26: Appreciating Time (Part 1)
Time is the Measure of Life
Do not abuse TIME
[Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
In the Qur'an, Allah swears by the token of time - Wal 'Asr as witness and as proof of certain realities. Time is a witness ...
- to life and death
- to what has passed in human history
- to success and failure, to the rise and fall of individuals and communities
The evidence of Time has been presented for various possible reasons:
- The Clock of Age is reducing our life by the tick of every passing second and the most valuable
capital that we have, TIME, is being lost in the process. We should take cognizance of the words of
the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) when he said:
"There are two blessings that most delude people, health and free time." - To emphasize the nearing of the end of human existence on earth. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is reported
to have said :
"Compared to the communities that have passed on before you, life in this world is the same duration as the time between the prayer of 'Asr and Maghrib." - Since life is a test of deeds (Qur'an 67:2), the limited yet fleeting time is the ambit within which we operate.
- To call to mind the events of history (Q 12:109)
Time - Use it, do not abuse it
If we consider the fact that Allah has stipulated time as a means of calculation (Qur'an 9:36), that Islam
undoubtedly emphasizes the significance of time (Q 76:1), and that we are advised to value our time on earth (Q 63:10);
it is no wonder that we are instructed in a hadith qudsi not to abuse Time. We are not to accuse Time either;
as the great jurist Imam Shafi'ie said,
"We blame Time, though we commit the wrongs. Time has no sins except in the evils we commit in Time."
Where's the Time?
In the Space Age we live in, we have been able to invent things and develop techniques to speed up matters and save time. The task that used to take months can be accomplished in minutes; yet there is something ironic about this progress. Despite the proliferation of timesaving devices, life is more hectic than ever before, and no extra time seems to be left for anything meaningful.
The following humorous piece captures it well:
I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Muslim duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Allah to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.
I went before the Lord,
I came I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands the angel held a book
It was the book of me.
The angel looked into his book and said
Your name I cannot find
I once was going to write it down...
But just never found the time.
We should take cognizance of the words ofProphet Muhammad (pbuh)when he said:
"There are two blessings that most delude people, health and free time."
Time is an Amaanah / Trust
We must realize that time is the measure of life, time is a trust (amaanah), time is a gift from the Creator and its proper use will determine our outcome for eternity. 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 (Q 3:185). Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) advised:
"Value five things before five;
Value youth before old age, health before sickness, free time before being occupied,
Wealth before poverty and life before death."