Just A Matter of Time - Emotional - Intellectual - Family

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Just a Matter of Time
By Dr Ahmed Adam
Medical Physician, Counselor, and Writer — S. Africa
Thursday, 10 May 2007 11:14
These comments are very common today.
"There just isn't any more time."

Vote
"Look how time flies." With the current deteriorating conditions in Syria and
some other parts of the world, should Europe accept
more refugees?
"If only I had more time."
Yes
"Look how the months and years are flying past." No
No idea
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11/27/2020 Just a Matter of Time - Emotional /Intellectual - Family - OnIslam.net
"Life is a rat race — I want to . Vote Results

get off."
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we sometimes get the feeling that our life is out of control, that things are Falling in Love with Online Friend
happening too fast? We are living in a world of information technology where An Act of Betrayal
everything is geared to making things faster: We have jet planes, microwave ovens,
instant coffee, fax machines, e-mail, the Internet, etc. Yet, despite all these time- Read More
saving devices, instead of having more free time, we somehow appear to have less
time than before.
In-Depth
In our everyday existence, we get into a routine that remains fairly stable from one
day to the next. This routine usually involves waking up, the time we sleep, go to Experiencing the Holy Lands with Kids (Series)
work, leave work, eat, pray, watch TV, or socialize. We get into certain habits, which Every year as Dhul-Hijjah approaches, I get that heart -
develop into rigid patterns, and these habits determine how we spend our life during squeezing feeling that I was deprived from being among
our short stay here on earth. the delegation of Allah that year, those who were
chosen to spend the most sacred days of...
At a certain point in our life, and this awareness differs for each person, we come to
an uneasy awareness that there is more to life than our daily routine. We also, come
to a scary awareness that our youth and middle age are behind us and that we are
entering into the autumn and winter years of our life in this world; thus bringing us
closer to our inevitable abode in the grave and our accountability in the hereafter.
With this realization comes some glaring questions:
A Happy Marriage Makes a Healthy Family
"Have I prepared for the hereafter?"
"Do I have the provisions that I need for my journey into the hereafter?" Your Guide to a Perfect Hajj (In-Depth)
"Do I know what provisions I will need?" Back to School (Special Folder)
"Do I have the time to prepare myself for that journey?"
How to Make Ùmrah
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said that there will come a
Help Syrian Refugees (15 Hadiths)
stage when time will pass quickly, and this is one of the signs signifying the
nearness of the Day of Judgment:
"The Hour [Day of Judgment] will not be established until… religious

knowledge is taken away…earthquakes will increase in number… time
will pass quickly" (Sahih Al-Bukhari 9:237)
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How Time Should Be Spent
There is a time to live and there is a time to die. From the

time that a child draws its first breath, only Allah Almighty
has the knowledge how many breaths the soul will take
before it draws its last and final breath in this physical world.
No mortal knows how long anyone will live. There are two
broad categories simplified as follows:
1. Some souls breathe only a few times before they depart this world; they are only
here for a brief visit, innocent at birth and innocent at death: These are visitors from
Paradise, sinless from their first breath to their last breath, bringing both joy and
heartache to their parents and siblings (We should, however, always put in mind that
Allah Almighty knows best).
2. Other souls have a much longer life span in this world. The average healthy adult
breathes 22,000 and their heart beats 104,000 times daily. A person who lives for
an average life span of 70 years, has been given 560,000 breaths and 2.5 billion
heartbeats. Each person's life is like a candle. Each person's candle has a different
length.
However, from the moment a child is born, the candle begins to burn, and each day,
the candle gets shorter, just like life. The greatest mystery is that no one knows the
length of their candle. No one knows if they have one hour left to live, one day, one
week, one year, or ten years. Only Allah Almighty knows the answer. Each person's
time will come at the precise moment that Allah Almighty has decreed, not a minute
later and not a minute sooner. This is the decree as mentioned in the following
verses:
[And a soul will not die, but with the permission of Allah; the term is
fixed] (Aal Ìmran 3:145)
[Say: You have the appointment of a day from which you cannot hold
back any while, nor can you bring it on] (Al- Saba 34:30)
Time Management
The feeling we get when we say that "there is no time," stems from a subconscious
conflict that occurs in each and every one of us. On the one hand, we need the time
to earn a living and attend to our daily activities. On the other hand, we are aware
on a subconscious level, that there is "too much to do," and too little time; we are
also aware that because we have "too much to do," we have to find the time to do
everything. This means that we have to start sacrificing some of the time from other
activities, which are important, but not urgent, such as family time, sleep, prayer,
and exercise, to devote to those activities that have to be done. We usually justify
and rationalize our usage of time by telling ourselves that we will do something
"later" or "one day." For example:
Important But Not Urgent Excuse

