you have resolved to do in the future, is all something 
	praiseworthy and required, and it comes under the heading of pondering, 
	reflecting and taking stock. It is not an innovation (bid‘ah), and it does 
	not matter whether the Sufis or anyone else does that.

	What matters is that pondering and reflecting leads one to 
	focus more on obedience to Allah and doing good deeds, and does not lead to 
	despair and loss of hope.

	But you should understand that repentance, reflection and 
	checking and taking stock of oneself does not require special rituals, 
	breathing exercises or special programs, and does not need to be done at any 
	specific time of the night or day. Rather whenever it is possible for a 
	person to be alone with his Lord, focus his mind on Him and converse with 
	Him, that is the time for such acts of worship.

	If there is any time that is preferred for that, then it is 
	something that is to be learned from the Lawgiver, such as the latter part 
	of the night and so on.

	And Allah knows best.