When studying the teachings of the Prophet (ﷺ), it is important to look at how he taught his companions to adjust their perspectives, showing them that it is an essential element of self-reform. On one occasion, a man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked him, “When is the day of judgment?” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “What have you prepared for it?”1
We have a dangerous tendency to be more concerned with when something will occur rather than how we are taking care of ourselves in anticipation of the event itself. While this companion’s evident concern for the Hereafter is admirable, the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted him to redirect his focus towards action in preparation for it. How much time do we spend wondering when we’ll get married or promoted only to find ourselves utterly unprepared when the time comes?
Regarding the value and correct usage of time, one of my teachers gave me a beautiful piece of advice. He said, “Imagine you were given a money printing machine for a single night. How would you spend that night? Would you spend any portion of that night questioning the amount of time remaining? Would you not see it as a complete waste of time to check the time?” His example reinforces the concept that time should be used, not watched; time should be filled with action. In his book Ḥifdh al’Umr (Protecting One’s Life), Ibn al-Jawzī writes, “Man must come to the realization that the two most valuable things that he has are his heart and his time. When time is wasted, the heart is ruined and all benefit is lost.”2
Ibn al-Jawzī explains how wasted time weakens the spiritual strength of the heart. Wasting time makes a person feel distant from themselves and, even worse, distant from Allah (ﷻ). In another text, Ibn al-Jawzī mentions a profound principle regarding the wastage of time. He says, “The wastage of time is always due to one’s surrounding environment or something within their self.” 3
Our pious predecessors were extremely wary of spending time with baṭṭālīn, the people who waste time or spend time in trivial pursuits. Al-Tāj al-Subkī described Imam Sulaym al-Rāzī, saying, “How extremely cautious is he in his affairs. He would take himself to account regarding time and was very meticulous. He would never let a moment pass without some type of benefit. He was either writing, reading, or teaching.” Al-Mu’amal ibn al-Hasan echoed a similar sentiment regarding Imam Sulaym’s efficient relationship with time. “I was with Sulaym once when he was writing something and suddenly his pencil broke. He went to sharpen it and I noticed his lips started moving. He was reciting something the entire time until his pencil was sharp, so that no time was left empty.” It’s interesting to note Ibn Al-Hasan’s language in choosing the word “empty.”4 Time, like space, can be filled with things or left empty. When we stress about the passing of time instead of working towards our future, we are leaving its space void.
In his book Deep Work, Georgetown computer science professor Cal Newport crafts a formula for creating high-quality work.5 We can apply this formula to every aspect of our lives:
High-Quality Work Produced = Time Spent x Intensity of Focus
He and other famous writers have brought to light a significant problem that affects our productivity: our inability to spend a long time in “deep work.” According to Cal Newport, deep work is any type of mental activity that takes a lot of focus. Deep work is mentally challenging, and thus, Newport explains that our inner selves prefer to be busy with completing many shallow tasks, such as checking emails and sending quick replies, instead of diving into more demanding projects. We like to focus on the timing of an event because it is easier than actual preparation. It is much easier to keep watching the clock and asking “when” than it is to work. While it feels like an accomplishment, the shallow task is a cheap thrill as it requires very little cognitive involvement.
Through the Prophet’s (ﷺ) interaction with the aforementioned companion, we are reminded that if something is inevitable, we must realize that the present moment has the potential to positively influence our condition when we reach the affair. He (ﷺ) teaches us to move from a passive, more helpless frame of mind to an active, more empowered one. The elapsing of time is something that happens to us; we experience it passively. Fixating on the aspect of time itself means that our focus is on something that is outside of our control. The more we focus on preparation, the less we concern ourselves with something that is outside of our control, and, consequently, the less helpless and more empowered we will feel.
As Muslims, we must accept the control we have over how we spend our time and acknowledge that Allah (ﷻ) will place barakah (blessings) in it when we use it correctly. The concept of barakah in regard to time shows us that it has multiple dimensions. While time is generally expressed in terms of length, divine blessing gives it an element of breadth. Using time effectively means attempting to widen the scope of the amount of life that we are given. Hence, two people can be given the same length of time but differ drastically in the quantity and quality of accomplishments within that period.
No matter how much time you give a person who doesn’t value it, they will waste it. They will wait for the last minute and then praise themselves for their ability to do so much in such a short amount of time. They praise themselves for their moments of productivity but fail to see that those last moments of productivity are proof against them; it shows the potential they have. It raises the question: what could you have done had you realized the value of all your time?
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah says, don’t curse time, for indeed I am time.” What does it mean to curse time? Perhaps one way to look at the “cursing” of time is to consider the procrastinator’s thought process. Perhaps the worst way to insult a person is to disregard and waste the gifts they have given you.
Focus on what you have control over, not on what seems to have control over you. If you focus on time, it will begin to appear as if it is working against you; whereas if you focus on action, time seems to submit to you. Whatever is out of your control is not meant to be focused on. If Allah (ﷻ) took it out of your control, that’s an indication that there are more important things to focus on – how will you use the moments that you have right now?
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1. Sahih al-Bukharī 3688 – Companions of the Prophet. https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3688
2. Abu al-Fattāh, Qīma al-Zaman ‘ind al-‘Ulama, p. 101.
3. Ibn al-Jawzī
4. Newport, Deep Work, p. 40.
5. Sahih al-Bukhari 4826.- Prophetic Community on the Qur’an. https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4826
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