A neglected treasure

Assalaamu Alaikum! 

Its good to meet you again.

Towards the end of my evening walk yesterday, I saw the moon of Muharram. Instead of a crescent, an almost full moon reigned in the cloudless sky. To me, it feels like it was just yesterday that I was scrambling to send the first newsletter. And to realize that we are already almost halfway through the month made me reflect on how soon time flies.

Time: A losing game?

One of the first surahs we memorize from the Quran would be surah Al-Asr. We so often recite it in our salah, mostly due to its brevity and we are in a rush, rather than for its profound meaning and precious lessons. Anything Allah swears by in the Quran has lots of significance, and in this surah Allah says “By the ˹passage of˺ time! Surely humanity is in ˹grave˺ loss,” Al-ʿAṣr, Ayah 1-2. This alone should be enough to alert us on how we use our time. In the same surah, Allah in His Mercy goes on to tell us the characteristics of those who are exempt from being in a loss.

Indisputably, time is one of the most precious things Allah has given us, yet something we are guilty of being neglectful.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time." Sahih al-Bukhari

The lack of good health sometimes gives us a lot of free time, but it leaves us unable to do our ibadah properly. We may be in good health but if we lack free time, we are again unable to do ibadah as we like. Lately, with the experience of losing these two blessings on different occasions and realizing how it impacts my worship, I have started to appreciate this hadith even more.

The sad reality is that time will pass anyway, irrespective of what you and I do with it. However, passing of time becomes a losing game only when we are neglectful of it.

Invest wisely

Consider your time an investment. When you make a decision on how to spend your time, you are making an investment. The way you spend your time not only impacts the few decades you spend in this world, but also the eternity you will spend in your hereafter.

Not all investments have the same return. There are short term investments that benefit you for a while, and long term investments that deposits returns to your account even after you die. There are also some which are presented as high return investments, but does nothing other than snatch away our valuable time.

An hour spent on scrolling on social media and an hour spent reading a book are not the same. Time spent in gossiping or in vain talk are not the same as time spent in doing dhikr or reciting Quran. Even a few minutes spent outdoors in nature has a different impact than the same amount of time spent being glued to a screen.

How we spend our seconds and minutes is how we spend our hours and days. How we spend our days becomes how we spend our lives. A lifetime is composed of the small moments and decisions we make. Any amount of time we spend on doing anything, however small it maybe, is an investment we make towards our future, which doesn’t end when our worldly life ends.

Time for a change

We are here for a short stay and we don’t know when our departure is scheduled, which should create a sense of urgency to hasten to do those things that will give us a good return. As long as you are alive, you have the opportunity to make amends. Yes, you will never be able to get the time back, but its still up to you to decide what to do with the time you have left.

I suggest the following to help you get started

1. Carry out a personal time audit. Track down where your time goes. Most of us will find ways to get some pockets of free time to do good.

2. If time spent on something is an investment, then intention is the multiplier which expands its impact. Be more aware of why you are here and tie your mundane everyday things to your higher purpose.

May Allah make us among those who are mindful of our time!

A quote I want to share with you

“Wasting time is more severe than death, for wasting time cuts you off from Allah and the abode of the Hereafter, whereas death cuts you off from the dunya and its people.” - Ibn al Qayyim

I pray that reading this has been a beneficial use of your time!

If you found this helpful, please do share with your loved ones. 

Until next time,

Samar