I know that I have to perform Hajj. I will do it "someday" when I am
ready.
I must visit or phone my parents. I will do it "later/next … (week,
month, etc.)"
I must spend some time with the I will do it "later."
children/my spouse.
I must exercise. I will start "soon/next
month/someday."
I must lose weight. I will start "someday/one day."
I must stop smoking. I will start "someday/one day."
I must plan for the hereafter. I will start "someday/one day."
Unfortunately, we fail to realize that the road to "soon/later/someday" leads to the

city of "nowhere." It is a false illusion that we use to deceive ourselves into thinking
that right now we are too busy, but one day, when we get the chance, we will do the
"important" things in life.
However, if life is so uncertain and unpredictable, how do we know that we will ever
get to that "one day"? Today is a gift, a kind of "present." We have to cherish this
"present" that we have been given today, and we should not fool ourselves and wait
for "someday." If you look at any calendar, you will find "Monday, Tuesday, etc." but
no "Someday" — "Someday" does not exist! We have to start spending time on the
important activities today.
Seminars that run time management workshops make lots of money showing people
how to manage time. What they do not tell you is that time management does not
exist. We cannot "manage" time — we can only manage ourselves. It is only when
we take stock of how we utilize our time on a daily basis, and then start changing
our habits, only then can we have some hope of making more efficient use of the
time available to us. When we make a list of what is important to us and then
inculcate a new habit of daily focusing on the important issues, then, and only then,
can we have a sense of the usage of time. If not, we will soon face the shocking
reality that time is no longer on our side, and life has passed us by. It will be too late
for regrets! We are essentially souls, on a brief physical journey, en route to an
eternal spiritual existence. How do we prepare ourselves for our eternal existence?
How Should Time Be Spent
[By (the token of) time (through the ages), most

surely humans are in loss, except those who believe
and do good, and enjoin on each other truth, and
enjoin on each other patience.] (Al-Àsr 103 1-3)
Allah Almighty cautions us that we are at loss, unless we

prioritize our lives on the important things that will help us
in this world and in the hereafter. If we do not, then we will
find that time is against us. Even though we are aware that
"one day" we will all have to die, the average person
assumes, incorrectly, that death is far away. We get so
involved in our day-to-day activities, that we do not spend
as much time as we should, pondering on the Day of
Judgment. If we did know the date and time of our death,
we would certainly behave differently. However, this
information is kept hidden from us so that it forms a part of
.
our test in this world.
[Nay! Nay! You shall soon know. Nay! If you had known with a certain
knowledge, you should most certainly have seen Hell.] (At-Takathur
102:4-5)
Allah Almighty warns us,
[Nay! But you love the present life] (Al-Qiyamah 75:20)
[The near event draws nigh] (An-Najm 53:57)
[And will you laugh and not weep? While you are indulging in
vanities?] (An-Najm 53:60–61)
[ The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts
you (from the more serious things), until you come to the graves] (At-
Takathur 102:1–2)
Allah Almighty, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, has given all of us sufficient time.
If we feel we do not have sufficient time, the fault is ours — we are spending too
much of our time on "nice," but unimportant matters. The frivolous activities are
pleasurable and become a habit; they form an integral part of our life. Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) warned us against abusing time:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Allah said, 'The son of Adam
hurts Me by abusing Time, for I am Time; in My Hands are all things
and I cause the revolution of night and day.'" (Al-Bukhari 9:93 #583)
Time: A Blessing From Allah Almighty
[He causes the dawn to break, and He has made the night
for rest, and the sun and the moon for reckoning; this is an
arrangement of the Mighty, the Knowing.] (Al-Anàm 6:96)
[He it is Who made the sun a shining brightness and the

moon a light, and ordained for it mansions that you might
know the computation of years and the reckoning. Allah did
not create it but with truth; He makes the signs manifest for
a people who know] (Yunus 10:5)
Allah Almighty, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, has blessed us .

