Everything, when lost, can be regained, except time. If it is lost, there is no hope to regain it. That is why time is the most precious thing that can ever be possessed in this life.
Islam is a religion that acknowledges the importance of time and appreciates its seriousness. Allah Almighty says (what means): {Indeed, in the alternation of the night and the day and [in] what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth are signs for a people who fear Allah.} [Qur’an 10: 6]
Islam distributed its great acts of worship over the parts of the day and the seasons of the year to form an accurate, precise system that organises the Islamic life and measures it with minutes, from the rise of dawn till sunset. Allah Almighty says (what means): {So glorify Allah when you reach the evening and when you reach the morning. And to Him is [due all] praise throughout the heavens and the earth. And [exalted Is He] at night and when you are at noon.} [Qur’an 30: 17-18]
Man’s lifespan is his huge capital about which he will be asked on the Day of Judgment. He will be asked about how he spent it and how he dealt with it. It was narrated in Jami‘ At-Tirmithi that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “The feet of a slave will not move on the Day of Judgment until he has been questioned about four things: his life – how he spent it; his youth – how he consumed it; his wealth – from where he earned it and how he spent it; and his knowledge – how he acted upon it.”
Time has characteristics that are specific to it. They include the following:
l Its quick passage: Time passes like the clouds. No matter how long man lives in this life, his life is short, as death is the end of every living creature. When Nooh (i.e. Noah), may Allah exalt his mention, was asked: “O the longest living prophet, how did you find this world?” He said: “It is like a house that has two doors. I entered from one of them and got out through the other.” This is what the Qur’an expressed, by mentioning one’s regarding of his lifespan as short, upon death and on the Day of Judgment. Allah Almighty says (what means): {It will be, on the Day they see it, as though they had not remained [in the world] except for an afternoon or a morning thereof.} [Qur’an 79: 46]
l Whatever goes by thereof does not return and cannot be compensated for: every day, hour, or moment that passes cannot be regained and thus cannot be compensated for. This meaning was expressed by Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy upon him, when he said: “Every day calls, saying: ‘O son of Adam, I am a new creation and I am a witness on your deeds, so take provisions from me for if I pass, I do not return until the Day of Judgment.’”
l It is the most precious thing that man can ever own: the preciousness of time is attributed to the fact that it is the container of all deeds. In fact, it is the real capital of man, whether the individual or the society. Time is not only gold as the common proverb goes, but it is more precious than gold, pearls, and coral. Time is life. Indeed, man’s life is nothing but the time that he is given from the day of his birth till the day of his death. Al-Hasan al-Basri said: “O son of Adam, indeed you are nothing but some days…whenever a day perishes a part of you perishes.” That is why we should be keen on benefiting from time. ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul-‘Azeez, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “Night and day consume you, so consume them.” Al-Hasan al-Basri said: “I saw a lot of people who were keener on their times than you are on your money.” ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, used to hit his feet with his whip when night came and say to himself: “What did you do today?”
From among the blessings in which many people are heedless and ungrateful about, and ignorant of its value, is the blessing of leisure. It is narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “There are two blessings in which many people incur loss: health and free time.” [Al-Bukhari]
That is why the predecessors used to dislike for a man to be free and not preoccupied by the matter of his religion or the matter of his worldly life. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “I dislike that a man is free and not preoccupied by the matter of his religion or the matter of his worldly life.”
There is no doubt that man loves life and loves to live long, and rather forever, if he can. Long life is considered one of the blessings of Allah Almighty, if one uses it in supporting the truth and doing righteous deeds. At-Tirmithi narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was asked: “Which among the people is best?” He said: “The one who lives a long life and does righteous deeds.”
The truth is that the real life of man is not the years that he spends from the day of his birth till the day of his death. Rather, his real age is determined according to the good deeds recorded for him by Allah Almighty.
Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/
Contentment is a sign of wealth
If people become content with the little they have, then there will be no poor or deprived persons among them. If a person is content with what Allah, The Almighty, has given him, he will be powerful and in no need of others, even if he does not possess a lot in this life.
Ash-Shaafi‘i, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “I knew that contentment is the core of richness, and I adhered to it, so I never stood at anybody’s door, or begged anyone. Consequently, I became rich without a dirham, passing by people as if I were a king.”
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam (may Allah exalt his mention), advised his Ummah (nation) to have contentment when he said: “If you are content with what Allah has given you, you will be the richest person.”
He, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, would supplicate Allah the Almighty, saying: “Allaahuma qanni‘ni bima razaqtani wa baarik li feeh wakhluf ‘ala kulli ghaa’ibatin li bikhayr [O Allah, make me content with what You have provided me, bless it for me and grant me good thing in compensation for whatever I miss].”
A person who is content with what Allah, The Almighty, provides for him, will enjoy tranquility, satisfaction and peace of mind as he does not long for what others have or desire what he does not possess. Accordingly, Allah, The Almighty, as well as people, will love him, and the following Hadeeth of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, would apply to him: “Do not incline to the worldly life and Allah will love you. Have no desire for what people possess, and people will love you.”
Moreover, a person cannot reach the degree of the thankful unless he becomes content with the provision that he receives. This meaning is indicated by the saying of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, to Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him: “O Abu Hurairah! Be pious, and you will be the most worshipping person. Be content, and you will be the most thankful person. Love for people what you love for yourself, and you will be a [true] believer.”
A content person, therefore, has a virtuous self as he does not hurt his pride for the sake of a worldly gain that will soon vanish. Such people are the ones whom Allah, The Almighty, praised in His Saying (which means): {[Charity is] for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allah, unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at all]. And whatever you spend of good - indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.} [Qur’an 2:273]
Also, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, gave us glad tidings as he said: “Successful is the person who adopted Islam, has been provided with what is just sufficient for his needs, and been made content by Allah with what He has given him.”
‘Umar ibn al- Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Greed is [in essence] poverty and despair [of what others have] is richness. Anyone who despairs of [i.e. does not long for] what is possessed by others, becomes in no need of it.”
An amazing story in this regard is mentioned in the book of Al-Ihyaa’:
Al-Khaleel ibn Ahmad al-Faraaheedi, may Allah have mercy upon him, refused to be the private tutor of the son of the ruler of Al-Ahwaaz. He brought out dry bread to show the messenger of the ruler, and said, “As long as I find this, I am in no need of Sulaymaan [the ruler]. Then, he said some poetic verses, which mean,
“Inform Sulaymaan that I enjoy ease and richness, although I have no wealth.
I keep my pride as I see no one die of hunger, or remain in the same state all his life.
We realise that poverty lies in souls not in properties, as does richness.”
Indeed, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was truthful when he said: “Richness is not the abundance of wealth; rather, it is self-contentment.”
O Allah, make us content with what You have given us and make us the most contented people of what You have decreed to us of provisions!
