TIME UTILISATION IN ISLAM
BRIEF MASJID NASIHA – BY BRO. MALLAM ABBA ABANA,
MASJID
PLOT 94 ODUDUWA CRESCENT, PHASE 2 SITE 2, KUBWA
http://variousislamicdawadocuments.blogspot.com
TEL
+2348186961697 (WHATSAPP)
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful
Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu
Praise be to Allaah; we
seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of
our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be
led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear
witness that there is no god but ‘’Allaah’’, and I bear witness that Muhammad
is His slave and Messenger.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME IN
ISLAM
There are among those who
believe in the popular saying as "Time is Gold." Time in Islam is more than Gold or any precious material
thing in this world. Of all religions, only Islam guides mankind not only
to the importance of time but also how to value it.
Allah the Almighty and His
Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa salam), very clearly tell us
the value of time, why we must not waste it and how we can make use of our time
wisely to increase our Eeman (Faith - Iman) and thus attain success, especially
eternal success in the life hereafter.
وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ (١) إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسۡرٍ (٢) إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ
وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ (٣)
‘By the Time. Verily Man is in loss, except those who have Faith and do Righteous Deeds, and exhort one another to Truth and exhort one another to Perseverance’ ِِ. (Sooratul ‘Asr 103:1-3)
In General, Sensible People Know The Importance Of Time
Imagine there is a bank
which credits your account each morning with N1,000,000 (Nigerian Naira). It
carries over no balance from day to day, allow you to keep no cash balance, and
every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during
the day.
What would you do? Draw out
every Naira, of course!
Well, everyone has such a
bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with N1,000,000 (Nigerian
Naira). Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to
invest to good purpose.
It carries over no balance.
It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it
burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss
is yours.
There is no going back.
There is no drawing against the "TOMORROW". You must live in the
present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in
health, happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.
To realize the value of ONE
YEAR, ask a student who has failed a Major Course grade in his/her final year of
graduation.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a pre-mature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask an Editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a Daily wage laborer who has 5 kids to feed at home – only bread winner.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers (halal) who are waiting to meet after long journey.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who has missed the train at London underground.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who has avoided an accident along Lokoja – Abuja road.
To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND, ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a pre-mature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask an Editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a Daily wage laborer who has 5 kids to feed at home – only bread winner.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers (halal) who are waiting to meet after long journey.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who has missed the train at London underground.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who has avoided an accident along Lokoja – Abuja road.
To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND, ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that
you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special,
special enough to spend your time ... and remember that time waits for no one.
. .
YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, TOMORROW A MYSTERY, TODAY
IS A GIFT, THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED THE PRESENT!
{‘A wise word is the lost property of the Believer; wherever he finds it, he is more worthy of it.’}—Al-Hadeeth
O you who believe! Observe your duty to Allaah, and let every soul look to that which it sends forth for the morrow. And observe your duty to Allaah! Lo! Allaah is well informed of what you do. And be not like those who forgot Allaah, and as a result He caused them to forget (what is good for) their own selves. Such are the evil-doers.’ (Holy Quran Chapter (Sooratul) Hashr 59:18-19)
Time Utilization In Accordance To The Islamic Concept:-
1) ‘The breaths of man are his steps to his
death!’(Imaam Ibn al-Jawzee, Laftatul Kabd)
2) ‘My
child! Know that days are made up of hours, and hours of breaths. Each capsule
of breath is a vessel. So be careful not to allow a vessel pass by empty on the
relentless flow-line of Time. In that event, you will regret it on the Day of
Resurrection. Watch out how you stuff each hour of your life as it passes by,
and do not bid her farewell except in the best possible manner. Do not ignore
your Self: train it with the practice of good and noble deeds. Send what would
please you to the Eternal Storehouse of Tomorrow: you’ll be the happier for it
when you eventually arrive there.’ (Imaam Ibn al-Jawzee, Laftatul Kabd)
3) ‘What’s
man but a rider on the back of his Lifetime, On a journey which by Day and
Months accomplishes he, Somnolent at Night, awake in the Morning and each Day
removed Away from the World, closer to Death: a moving grave!’(Culled from
Shaikh al-Qaradaawee’s Al-Waqtu fiy Hayaatil Muslim)
4) ‘Wasting
of Time is far more disastrous than Death. For Wasting of Time cuts you off
from Allaah and the Hereafter, whereas Death cuts you off from this Life and
its Inhabitants.’(Imaam Ibn Qayyim, Al-Fawaa’id)
5) ‘The
greatest profit in the world is to every moment engage your Self in what befits
its status and is most useful to it in its final destination. How can he be
said to be sensible and rational who sells off the Paradise for the pleasure of
an hour!’(Imaam Ibn Qayyim, Al-Fawaa’id)
6)
‘O son of
Aadam! You are but a bundle of days. As each day passes away, a portion of you
vanishes away!’ (Imaam Al-Hasan al-Basaree, from 125 Tareeqah li Hifz al
Waqt)
7)
7. ‘Time is the most precious thing
that you should well look after, But, paradoxically, I see it as the easiest
thing that you squander!’(Al-Wazeer, Yahya bin Hubayrah, from 125 Tareeqah
li Hifz al Waqt)
8)
‘Never sit down idle, for death is constantly running after
you!’(Imaam Shu’ubah bin al-Hajjaaj, from 125 Tareeqah li Hifz al Waqt)
9)
‘Life is no more than three days long: Yesterday, which is gone
forever with its events; Tomorrow, which you may not get there; and Today,
which is yours: seize it and work!’ (Imaam Al-Hasan al-Basaree, from 125
Tareeqah li Hifz al Waqt)
10) ‘I certainly do hate to see any of you idle: neither engaged in
the pursuit of this world, nor engaged in the pursuit of life hereafter!’(‘Umar
bin al-Khattaab, from 125 Tareeqah li Hifz al Waqt)
11) ‘O son of Aadam! Your day is your
guest. Therefore honour it. If you honour it, it will depart full of praise for
you; and if you dishonour it, it will depart with a blameworthy record for you.