with an earth that revolves on its axis, thus giving us the
alternation of the day with the night. If the earth did not rotate, then one half
would be very cold and in perpetual light and the other half would be very
cold and in perpetual darkness. The revolution of the day and night that we
take for granted is a tremendous blessing from Allah Almighty. This brings
harmony and balance in our life, so that the day can be spent on seeking the
bounties of Allah Almighty and the night is for rest and recuperation.
Furthermore, the phases of the moon and the changes in the seasons, are
useful indicators to keep track of the passage of time.
However, the blessings of Allah Almighty do not end there. Each and every
day, every living person is given a fresh, new allocation of 24 hours (except
on your last day on earth). Allah Almighty is Al–'Adl — The Just. Everyone is
given those 24 hours whether a prince or a pauper, a president or a prisoner,
a believer or non-believer, or dark or light-skinned — everyone gets an equal
share. However, there is one slight problem that makes life interesting and
challenging:
• You cannot save any hours, not even one second, for the next day — there is
no savings account for time.
• You cannot sell your hours to anyone.
• You cannot donate any of this time to anyone — not even to your nearest or
dearest who may be on the death-bed.
• There is not a instant replay button — you cannot go back in time to rectify
your mistakes, and you cannot push a "fast forward button" to find out the
challenges of tomorrow. Furthermore, there is no "pause button," while you decide
what to do next.
• You either use your time or waste it!
You either use your life or waste it. Time is life, not money. Time is more precious
than money — it is the most valuable commodity that we have, yet we do not value
it.
Time Is Relative
The scientific concept of time is that time can only exist

when there is space. Allah Almighty is One, Eternal, and
Absolute. He has always been in existence before time, in
negative eternity, and He is present after time, in positive
eternity. Before the creation of the heavens and the earth,
only Allah Almighty existed.
Space and time came into existence:
[Wonderful Originator of the heavens and the earth,

and when He decrees an affair, He only says to it, .
"Be," so there it is.] (Al-Baqarah 2:117)
Our concept of time is relative to the revolution of the day

and the night (i.e. the time it takes Earth to spin on its own axis, which is one day,
while one year is the time that it takes Earth to revolve around the sun. Yet, the
concept of "day" has different meanings, some of which is beyond our
comprehension:
[To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of
which is fifty thousand years] (Al-Maàrij 70:4).
[The grand night (Laylat Al-Qadr) is better than a thousand months]

(Al-Qadr 97:3)
So our concept of time is related to one revolution of the earth axis, i.e. one earth
day. Thus Allah Almighty, the Most Merciful, has decreed that whoever is fortunate to
take advantage of the Blessings the night of power, then this is better than a
thousand of earthly months. A thousand months amount to 83.3 years — a whole
lifetime for some. This is a phenomenal return on investment.
You only invest 12 hours of prayer, and obtain a reward of 83.3 years of worship —
truly, Allah Almighty is Most Gracious, Most Beneficient, and the Most Merciful.
Surely, those believers who spend this blessed night in gossip or socializing or
watching TV are the true losers.
There are many examples where the benefits we obtain on spending our time on the
important matters, far outweigh the temporal benefits of this world.
Time Usage
When we are faced with the situation that we simply do not have the time to do the
important work, we should reflect and decide which activities we can reduce, so that
we are then left with more time to spend on the important areas of our life.
For example:
The average person spends 15 hours per week on TV.
+ Add to this half an hour a day on newspapers = 3 hours
If the time spent on TV and newspapers is cut in half, this gives a saving of 9 hours
per week. Nine hours per week can be translated as follows:
= 468 hours per year
Or
= 28,000 minutes per year
Or
= 77 minutes extra per day.
77 minutes = 1155 breaths = 5544 heartbeats

or
77 minutes = 1155 breaths = 5544 heartbeats
What we can do with 77 minutes extra per day:
In 77 minutes, one can recite 77 duroodon Prophet Muhammad (peace and

blessings be upon him).
In 77 minutes one can recite Surat Al-Ikhlas 77 times.

