Photo : Oxymanus
The Quran and Sunnah both emphasize the importance of time in the life of a Muslim. Allaah swears in the beginning of many Soorahs (chapters) by time or moments in time, for example Allaah Says (what means): “By the dawn and the ten nights (i.e. the first ten days of the month of Thul-Hijjah)...” [Quran 89: 1-2]
And also Says (what means): “By the night when it covers, and by the day when it appears...” [Quran 92:1]
And also Says (what means): “By the morning brightness and by the night when it covers with darkness...” [Quran 93:1]
And also Says (what means): “By the time...” [Quran 103:1]
When Allaah swears by something of His creation, it directs our attention to the benefit of that thing. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, further emphasized the value of time in many authentic Hadeeths. For example, Mu’aath bin Jabal may Allaah be pleased with him related that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “The slave will not go forward on the Day of Judgment until he is asked four questions: about his age and how he spent it, about his youth and how he used it, about his wealth and how he acquired it and spent it, and about his knowledge and what he did with it.”
Youth is considered the peak stage in human life, because young people have the capacity and energy to accomplish many good deeds, but when they get older, they cannot do as much. These are stages of development as mentioned in the Quran, for example in Soorah Ar-Room (The Romans), Allaah Says (what means): “Allaah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair ...” [Quran 30:54]
If we do not use our time effectively for something good, then we will definitely use it for something bad, which destroys our rewards and our lives. For example, if you do not make Thikr (mentioning Allaah and praising Him), then you will be saying something else, perhaps backbiting or perhaps talking about your children, your work, your neighbors, your friends or your enemies. What counts for you is using the time for something useful, doing good deeds and saying good things.
Try to make a short revision at the end of each day about what you did during that day. Ask yourself: What did I do today? What did I do that was bad today? Make repentance for the bad things that you have done and said, sincerely determining not to repeat such things. With the good, determine to do it again, do it more often and do it in a better way.
Our lives are judged according to what we did, not according to how many years we lived. We know that life is very short, and at the end of it comes death. We do not know when we are going to die, so we have to make sure that we do many good deeds before we pass into the next life and we are unable to return to repent from our bad deeds, or to do more good deeds. Time passes very quickly as Allaah Says (what means): “The Day they see it, (it will be) as if they had not tarried (in this world) except an afternoon and a morning.” [Quran 79:46]
And also Says (what means): “And on the Day when He shall gather (resurrect) them together, (it will be) as if they had not stayed (in the life of this world and graves, etc) but an hour of a day.” [Quran 10:45]
Time is very precious and if it passes, you cannot make use of it again. If yesterday passed without the performance of good deeds, then it is gone; you cannot reclaim any benefit from yesterday’s time. For example, if you came to travel from one city to another and you found that the airplane that you were supposed to travel on has already left, do you think that it will be back to pick you up? Or if you were traveling by train and you missed the train, do you think that the train will reverse to come back to get you?
When it is time for a person to die, he may ask for more time to do good deeds, as Allaah Says (what means): “Therein they will cry: ‘Our Lord! Bring us out, we shall do righteous good deeds, not what we used to do.’ (Allaah will reply): ‘Did We not give you long enough lives so that whosoever would receive admonition could receive it, and the warner came to you? So taste you (the evil of your deeds). For the wrongdoers, etc, there is no helper.” [Quran 35:37]
We say that we are so busy with our work and our children, but Allaah warns us against this saying (what means): “O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allaah. And whoever does that, then they are the losers. And spend (in charity) of that which We have provided for you before death comes to one of you and he says: ‘My Lord! If only you would give me respite for a little while (i.e. return to the worldly life), then I should give sadaqah (i.e. Zakaah) of my wealth, and be among the righteous (i.e. perform Hajj). And Allaah grants respite to none when his appointed time (death) comes. And Allaah is All-Aware of what you do.” [Quran 63: 9-11]
Many people before us used their time effectively by performing good deeds, teaching, doing something for the benefit of the Muslims, their families and their relatives, or by advising others to be good, and calling others to Allaah and Islam, etc. They considered every day that passed which they did not use effectively for the sake of Allaah as denying the favors of Allaah.
