ESSENTIALTIME MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES FOR PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
(The Value of TIME in the life of a Muslim)
Written by Muhammad-Nasirdeen Uthman Ayodele
(The Value of TIME in the life of a Muslim)
Written by Muhammad-Nasirdeen Uthman Ayodele
"A TIME WELL SPENT IS A LIFE WELL SPENT"
TIME,
THE GREATEST ASSET OF MANKIND
Time is the greatest asset man has and it is the greatest blessing and gift ALLAH has bestowed upon man. For Allah (Asawajalah) said what means “And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their causes to be of service to you; and He has made the night and the day, to be of service to you” (Ibrahim Q14:33),
“And he gave you all of that you ask
for and if you count the blessings of Allah never will you be able to count
them. Verily man is indeed an extremely wrong doer, a disbeliever”.
(Ibrahim Q14: 34)
(Ibrahim Q14: 34)
TIME is fixed in availability as well as in it direction, we cannot influence, manipulate or change TIME.
The purpose of this lecture is not to teach you how to control your TIME as no human has control over TIME except the Almighty Allah (ASAWAJALAH) but rather the purpose of this lecture is to educate you on the importance of your TIME and how to control your actions so as to make judicious use of the TIME of your life.
But first why is time so important?
THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME TO MANKIND
1. What ALLAH (Asawajalah) says about time
Allah (Asawajalah) made
time a means of computation. He said what means
“He it is Who made the sun a shining brightness and the moon a
light, and ordained for it phases that you might know the computation of years
and the reckoning [of time]. Allah did not create it but with truth; He makes
the signs manifest for a people who have knowledge” (Yunus, Q10:5)
Allah (Asawajalah) made
time as an avenue to seek a means of livelihood and a means of knowing numbers
of years. “We have made the Night and the Day as two (of Our) Signs:
Then we have made dark the Sign of the Night while we have made the Sign of the
Day illuminating; that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may
know the number of the years and reckoning: And we have explained everything
(in detail) with full explanation”.
(Al-Isra, Q17:12)
He (Asawajalah) also created time so that it will be a sign with
which the believers will remember Him (as the creator) and show appreciation
for His mercy as He said what means, “And He it is Who has
put the night and the day in succession
for such who desires to remember or desires to show his gratitude”. (Al-furqan, Q 25: 62)
2. What Prophet Muhammad said about time?
Narrated Abdullah bin Mas`ud, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said“A servant of Allah
will remain standing on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked
about four things
i.
Your
life: How did you use it?
ii.
Your
youth: How did you spend it?
iii.
Your
knowledge: How did you use it?
iv.
Your
wealth: How did you acquire it & how did you spend it?
[At-Tirmidhi]
Narrated Ibn Abbas, The prophet (SAW) said “Grab five things before five others:
i.
“Your youth before your decrepitude”,
ii.
“Your health before your illness”,
iii.
“Your wealth before your poverty”,
iv.
“Your leisure before your work”,
v.
“Your life before your death”,
[At-Tirmidhi]
3. The Prophet‘s Companions’ perspectives on ‘Time’
Ibn Mas’ud “I have never regretted on anything
like the sunrise of particular day. The sunrises on that day and met me alive
and sets with my life span decreasing without my good deed increasing”
Umar
bin Abdulazeez “The night and day that you see are
actually working on you. If these two overcome each other on any new thing that
thing becomes near to obsolesce, (degradation/destruction). You too should work
on them (day and night)”
“Any day that passes me by without an
increment in my knowledge that will make me closer to Allah; there is no
blessing in such a day of my life”. Some people said this was from the prophet (SAW) but Ibn
Qayyim Jaoziyah made us realized that it was actually the companion who said
it.
One day, a companion passes by some youth who were playing
and he stopped and asked them what they were doing. They replied “we are killing the time”, this
companion said “I wish it is possible for me to buy
from you your time which you are wasting now“.