Likewise your night.’(Imaam Al-Hasan al-Basaree, from 125 Tareeqah li Hifz
al Waqt)
12) ‘There is not a day that begins but it announces: O son of
Aaadam! I am a new creature and I am a witness over your deeds. Therefore, take
your provision out of me, for if I pass away I shall never return to the Day of
Resurrection.’(Imaam Al-Hasan al-Basaree, from 125 Tareeqah li Hifz al
Waqt)
13) ‘I have never grieved as much on anything as I do on a day that
has ended in which my appointed lifetime has reduced, yet my deeds have not
increased.’(‘Abdullah bin Mas’ood, from 125 Tareeqah li Hifz al Waqt)
14) ‘Anyone whose day compares with yesterday, has been duped; and
anyone whose day turns out worse than yesterday, has been accursed! (Anonymous,
from A-Waqt aghlaa min Kunooz al-Arld)
15) ‘Each day that passes takes a portion of me away, She leaves a
bitter taste of regret and goes its way.’
16) ‘Time makes you decay; strive in it without delay!’(‘Umar bin
‘Abdul’azeez, from Al-Waqtu fiy Hayaatil Muslim)
17) ‘Days and Nights, the trading capital of a Believer, Paradise is
his profit, his loss the Hellfire.’(Tayfoor Al-Butaamee, from Al-Waqt aghlaa
min Kunooz al-Arld)
18) ‘If you survive to the evening, do not take it for granted that
you will survive to the next morning; and if you survive to the morning, do not
take it for granted that you will survive to the next evening. Take advantage
of your health against your illness; and take advantage of your life against your
death.’(‘Abdullaah bin ‘Umar, from Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree)
19) ‘If you grieve over the loss of your wealth, then you should weep
over the loss of your lifetime!’
20) ‘Everyone of us carries a blemish on our knowledge and
intelligence. It reflects in our behaviour: we rejoice over the increase of our
wealth but do not lament over the incessant dwindling of our lifetimes. What a
catastrophe! Of what benefit is the increase of wealth when our lifetime
decreases?
21) ‘Time is more valuable than money, more precious than gold and
more expensive than any merchandise. For Time is life!’(Imaam Hasan al-Banna, Ahaadeeth
al- Jum’ah)
22) ‘Time is money! This is true, from materialistic point of view,
for those who do not evaluate existence except in materialistic terms. However,
Time is life, for those whose vision transcends matter!’
23) ‘I have lived with a people—he
means the Companions of the Prophet—who were more stingy with their time than
they were with their money.’(Imaam Al-Hasan al-Basaree, from Al-Waqt aghlaa
min Kunooz al-Arld)
24) ‘Foolishness in spending Time is more serious than foolishness in
spending money…For money, when lost could be replaced; Time, however, once lost
has no substitute…Whoever kills his time, has indeed killed himself.’(Dr.
Yousuf Al-qaradaawee, from Al-Waqt fiy Hayaatil Muslim)
25) 25. ‘Days are a notebook of life; write it up in
gold. Opportunity knocks at your door, but it soon vanishes away like the
cloud. Procrastination is a lifestyle with those who lag behind in life. Those
who ride on the back of Incapability get thrown down by it. Loss is a child
born out of the marriage between Procrastination and Indolence!’(Imaam Ibn al-Jawzee,
from Al-Waqt aghlaa min Kunooz al-Arld)
26) ‘The Night is long, do not
shorten it with sleep; the Day is pure, do not sully it with sin!’
