Is using the word "if" for self-accountability, such as "If only I had studied harder, I would have succeeded," considered an objection to the noble Hadith: "If something befalls you, do not say: 'If only I had done such and such,' but rather say: 'Allah has decreed, and what He wills, He does,' for 'if' opens the door to the work of Satan," or an objection to divine decree?

It was reported from Al-Qurtubi in "Al-Mufhim" that the prohibition against using "if" (لو - law) applies when it is used to oppose divine decree, with the belief that had the impediment been removed, the decree would have changed. However, if it is used to indicate an impediment related to a future benefit, there is no harm in it, and it does not open the door to the work of Satan.

Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on Sahih Muslim: There is no harm in saying "if" out of regret for an obedience that was missed or became impossible, and the uses of "if" in the hadiths are to be understood in this context.

Based on this, if "if" is used to blame oneself for missing out on something praiseworthy, there is no harm in it. However, if it is for missing out on something blameworthy, then it falls under the prohibition.

Sheikh Ibn 'Uthaymeen divided the uses and rulings of "if" as follows: 1. Objecting to the Sharia: Forbidden, such as the statement of the hypocrites: {If they had obeyed us, they would not have been killed} (Quran 3:168). 2. Objecting to Divine Decree: Forbidden, such as His (Allah's) saying: {If they had been with us, they would not have died or been killed} (Quran 3:156). 3. Regret and Lamentation: Forbidden, such as the hadith: "If I had done such and such, it would have been such and such. But say: Allah has decreed and what He willed He did. For 'if' opens the door to the work of Satan." 4. Justifying Disobedience by Divine Decree: Forbidden, such as the saying of the polytheists: {If Allah had willed, we would not have associated [anything with Him]} (Quran 6:148) and {If the Most Merciful had willed, we would not have worshipped them} (Quran 43:20). 5. Pure Good: Permissible, such as the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "If I had faced what I am now facing from the beginning, I would not have driven the sacrificial animal."