Today we have those who “kill time.” These people gather to talk about things that are not related to Islam or the Muslims’ affairs; they play around or talk about others. These people are not killing time, but they are committing slow suicide because they are killing their time -- and their time is their lives! So they are slowly killing themselves and after they die, what good deeds have they done?
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “There are two favors (or bounties) of Allaah’s bounties, and in them many people are cheated (or deceived): health and free time.”
People underestimate the value of these two favors, and thus, they are cheated. This is like a person who has a house that he wants to sell. Someone comes and offers him 50,000 dollars for it. He isn’t sure of its value, so he hesitates. Finally, he agrees and sells it for that amount. Later he finds out that his house was actually worth a million dollars. Imagine how cheated he feels; imagine that feeling that if he had only known beforehand what it was really worth, he could have gotten more!
It is the same with our time. We underestimate its great value, and then when it is gone, we feel that we have been cheated because we didn’t get everything out of it that we could have. But just as the one who sold his house below its value cannot get it back and sell it at its true value, we also cannot go back and do more with the time that is already gone. At the end of our lives, we will not be able to go back and live our lives over again and we will not be given more time to do good deeds, to try to make up for the time we wasted.
So we must organize our time wisely, being very careful about what we use it for. We must treat the free time that we have, in which we could do good deeds as a precious resource, guarding it against waste or misuse.
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Knowledge in Islam and How To Seek It :
In this article we’ll try to shed some light on knowledge from Islamic perspective. Generally speaking, the Arabic word for knowledge is 'ilm, which, in most cases, indicates to Islamic knowledge or matters related to Sheree’ah (Islamic Law). Although, some of the Quranic verses in this article refer to Islamic knowledge, yet they are general in their meaning, and thus can be used to refer to learning in general.
The importance of education is a none disputable matter. Education is the knowledge of putting one's potentials to maximum use. One can safely say that a human being is not in the proper sense till he/she is educated.
This importance of education is basically for two reasons. The first is that the training of a human mind is not complete without education. Education makes man a right thinker. It tells man how to think and how to make decision.
The second reason for the importance of education is that only through the attainment of education, man is enabled to receive information from the external world; to acquaint himself with past history and receive all necessary information regarding the present. Without education, man is as though in a closed room and with education he finds himself in a room with all its windows open towards the outside world.
This is why Islam attaches great importance to knowledge and education. When the Quran began to be revealed, the first word of its first verse was 'Iqra' that is, read. Allaah says, (what means): "Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not" [Quran, 96: 1-5]
Education is thus the starting point of every human activity. Allaah created man and provided him with the tools for acquiring knowledge, namely hearing, sight and wisdom. Allaah says (what means): "And Allaah has brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you know nothing. And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks (to Allaah)" [Quran, 16:78]
A knowledgeable person is accorded great respect in many prophetic narrations.
Because of the importance of knowledge, Allaah commanded His Messenger sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) to seek more of it. Allaah says (what means): "and say: `My Lord! Increase me in knowledge" [Quran, 20:114]
The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) made seeking knowledge an obligation upon every Muslim, and he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) explained that the superiority of the one who has knowledge over the one who merely worships is like the superiority of the moon over every other heavenly body. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said that the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets and that the Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention did not leave behind any money, rather their inheritance was knowledge, so whoever acquires it has gained a great share. Furthermore, the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said that seeking knowledge is a way leading to Paradise. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Whoever follows a path in the pursuit of knowledge, Allaah will make a path to Paradise easy for him." (Al-Bukhaari)
For example the Quran repeatedly asks us to observe the earth and the heavens. This instills in man a desire to learn natural science as well. All the books of Hadeeth have a chapter on knowledge. In Saheeh Al-Bukhaari there is a chapter entitled "The virtue of one who acquires learning and imparts that to others."
Islam calls us to learn all kinds of beneficial knowledge. Branches of knowledge vary in status, the highest of which is knowledge of Sharee'ah (Islamic Law), then other fields of knowledge, such as medicine, etc.