27) ‘With regards to longevity, there
is really as much to celebrate as there is to commisserate. For, at any moment,
man has died as much as he has lived for!’(Abou Maimoonah Ahmad bin Muhammad
Bello)
28)
‘Life is but minutes and seconds of events, That’s the message to
man from his heartbeats,
Some Of The Most Important Duties Demanded Of Muslims Include:
- Ensuring benefiting from time
- Utilizing leisure time
- Racing for good deeds
- Learning from the passage of time
- Seeking the superior times
- Planning and organizing time
- Fulfillment of time commitments
- Necessary awareness of time wasters etc.
Both the Qur'an and the
Sunnah enjoin Muslims to be conscious of time. We are reminded that life in
this world is nothing but temporary. We never know when death has been
appointed for us. We must value time for the satisfaction of Allah the
Almighty. For our guidance and success, we must never waste time nor abuse it.
Ibn Abbas narrated that
Prophet Mohammad (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa salam) said: "There are two
blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing
good." (Bukhari 8/421)
Indeed, we displease Allah
the Most High when we abuse time. We must remember that time must be spent to
fulfill our very purpose in life that is to worship Allah all throughout our
lives. Allah makes this very clear in the Qur'an when He says: ‘’I have only
created Jinns and Men, that they may serve Me. No Sustenance do I require of
them, nor do I require that they should feed Me. For Allah is He Who gives
(all) Sustenance, Lord of Power, Steadfast (for ever). Holy Qur'an Chapter 51:56-58)’’
But celebrate the praises
of thy Lord, and be of those who prostrate themselves in adoration. And serve
thy Lord until there come unto thee the Hour that is certain (i.e., death).
Qur'an (15:98-99)
Everything we do in
accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah is an act of worship. Such worship
must be done sincerely for the pleasure of Allah alone. We should make use of
our time (which includes our "free time") in doing beneficial things
especially those that will make us closer to Allah and earn His Mercy.
We have to make use of our time wisely by knowing more of the
Qur'an and the Sunnah. We must have correct
knowledge of what Allah and His Messenger Prophet Mohammad (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa
salam) have commanded us to do and at the same time to refrain from what they
have forbidden us. This is imperative so that we earn Allah's pleasure and
reward. Allah the Exalted makes it very clear, when he says: ‘’O ye who
believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger, and make not vain your deeds!
Qur'an (47:33)’’
Upshot to the above divine
commandment, we must ask ourselves:
1)
Have we been obeying Allah
and His Messenger?
2)
To what extent have we used
our time learning the Qur'an and the Sunnah in order to have correct Eeman
(Faith), to do righteous deeds, to enjoin the Truth or do Da'wah, and be
patient and constant?
3)
As time passes by, are we
sure we are devoting our time for the sincere worship and pleasure of Allah the
Most High?
4)
Are we taking guidance from
the following very enlightening Ayat (Qur'anic verses)?
By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), Verily Man is in loss,
Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the
mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy. Qur'an (103:1-3)
We repeat here again, in
line with the above Qur'anic injunction, we have to discipline ourselves by
giving value to the importance of time. We must be prompt in doing good deeds,
which will increase our faith and subsequently enable us to gain Allah's
pleasure and mercy.
Islam encourages Muslims to
care for time, to utilize it wisely and not to waste it and to benefit from it.
Besides, it holds them responsible for their time.
We have to remember that on
the Day of Judgment we shall be asked how we spent our lives, wealth and
knowledge. In other words, we will be questioned on how we spent everything
that Allah has given us as implied in the following Hadith:
Narrated Abdullah Bin
Mas`ud Allah's Messenger (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa salam) said:
"A man shall be asked
concerning five things on the day of resurrection: concerning his life, how he
spent it; concerning his youth, how he grew old; concerning his wealth, whence
he acquired it, and in what way he spent it; and what was it that he did with
the knowledge that he had."
The Prophet Mohammad (Sallalahu
Alaihi Wa salam), used to call on Muslims to take the initiative to do good
deeds before any obstacles arise. For instance, he said, "Lose no time to
do good deeds before you are caught up by one of seven calamities awaiting you:
a starvation which may impair your wisdom; a prosperity which may mislead you;
an ailment which may damage your health; an old age which may harm your senses;
a sudden death; the Dajjal (Antichrist); or Doomsday, which is indeed the
hardest and most bitter." (at-Tirmidhi, al-Baihaqi)
The above Hadith urges
Muslims to take the initiative, and not to delay good deeds; man's life is not
free from impediments, such as those calamities, which can prevent him from accomplishing
what could have been done earlier. Wise are those who grab available
opportunities before being handicapped by obstacles.
Another Year Passes By And Time
Marches On
O ye who believe! Fear
Allah, and let every soul look to what (provision) He has sent forth for the
morrow. Yea, fear Allah: for Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do.
