Principle 45 — Regretting a Mistake

The Prophet of Islam said that every human being is a sinner and the best sinner is the one who regrets his mistake. (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 13049) This shows that what is wrong is not making a mistake rather the refusal to admit it is a bigger mistake. Admitting one’s mistakes is not a sign of weakness but a sign of maturity. The present world is designed for the purpose of the test. Here man has to live in such situations as he is likely to make mistakes over and over again. Therefore, the identity of a true person is not that he never makes a mistake, but instead, it is that he does not persist in repeating it. Immediately after making a mistake, his conscience awakens and he becomes deeply ashamed of it. Making mistakes should be a means of awakening the spirit of accountability in a person.