4. Islamic Scholars /Poets’ perspective of ‘Time”
Ibn Qayyim said, “The time of a man is his life in reality; it is the
material that defines an everlasting life of permanent bliss or a narrowed-down
life of severe punishment”
He also said, “Time is never neutral; it is either a passionate
friend or an archenemy”
Imam Al Hassan l-Basri said “I grew up to know a group of people
(The Sahaabah). This group of people value their time more than how you value
your Dinar and Dirham”.
He also said “at the beginning of everyday a herald
calls: ‘O son of Adam! I am a new creation
and a witness of your deeds. So, take a provision from me because when I pass,
for I never come back till the day of resurrection’”
Imam Hassan Al-Mujtaba said “Opportunity is something which is
quick to vanish and late to return”
A Poet once wrote “If a day passes me by without
increasing in knowledge or applying it in the course of Allah or benefiting
someone with my knowledge. That day is not a good day for me”
A
wise man also 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".
Another
poet wrote, “Man rejoices at the days that
he spends………. But every day that goes takes
him closer to his end”
5. Thoughtful and Scientific facts about ‘Time’
i.
The
human heart beats 72 times per minute and a life’s span is a
billion heartbeats.
ii.
Time
will always depreciate with or without use.
iii.
There
will never be enough time. There will always be shortage of Time.
iv.
30%
of your Time from age 18 to 39 account for 70% of your life time achievement.
v.
70%
of your Time will always be pre-occurred with unproductive activities.
vi.
Time
does not exist in the future but in the present. There are only two “times” in a man’s life. Time: The PRESENT and the PAST.
vii.
The
Quantity of Time spent alone does not guaranty success but success is
definitely a product of the VALUE you attached to your Time and the QUALITY of
Time spent.
viii.
Everyone
experiences Time difference. Work will also grow to fill up Time (As age goes
up, Time decreases: As responsibility increases, Time decreases: as things to
do increases, time decreases)
ix.
There
is no such thing as a free Time. Everyone is busy at any point in Time.
x.
It
is either you spend Time or Time spends you.
6. Research and recent studies about how people spend their time.
An average human spends
his/her time thus
27 years to sleep
10 ½ years to going
to work
10 years to Watching T
V
6 years to Internet
4 years to eat
4 years to stand in
queue
3 years to bath (men)
6 years to bath
(women)
3 years to chat
& gossip
7. The Divinity of time (According to Allah)
i.
Allah
swears by it.
“By Al-Asr(Time)”
(Al-Asr, Q103: 1),
Sheik
Yusuf Al-Qaradhanwi said, “It is agreed among Qur’an specialist and it is understood by Muslims in general that when Allah
swears by anything in His Kingdom, He is attracting their (Muslims) attention
to it. And also pointing out its benefit and significance”.
Allah
also swore by some specific period of time like “1. By the dawn.2. And by the ten nights”.(Al-Fajr,
Q89: 1-2),
“1. By the night as
it envelops. 2. By the day as it appears”.(Al-Lail,
Q92: 1-“1.By the forenoon.2. By the night when it darkens.” (Ad-Duha, Q93: 1-2).
ii.
The act of worship (salat) is allocated
specific times.
“When you have finished the Salah, remember Allah standing,
sitting down, and on your sides, but when you are free from danger, perform the
Salah. Verily,Salat is enjoined on the
believers at fixed hours”(An-Nisa, Q4: 103)
iii.
Zakat, the third pillar of Islam has a time
condition.
“And it is He Who produces gardens trelised and untrelised,
and datepalms, and crops of different shape and taste, (its fruits and its
seeds) and olives, and pomegranates, similar (in kind), and different (in
taste). Eat of their fruit when they ripen,but pay the due
thereof (Its Zakat, according to Allah’s orders 1/10th or 1/20th) on the day of their harvest, and waste not by extravagance. Verily, He likes not the
wasteful”.
(Al-Ana’am, Q6:
141),
iv.
Fasting in the month of Ramadan. The beginning
and ending of fasting are timed by the sighting of the crescent.
“The month of Ramadan in which
was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the
guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of
you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan, i.e., is
present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasting) that month, and whoever is ill or on a
journey, the same number﴿ of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasting) must be
made up﴾ from other days. Allah intends for you ease and He does not want
to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah ﴿i.e. to say Takbir (Allahu
Akbar: Allah is the Most Great)﴾ for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him” (Al-Baqara,Q2: 185).
v.
