Ibn `Atta’ Words of Wisdom (7)
Seizing One's Time
In his well-known book, Al-Hikam (Words of Wisdom), sheikh Ahmad Ibn `Ataa'illah As-Sakandari says:
However, it is a matter of priorities. You leave home in the morning and you have a specific number of hours to do a certain number of tasks. You will do what is important first, then what is less important. Then you decide to postpone the remaining tasks until tomorrow saying that (God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear.) (Al-Baqarah 2:286)
If you have ten minutes, for example, and you have many things to do including the prayer, then you have to perform the prayer first. Sometimes worldly affairs take priority today, tomorrow, next week, next month, and religious affairs are always postponed. Even the prescribed acts of worship are not done by some people because they claim that they do not have time.
This procrastination has been mentioned in a saying linked to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that says: "Most of the pain of the people of Hell will be because of procrastination." Therefore, procrastination is unacceptable. Every Muslim should seize time and make the best use of it.
There
is enough time to do everything. God will bless your time and work if
you seize time and organize it. Seizing the time is not only important
for managing worldly affairs, it is also important for managing
religious affairs. If you are in the habit of reciting a portion of the
Qur'an or some dhikr (remembrance of God) everyday at a
specific time and you have to go out for work, seize the time while
riding the bus or the train and recite the Qur'an and mention God. I
know of a number of brothers and sisters who memorized the Qur'an while
riding a bus or a train on their way to work or back home.
People in developed countries usually read a book or a story while riding a bus or a train. While revising this paragraph I was in the train in London. The train is crowded but it is very quiet. Everybody around me is either reading or writing even if they are standing in the train. If people are making the best use of their time for worldly affairs, the Muslim should be very keen to seize his or her time for religious affairs.
One has to set his priorities and start with what is more important. God's right should be carried out in the best way. According to Shari`ah rules, people's rights and trusts are more emphasized than God's abstract right. This does not mean that we care about people's rights and neglect God's right. We should seize the time and strike a balance between the two rights. Procrastination is an indication of an immature soul which has been deceived by Satan. Almight Allah says,
"Postponing good deeds until you have free time is an indication of an immature soul."
In
other words, there is nothing called "I do not have time." The deeds we
are talking about such as prayers, remembering God, reflection, all
need time. However, sometimes one postpones them and says "I will do
them tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, or next Ramadan." Ibn
`Ata'illah describes this attitude as an indication of an immature soul,
i.e. this person is demonstrating a folly of the self because you can
do everything you want to do if you have a strong will and time will
help you a lot.However, it is a matter of priorities. You leave home in the morning and you have a specific number of hours to do a certain number of tasks. You will do what is important first, then what is less important. Then you decide to postpone the remaining tasks until tomorrow saying that (God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear.) (Al-Baqarah 2:286)
If you have ten minutes, for example, and you have many things to do including the prayer, then you have to perform the prayer first. Sometimes worldly affairs take priority today, tomorrow, next week, next month, and religious affairs are always postponed. Even the prescribed acts of worship are not done by some people because they claim that they do not have time.
This procrastination has been mentioned in a saying linked to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that says: "Most of the pain of the people of Hell will be because of procrastination." Therefore, procrastination is unacceptable. Every Muslim should seize time and make the best use of it.
There is enough time to do everything. God will bless your time and work if you seize time and organize it. |
People in developed countries usually read a book or a story while riding a bus or a train. While revising this paragraph I was in the train in London. The train is crowded but it is very quiet. Everybody around me is either reading or writing even if they are standing in the train. If people are making the best use of their time for worldly affairs, the Muslim should be very keen to seize his or her time for religious affairs.
One has to set his priorities and start with what is more important. God's right should be carried out in the best way. According to Shari`ah rules, people's rights and trusts are more emphasized than God's abstract right. This does not mean that we care about people's rights and neglect God's right. We should seize the time and strike a balance between the two rights. Procrastination is an indication of an immature soul which has been deceived by Satan. Almight Allah says,
([As
for those who will not believe in the life to come, they go on lying to
themselves] until, when death approaches any of them, he prays: “O my
Sustainer! Let me return, let me return [to life], so that I might act
righteously in whatever I have failed [aforetime]!’’ Nay.) (Al-Mu’minun 23:99-100)
We ask Allah the Almighty to help us make the best use of our time in what pleases Him.
No comments:
Post a Comment