ABDUL RASOOL SYED
TIME is the most precious thing in one’s life. Those who value time and consume it to achieve something great in life, manage to get prominence in chronicle and those who waste it, die in oblivion. Amid country-widelockdown, people have alotleisuretime. It has been observed that people rather than utilizing this plenty of time in doing worthwhile activities are wasting it in doing worthless activities in utter disregard of the fact that they will be questioned about time on the day of reckoning. Allah, Almighty while apprising his people about the importance of time says: “Indeed, in the alternation of the night and the day and in what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth are signs for a people who fear Allah.” (Quran 10: 6) Additionally, Islam distributed its great acts of worship over the parts of the day and the seasons of the year to form an accurate, precise system that organizes the Islamic life and measures it with minutes, from the rise of dawn till sunset. Allah Almighty says: “So exalted is Allah when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning. And to Him is [due all] praise throughout the heavens and the earth. And [exalted is He] at night and when you are at noon.” (Quran 30: 17-18) Islam considers man’s life a huge capital and man’s life is what we call the time that he spends in the world; on the Day of Judgment, he will be asked about how he spent it and how he dealt with it. It is narrated in Jami’Al-Tirmizi that the Prophet (SAW) said: The feet of a slave will not move on the day of judgment until he has been questioned about four things: his life-how he spent it; his youth-how he consumed it; his wealth-from where he earned it and how he spent it; and his knowledge — how he acted upon it.” Time has certain characteristics of which the most important is its quick passage. It elapses like the clouds. No matter how long a man lives in this life, his life is ephemeral, and the death is the ultimate end of everyliving creature. In this regard, when Nooh may Allah exalt his mention, was asked: “O the longest living prophet, how did you find this world?” He said: “It is like a house that has two doors. I entered from one of them and got out through the other.” This is what the Quran expressed, by mentioning one’s regarding of his lifespan as short, upon death and on the Day of Judgment. Allah Almighty says: (it will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof. (Quran 79: 46). Moreover, another characteristic of time is its irreversibility that it cannot be retrieved, every day, hour, or moment that passes cannot be regained and thus cannot be compensated for. This meaning was expressed by Al-Hasan Al-Basri (R.A) when he said: “Every day calls, saying: ‘O son of Adam, I am a new creation and I am a witness on your deeds, so take provisions from me for if I pass, I do not return until the Day of Judgment.’” The most important characteristic of time is its preciousness. Time is the most precious thing for it is the container of all deeds. In fact, it is the real capital of man, whether the individual or the society. Time is not only gold as the common proverb goes, but it is more precious than gold, pearls, and coral. Time is life. Indeed, man’s life is nothing but the time that he is given from the day of his birth till the day of his death. Al-Hasan Al-Basri (RA) said: “O son of Adam, indeed you are nothing but some days…whenever a day perishes a part of you perishes.” That is why we should be keen on benefiting from time. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul- ‘Azeez (RA) said: “Night and day consume you, so consume them.”Al-Hasan Al-Basri (R.A) said: “I saw a lot of people who were keener on their times than you are on your money.” ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab, May Allah be pleased with him, used to hit his feet with his whip when night came and say to himself: “What did you do today?”Moreover, we are repeatedly reminded in Quran and Sunnah 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 (PBUH) said: “There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good.” (Bukhari 8/421) There is no doubt that man loves life and loves to live long, and rather forever, if he can. Long life is considered one of the blessings of AllahAlmighty, if one uses it in supporting the truth and doing righteous deeds.At-Tirmizi narrated that the Prophet (SAW) was asked: “Who among the people is the best?” He said: “The one who lives a long life and does righteous deeds.” The truth is that the real life of man is not the years that he spends from the day of his birth till the day of his death. Rather, his real age is determined according to the good deeds recorded for him by AllahAlmighty. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood, mayAllah be pleased with him, said: “I never regretted something like I regretted a day whose sun has set in which my life decreased and my good deeds did not increase.” May Allah grant us strength to act upon the injunctions of Islam. — The writer, an Advcate, based in Quetta Balochistan.
