Time!

Allah has blessed the human race with many astonishing commodities, the like of which would be impossible for any other being, except Allah, to create. Making a list of these commodities would be an endless exercise, and one that would ultimately prove fruitless, as there is no end to the bounties that Allah Taa'la has bestowed upon us.

There are many debates as to which one of these commodities is the most precious and the most valuable to man. Arguments have been put forward for gifts such as sight, touch, taste, hearing and countless others.

However, there is little doubt that there is one gift that, should it be used in the right way, can be of great benefit to us and should it be used in the wrong way or a way that displeases Allah, can be a destructive weapon. Both Allah and his Prophet (SAW) have referred to this gift, the gift of time, in the Qur'an and Hadith respectively, as one which should be taken advantage of and not be spent in careless activities.

The question arises as to why time is so important. Time is a creation of Allah of which everyone knows a little about but of which no-one can fully explain the significance. Time is the one bounty of Allah that is completely irreversible and cannot be bought back. If someone were to lose his eyesight or hearing, there is a possibility that he could regain it through the will of Allah. In fact, such is the advance of technology that, were a man to lose his arms, he could now have artificial anns fitted through which he could touch and feel. However, were one to waste even a minute of time, there is no way that he can retrieve that minute, no matter what he does. Allah states in the Qur'an:

"By the time, Verily man is in loss." (Surah 103:1-2)

In these verses, Allah has given an oath by time. The definition of an oath is an invocation of a being or object held sacred by the person using the invocation. Would Allah Almighty, the Creator of the Universe, swear by time were he not to have thought of it as important. If Allah Himself values it as such, surely we should do the same. Time is an aspect against which we can never win, if we do not spend it in the correct manner. However, our religious and spiritual side can conquer time, as Allah Taa'la further states:

"Except those who have faith, and do good deeds, and unite in truth and unite in patience." (Surah 103:3)

Allah, having stated that man cannot win against time, has pointed out an exception. One who spends his time in the path of Allah, doing righteous deeds, will notice the advantages of spending his time in the correct way. Allah further mentions the importance of time through the Saying of Imam Sha'fi (RA): "Time is like a Sword."

If one was to be careless with time, then it will act as a sword against you, a metaphor to which even the poets of yesteryear have given reference to: "Nothing against Times scythe can make defence." (Shakespeare)

Shakespeare has indicated in this sonnet that there is no defence against time. However, in the afore mentioned saying of our Imam Sha'fi Rahmatullahi Alayhi, an alternative can be extracted that if one were to take advantage of his time, he could use it as a sword for his benefit.

It is essential that we control the time we have available and refrain from wasting it. The majority of our time should be spent in the worship of Allah, directing towards good and refraining from bad. Were we to spend time in actions other than these, then it is preferable that we spend it in such activities that are useful to us, in some way or other, e.g. playing football, an activity which helps us keep our bodies fit. However, we should refrain from wasting time in trivial pursuits, such as playing cards, board games, or just lazing around in general.