This is the knowledge (Sharee'ah) with which Allaah honoured His Messenger sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ); He taught it to him sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) so that he might teach it to mankind: "Indeed, Allaah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Quran), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Quran) and Al-Hikmah [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet (i.e. his legal ways, statements and acts of worship)], while before that they had been in manifest error" [Quran, 3:164]
How great importance is attached to learning in Islam, can be understood from an event in the life of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). At the battle of Badr in which the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) gained victory over his opponents, seventy people of the enemy rank were taken prisoner. These prisoners of war were literate people. In order to benefit from their education the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) declared that if one prisoner teaches ten Muslims how to read and write, this will serve as his ransom and he will be set free. We can freely say that this was the first school in the history of Islam established by the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) himself with all its teachers being non-Muslims. Furthermore, they were all war prisoners.
On the one hand Islam places great emphasis on learning, on the other, all those factors which are necessary to make progress in learning have been provided by Allaah. One of these special factors is the freedom of research. One example of it is that in Makkah, the birthplace of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) dates were not grown. Afterwards the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) migrated to Madeenah, the city of dates. One day the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) saw that some people were atop the date trees busy in doing something. On being asked what they were engaged in, they replied that they were pollinating.
The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) suggested them not to do so. The following year date yield was considerably very low. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) enquired them of the reason. They told him that the date crop depended on pollination. Since he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) suggested them to do otherwise, they had refrained from that. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) then told them to go on doing as they used to, and that, "You know the worldly matters better than me." (Al-Bukhaari)
Also we should know that there is no goodness in knowledge which is not confirmed by actions or words which are not confirmed by deeds, Allaah the Almighty says (what means): "O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is with Allaah that you say that which you do not do" [Quran, 61: 2-3]
Knowledge brings a great reward. The one who points the way to something good is like the one who does it. When the knowledgeable person dies, his reward with Allaah does not cease when he dies, rather it continues to increase so long as people benefit from his knowledge. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "When a man dies, all his deeds come to an end except for three — an ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge or a righteous child who will pray for him." (Muslim)
On other side, a person without knowledge is like someone walking along a track in complete darkness. Most likely his steps will wander aside and Satan can easily deceive him. This shows that our greatest danger lies in our ignorance of Islamic teachings in the first place and in our unawareness of what the Quran teaches and what guidance has been given by the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ).
On the other hand, if we are blessed with the light of knowledge we will be able to see plainly the clear path of Islam at every step of our lives. We shall also be able to identify and avoid the dangerous paths of disbelief, Shirk (associating with Allaah) and immorality, which may cross it. And, whenever a false guide meets us on the way, a few words with him will quickly establish that he is not a guide who should be followed.
Knowledge is pursued and practiced with modesty and humility and leads to dignity, freedom and justice.
The main purpose of acquiring knowledge is to bring us closer to our Creator. It is not simply for the gratification of the mind or the senses. It is not knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Knowledge accordingly must be linked with values and goals.
One of the purposes of acquiring knowledge is to gain the good of this world, not to destroy it through wastage, arrogance and in the reckless pursuit of higher standards of material comfort.
Six etiquettes of learning
lbn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah may Allaah have mercy upon him said: "There are six stages to knowledge:
Firstly: Asking questions in a good manner.
Secondly: Remaining quiet and listening attentively.
Thirdly: Understanding well.
Fourthly: Memorising.
Fifthly Teaching.
Sixthly- and it is its fruit: Acting upon the knowledge and keeping to its limits."
Conclusion
According to Quranic perspective, knowledge is a prerequisite for the creation of a just world in which authentic peace can prevail. In the case of country’s disorder or war the Quran emphasizes the importance of the pursuit of learning, Allaah says (what means): "Nor should the believers all go forth together: if a contingent from every expedition remained behind, they could devote themselves to studies in religion, and admonish the people when they return to them - that thus they (may learn) to guard themselves (against evil)." [Quran, 19:122]
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