In 77 minutes, one can pray, study, assist in volunteer work, teach
someone, spend time with loved ones, cook a halal meal for the family
instead of buying in a questionable TV meal, visit a sick friend, ponder
over ideas to earn an honest living, give charity, teach a skill to someone,
fight poverty, learn how to use a computer, etc.
The point is, is that we only have a limited amount of hours every day. We have to
sacrifice our time to do certain activities. We have to decide what is important, and
which activities can be considered "sacrificial" blocks of time. If we allow frivolous
activities to overshadow our important activities, we could end up losing the race in
this life.
When we plan to go for a holiday, we plan well in advance, pack our bags and our
tickets and clothes (depending on the season, winter or summer) etc. It therefore
makes common sense that we have to make preparations for our journey to the
hereafter. The only problem is that our ticket (death) is already booked, but we do
know the date and time of our "flight."
When we are called, we cannot say, "we are not ready." Furthermore, we do not
know whether we will go to a very hot place or a very peaceful one — the only
provisions that we take with us are our deeds, both good and bad; our deeds are the
currency of the hereafter; the scale will then determine our ultimate abode, either in
Paradise or in
Hell.
Action Plan
The only reality we have is today, which may very well be our last day on earth. If
today actually is the last day, how will we live it?
Perform our prayers as if it they are the last ones, and pray Friday
prayers as if is the last prayer that we will have on such a blessed day —
take a few minutes extra — it will make a difference. Time for our
business will always be there.
Do a good deed today, for we may not get a chance tomorrow.
Say a kind word today and spread the greeting of Islam (As-salamu
àlaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh ) — Islam is a social religion.
Uplift the society in any way you can.

Start your goals today, start living your dreams today, for tomorrow may
never come
Life is too short to waste procrastinating — a life of procrastinating is a
life of empty dreams that will end in regrets.
Be kind and loving to your family today.
Look after your health today.
Every new day is a new chance, with fresh opportunities to start a new
life — forget about yesterday's mistakes and failures. We have to place
our hope and trust in Allah Almighty, the Most Gracious, the Most
Merciful.
May Allah Almighty, Most Gracious, the Most Merciful strengthen our will and
discipline so that we use our precious time more beneficially to prepare ourselves for
the ultimate journey.
May Allah Almighty shower his choicest blessings on Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him), for the glorious example that he is. Through single-minded
focus on one goal, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) used the
same 24 hours per earthly day for 23 years since prophethood came to him;
however, during that time, he became the statesman of Makkah and Madinah, a
world leader, a military strategist, philosopher, and head of a new religion that today
has over 1.5 billion followers.
May Allah Almighty guide us to His path, so that we can attain success in this world
and in the hereafter. May Allah Almighty forgive us our shortcomings and may He fill
our lives with the barakah of time. Amen.
Related Links:
Hope
Fatherhood: A Sacrifice and a Trial – Balancing Family and Islamic Work
Dr Ahmed Adam is a medical doctor by profession. He has four university degrees in the fields of
science and medicine.
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Euro Muslims Qur'an Q&A

These comments are very common today.

"There just isn't any more time."

"Life is a rat race — I want to . Vote Results

*** Live Sessions

Ask About Islam Live Session- Dr. Mohsen Haredy (Answers

• Time Usage Wake Up Humanity, Wake Up! (Scholars Posts)

Jealousy Among Family Members

"The Hour [Day of Judgment] will not be established until… religious

How Time Should Be Spent

There is a time to live and there is a time to die. From the

Important But Not Urgent Excuse

Unfortunately, we fail to realize that the road to "soon/later/someday" leads to the

How Should Time Be Spent

[By (the token of) time (through the ages), most

Allah Almighty cautions us that we are at loss, unless we

Allah Almighty warns us,

[Nay! But you love the present life] (Al-Qiyamah 75:20)

[The near event draws nigh] (An-Najm 53:57)

Time: A Blessing From Allah Almighty

[He it is Who made the sun a shining brightness and the

Allah Almighty, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, has blessed us .

• You cannot sell your hours to anyone.

• You either use your time or waste it!

The scientific concept of time is that time can only exist

Space and time came into existence:

[Wonderful Originator of the heavens and the earth,

Our concept of time is relative to the revolution of the day

[The grand night (Laylat Al-Qadr) is better than a thousand months]

+ Add to this half an hour a day on newspapers = 3 hours

= 468 hours per year

= 28,000 minutes per year

= 77 minutes extra per day.

77 minutes = 1155 breaths = 5544 heartbeats

What we can do with 77 minutes extra per day:

In 77 minutes, one can recite 77 duroodon Prophet Muhammad (peace and

In 77 minutes one can recite Surat Al-Ikhlas 77 times.

Uplift the society in any way you can.

E-mail (required, but will not display)

Notify me of follow-up comments

Ask the Scholar Ask About Hajj & Umrah

Jobs | Advertise | Overall Roles | Write For OnIslam

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