Going
for Hajj has its specific time. Performing the hajj also is also within a
specific time.
“They ask you (O Muhammad) about
the crescents. Say: "These are
signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage.'' It is not Al-Birr (piety,
righteousness, etc.) that you enter the houses from the back, but Al-Birr is
from Taqwa. So enter houses through their proper doors, and have Taqwa of Allah
that you may be successful.” (Al-Baqara, Q2: 189)
﴿الْحَجُّ
أَشْهُرٌ مَّعْلُومَـتٌ فَمَن فَرَضَ فِيهِنَّ الْحَجَّ فَلاَ رَفَثَ وَلاَ
فُسُوقَ وَلاَ جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّ وَمَا تَفْعَلُواْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ يَعْلَمْهُ
اللَّهُ وَتَزَوَّدُواْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُونِ يأُوْلِي
الأَلْبَـبِ ﴾
The
Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well-known months. So whosoever intends to
perform Hajj therein (by assuming Ihram), then he should not have sexual
relations (with his wife), nor commit sin, nor dispute unjustly during the
Hajj. And whatever good you do, Allah knows it. And take provisions for the
journey, but the best provision is At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness). So fear Me,
O men of understanding!)
(Al-Baqara, Q 2: 197)
8.
Time In the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh))
The Prophet (SAW) said, “Man is nearest to his lord during the last portion of the
night. So, if you can remember Allah at that time: then do it”.
(At-Tirmidhi,
no 3579).
The Prophet (SAW) also
said concerning the month of Thul-Hijjah. “There is no work better than that
time on the first 10 days of Thul-Hijjah,” they asked the prophet “even better than the jihad?”, he replied, “better than the jihad except a man who went out committing his body and
wealth to fighting for Allah’s cause, but neither his body nor
wealth returned”
[
Sahih Bukhar].
9. Time is a trade / commerce
Allah (Asawajalah) clearly emphases the fact that our
Time is a commerce with which we can circumvent the Hell fire by Buying
Paradise through the judicious use of our time.
“O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a trade that will save you from a
painful torment?” (As-Saff: Q 61: 10)
The prophet also compared the case of Muslims religious responsibilities to those of a businessman. The business man has some capital for Investment in trade. He wants to make profit and keep his capital secured. To achieve, his objectives, he has to be sure whom he trades with, has to prove himself trustworthy and has to be clever enough to avoid being an absolute loser.
Similarly, the Muslim’s capital is health and time in his business with Allah, he
has to trust in HIM completely, Resist his own temptations as well as Satan’s so that he can gain the benefits of this world and of the
Hereafter”.
(Sahih Bukhar, chap.1, No
6412, p.234)
10. Time is a great responsibility
In narrating what will happen to the
disbelievers on the Day of Judgment Allah (Asawajalah) said what means.
He (Allah) will say: "What number of years did you stay on earth?" They (disbelievers) will say: 'We stayed a day or a part of a day. Ask of those who keep account”. He (Allah) will say: "You stayed not but a little, - if you had only known! Did you think that we had created you in play (without purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?”
He (Allah) will say: "What number of years did you stay on earth?" They (disbelievers) will say: 'We stayed a day or a part of a day. Ask of those who keep account”. He (Allah) will say: "You stayed not but a little, - if you had only known! Did you think that we had created you in play (without purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?”
(Al-Mu’minun, Q23: 112-115)
Two of the questions on the Day of
Judgment are on time usage according to the Hadith narrated in At-Trimidhi
1. How you spend
your life
2. How you spend
your youth.
Please leave your comments, corrections or observations in the comment box below. I will appreciate it. May Allah reward you.
If you have found this piece of
writing useful then all praises be to the Almighty Allah (Asawajalah) for his
guidance and understanding. And if you found errors in it which is sometimes
inevitable it is from me. I am only a human and fallible. I am not a scholar
nor an expert on Time management but an ardent seeker of knowledge. May Allah
forgive me for my errors and I also seek your pardon for my mistake.
The most truthful speech is the book
of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (SAW).
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