Qur'an (59:18)
Another year has passed;
minutes move into hours => into days => into weeks => into months
=> into years - seemingly faster than ever; yet every moment is a precious
component of life and every moment counts.
Time - Use It, Do Not Abuse
It
Our attitude towards time
indicates our attitude towards the value of the capital of life. If we want to
purchase something, we require financial capital; and if we want to do
something in life, we require the capital of life, time. That is why the Qur'an
exhorts us to value the time we have before life is up. Qur'an (63:10)
Recognize and understand
that...
- Time is the measure of life, time is an Amaanah
(trust), time is a gift from the Creator and its proper use will determine
our outcome for eternity.
- We are born in time, live in time and die in time; time
is the ambit within which we operate. What we do with time is what we do
with our lives.
- Each one must realize that every moment that passes by
is an opportunity gone, used or abused; never to return. Soon time will be
up and we'll have to leave this physical world and give account for our
lives.
- The more we remind ourselves of the responsibility of
the present the better we get at living the moment and the better we live
the present moment the better the consequence for the future.
Our attitude towards the
future influences our mind-set towards the rest of life. Being positive about
life ahead is among life's greatest motivators. Hope is the best attitude one
can harbor towards the future; this realistic expectation that something good
or better could/will happen if only we continue doing the best we can. Remember
that today well-lived makes yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a
vision of hope.
Wise are the words of the
one who said ... "I expect to pass through this world but once; any good
therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow
creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not
pass this way again."
"O Allah! Make life a
means for every dimension of goodness." [Prayer of the Prophet Mohammad (Sallalahu
Alaihi Wa salam)]
The Characteristics Of Time
We are to bear in mind that
time has certain characteristics, among of which are the following:
- Time passes quickly.
- Time that passes can never return, nor can it be
compensated for, for time is irretrievable.
- Time is the most precious thing that man possesses.
Muslim's Duty Towards Time:
Having all this great value
and importance, time is to be duly appreciated and managed. In Islam there is
no room for slogans like the so-called "killing time", for in Islam
time is really valuable. In fact, wasting time is much more dangerous than
squandering property, because unlike property, time cannot be compensated. Free
time is a blessing that is overlooked, and not wholly appreciated by many
people.
This indicates that it's
very important for a Muslim to try his utmost to husband his time and make the
best use of it in beneficial things. A Muslim may use portion of his time in
making invocations and supplications, celebrating the praises of Allah. The
Prophet Mohammad (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa salam), used to supplicate: "O
Allah! I seek refuge in You from sorrow and distress, and I seek refuge in You
from disability and laziness."
A Muslim should learn how
to organize his time, and make a realistic plan for his worldly and religious
duties, without any of them overlapping the other. That is to say that one
should know how to arrange his priorities: the most important and the most
urgent comes first, and carried out according to schedule. Organizing time also
includes leaving a place for relaxation and entertainment, for 'all work and no
play make Jack a dull boy.'
One of the methods of
managing his time properly is for a Muslim to get up early and sleep early, for
early hours always yield great blessings. Starting his day with prayer and the
supplication of the morning brings the Muslim Allah's grace. A Muslim should
always bear in mind that every time has its own task that suits it. Doing tasks
in their due times brings about peace of mind and comfort.
Finally, we would like to
cite the following Hadith of the Prophet Mohammad (Sallalahu Alaihi Wa salam),
quoting from the Book of Ibrahim, peace be upon him: "A sane person,
unless he is mindless, should have four hours: an hour to invoke to his Lord,
an hour to count his own deeds, an hour to contemplate about the creation of
Allah and an hour to satisfy his worldly needs."
Verily, time is very
important for our success both in this temporary world and the eternal world to
come. If we waste time, if we abuse it, then we waste and abuse our lives. In
the Life Hereafter we will be among the losers, who will suffer the torments in
the Hell Fire, if Allah the Almighty will not forgive us. Therefore, if we
really give value to our lives then, we must give due value to the importance
of time
Conclusion
If we are to evaluate
ourselves objectively, have we been spending our time wisely for the pleasure
of Allah the Almighty?
Have we been spending our
lives based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah?
Have we been practicing
Muslims? How many of us are Muminoon (Faithful Muslims) and/or Mutaqqoon (God
Fearing Muslims)?
How much knowledge of the
Qur'an and the Sunnah do we know?
Do we practice what we
learn and impart the same to others or at least share them to our families and
kin?
Have we ever enjoined to others what is right
and forbid what is wrong?
To be successful, we have
to manage our time wisely by making plans for virtuous deeds that please Allah
the Almighty. We must spend time learning Islam based on the Qur'an and the
Sunnah.
Sources
https://www.scribd.com/.../28427782/The-Importance-of-Time-in-Islam
eislaminfo.blogspot.com/2010/10/importance-of-time.html
Wonderful piece of work that covered the history of our life. Jazakhallah khayran
ReplyDelete