Certainly, time is the most
valuable factor of our global temporal life, as it represents to each of us a
treasure bestowed by Allah (swt). Indeed, there is no day that starts without it
saying: “Oh son of Adam, I am a new
creation, I am a witness to your actions, use me because I will never come back
until the Day of Resurrection.”
In other words, time, in a
clearer term is the days that we live everyday in this world. Allah (swt) has
given it to us so that we can discharge the heavy burdens/ duties and
responsibilities that He has imposed upon us. We must accomplish the tasks which
are meant for us so as to be victorious in this world as well as in the
hereafter.
To make the most of our
time, we must know that there are five types of days: The day which is lost,
the witnessing day, the promised day, the forthcoming day/ Hour, and the extended
day. The first is a day which passes without (the person deriving) any benefit.
The second is the most grievous of all. It is a day when the servant has
wronged him and reaped that which is bad accordingly. The third day is the
final day, the day of account which he shall meet at his death. The fourth is
the Day of Resurrection. And the time lapse between past days is called the
extended day. A further consideration of these days will help the believer to
understand in any depth the value of time.
A sane person shall never
lose time or knowingly/ consciously waste it. Indeed, how can he do it when
Allah (swt) has sworn by time?
“By time! Verily, man is in loss,
except those who believe and do good works, exhort one another to truth and
exhort one another to patience.” (Al-Asr, 103: 2-4)
Every believer must know
that every day of his life that passes, he will never witness it again except
on the Day of Resurrection.
Time seems to become shorter
by the day, but despite this, people “have
time” to lose time or, as the expression says “to kill time” without realizing its severity. Many people spend
hours and hours watching TV, others in front of their computers or game
consoles or even their mobile phones. There are also those who sit in the
streets, in the shops, or tobacco shops for hours and hours watching the
passersby. Some even spend their time meddling in other’s private lives
(private matters), while others lose their time and money in gambling houses –
playing pool, foosball and also in casinos.
Are these people aware of the
seriousness of their actions? Do they not realize that one day they will be summoned
for the final judgement and they will have to answer questions such as:
“How did you spend your youth?”,
“What did you do of your knowledge/
intellect?”,
“Where did you acquire
wealth?”, and
“How did you spend it?”
and finally,
“How did you use your body?” .........So what shall then be their answers?
So, we must all reflect together
on these few words: “Man is here on earth
for a few days. When one day passes, a part of us also goes away!”
----Extracts from the Friday Sermon of 22 July
2016 ~(17 Shawwal 1437 AH) delivered by Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.