The Value of Time: A New Hijri Year Reflection
الخطبة الأولى · First Khutbah
All praise is due to Allah, who created time and made the night and day a succession for those who wish to remember or be grateful. We have been blessed to reach another Jumu'ah, and in a few days, another Hijri year will conclude, marking the transition from 1447 to 1448 after the Hijrah of the Prophet ﷺ.
This transition from one year to the next is a time for reflection. What did we do in the time that has passed? What are we preparing for the time that is to come? Allah repeatedly swears by different segments of time in the Quran, such as Wal-Asr, Wad-Duha, Wal-Layl, and Wash-Shams, highlighting the immense importance of time.
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) expressed deep regret, saying there was nothing he regretted more than a day whose sun had set, and his good deeds had not increased. This sentiment should resonate with us as we contemplate the years that have flown by. Will we be pleased with the deeds we have prepared when we stand before Allah?
The Illusion of Time Passing Faster
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ foretold that before the Day of Judgment, time would become compressed: a year would feel like a month, a month like a week, a week like a day, and a day like an hour.
" لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَتَقَارَبَ الزَّمَانُ فَتَكُونُ السَّنَةُ كَالشَّهْرِ وَالشَّهْرُ كَالْجُمُعَةِ وَتَكُونُ الْجُمُعَةُ كَالْيَوْمِ وَيَكُونُ الْيَوْمُ كَالسَّاعَةِ وَتَكُونُ السَّاعَةُ كَالضَّرْمَةِ بِالنَّارِ "
Anas bin Malik narrated that the Allah's Messenger (s.a.w) said: “"The hour shall not be established until time is constricted, and the year is like a month, a month is like the week, and the week is like the day, and the day is like the hour, and the hour is like the flare of the fire."”
This does not mean that literal time will speed up, but rather that barakah (blessing) will be removed from time. We experience this already; Ramadan, which was only three months ago, feels like just a few days ago. The Gregorian New Year also feels like it just passed.
Consider how we spend our days. Roughly one-third of our lives are spent sleeping, and another third is consumed by work, school, and daily necessities like cooking or errands. This leaves us with one-third, which we often consider
As we reflect on the swift passage of time and the regrets of the past, the question remains: how can we ensure the time ahead is filled with barakah and righteous deeds, preventing the regret of those who will wish for just one more moment?
— The khateeb sits briefly, then rises for the second khutbah —
الخطبة الثانية · Second Khutbah
The reality is that time is a precious commodity, and the feeling of it speeding by is a sign that we may lack barakah in our days. We don't want to be among those in the Hereafter who scream to Allah, 'Our Lord, take us out of this place and let us return to the world so we may do righteous deeds other than what we used to do!
﴿وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَآ أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَـٰلِحًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُم مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجَآءَكُمُ ٱلنَّذِيرُ ۖ فَذُوقُوا۟ فَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ﴾
“And they will cry out therein, "Our Lord, remove us; we will do righteousness - other than what we were doing!" But did We not grant you life enough for whoever would remember therein to remember, and the warner had come to you? So taste [the punishment], for there is not for the wrongdoers any helper.”
— Quran 35:37, Fatir
Allah's response will be, 'Did We not grant you a life long enough for whoever would remember therein to remember? And the warner had come to you.
﴿وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَآ أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَـٰلِحًا غَيْرَ ٱلَّذِى كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُم مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجَآءَكُمُ ٱلنَّذِيرُ ۖ فَذُوقُوا۟ فَمَا لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ﴾
“And they will cry out therein, "Our Lord, remove us; we will do righteousness - other than what we were doing!" But did We not grant you life enough for whoever would remember therein to remember, and the warner had come to you? So taste [the punishment], for there is not for the wrongdoers any helper.”
— Quran 35:37, Fatir
So, what practical steps can we take to ensure our remaining time is blessed and productive?
- Conduct a Time Audit: Take an honest look at how you spend your free time. Identify moments that are wasted on unproductive activities, like excessive screen time.
- Replace Waste with Worship: Consciously replace unproductive habits with acts of worship and beneficial knowledge. Dedicate specific time slots to reading Quran, engaging in dhikr (remembrance of Allah), seeking knowledge, or performing extra prayers.
- Seize Youth and Health: Remember the Prophet's advice to take advantage of five things before five others, including youth before old age and health before sickness.Do not delay performing obligatory acts like Hajj or engaging in demanding good deeds until a time when your physical strength may diminish.
- Prioritize and Act Now: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ encouraged us to hasten towards good deeds before calamities strike.
" بَادِرُوا بِالأَعْمَالِ سَبْعًا هَلْ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلاَّ فَقْرًا مُنْسِيًا أَوْ غِنًى مُطْغِيًا أَوْ مَرَضًا مُفْسِدًا أَوْ هَرَمًا مُفَنِّدًا أَوْ مَوْتًا مُجْهِزًا أَوِ الدَّجَّالَ فَشَرُّ غَائِبٍ يُنْتَظَرُ أَوِ السَّاعَةَ فَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرُّ "
Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: “"Race to do works against seven. Are you waiting but for overwhelming poverty, or distracting richness, or debilitating illness, or babbling senility, or sudden death, or the Dajjal, so that hidden evil is what is awaited, or the Hour? The Hour is more calamitous and more bitter." (Daif)”
The time we have is now. Don't defer your intentions for righteousness to an uncertain future.
Let us strive to be among those who utilize their time wisely, filling it with deeds that draw them closer to Allah. May Allah forgive us for our shortcomings and fill our remaining days with barakah and opportunities for righteous actions. May He grant us a good ending and unite us with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions in the highest levels of Jannah. Ameen.