The Sunday Mail
TIME is such a valuable asset that not even the biggest treasure compares with it.
Umari Stambuli
No material wealth or resource can buy time – not even a single moment! Time is an irreversible resource which has the greatest value.
We are created in a place which is bounded by time and space, which therefore means we have a limited time to be here, in this very world. When we arrive in this world, our clock starts ticking backward not forward – meaning the “countdown” begins immediately.
As the moments are passing, we are left with less and less time to live in this world and accordingly less and less time for us to do good deeds. Quite frankly, we cannot truly understand the purpose of our creation if we do not understand the fact that we are here only for a short period of time. Hence, Islam has laid great emphasis on beneficial utilisation of time.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said, “There are two bounties (gifts of The Almighty) which many people lose (do not value); good health and free time.”
The truth in this powerful Prophetic declaration could not be any clearer or more concise, particularly for us in this fast age. We do not seem to truly appreciate our good health, and most importantly, we do not care about the time which we have on hand today. We spend almost all of our free time in chatting, sleeping, sitting idle, engaging in vain and useless past times, and so forth.
We forget that we will soon be leaving this world and then be standing in front of The Supreme Sovereign, Our Creator, The Almighty on the Day of Judgement. Our record of deeds will be laid before us and indeed we will then regret having wasted so much time and thus having lost so many opportunities to do good.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also reminded us when he said, “A person shall be specifically questioned concerning five things on the Day of Judgement: concerning his life (time), how he spent it; concerning his youthfulness (strength), how he utilised it; concerning his wealth, how he acquired it, and in what way he spent it; and what was it that he did with the knowledge that he had.”
So, we will be asked how we spent our life or time in this world and what we did with it. This indicates that this life or time is given to us in trust by The Almighty and we have to take good care of it so as to be able to answer correctly and achieve eternal success.
In another Prophetic declaration, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) urged the believers saying, “Seize five opportunities before they are taken over by five situations – your life before death, your health before sickness, your free time before becoming occupied, your youth before old age, and your wealth before poverty.”
We should see how much time we have to do good deeds today, because leaving the good work to be done tomorrow is not just an element of laziness and procrastination but it is sheer foolishness on our part.
Who knows what will come tomorrow – whether we will still have that free time or get occupied in some other issue or even get caught up in an emergency?
Therefore, it is wise to spend the free time correctly and constructively today so that we can fill the register of good deeds today without delaying it and putting it off for tomorrow.
Allah Almighty reminds us in the Holy Qur’aan when He says, “For each community, there is a fixed life span. Once their term comes to an end, they cannot delay it by an hour, nor advance it.” (Ch 7:34)
This verse gives us the clear indication that once our time is over, there will be no extra minute or moment given to us. Yet many doubt this reality and truth, behaving in such a manner as though they have a guarantee to live in this world forever and they think that they are immortal!
Allah Almighty makes it so clear in the Holy Quran, “He is the One who created you from soil (clay), then set your life span, a life span that is known only to Him. Yet, you continue to doubt.” (Ch 6:002)
(To be continued next week.)
For further information on Islam or a free copy of the Holy Qur’aan, please contact:
Majlisul Ulama Zimbabwe, Council of Islamic Scholars
Publications Department
PO Box W93, Waterfalls, Harare
Tel: 04-614078 / 614004, Fax: 04-614003
e-mail: [email protected]
