Bismihi Ta’ala
By Hadhrat
Moulana Abdul Hamid Is`haq Saheb (Daamat Barakaatuhum)
We are passing through time, but not taking notice of the
bounty of time. We are born in time, we live in time, we
undertake our deeds in time, and we will die in time. Great events have
happened and happen in time.
Were it not for the
bounty of time, we would not have the glorious timeline of Islam or the
distinguished timeline of the life of our Beloved Rasul (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi
wasallam) : The Birth of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam), his
marriages, the first revelation, the Boycott, the Me’raj, Hijrah, Battle of
Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Fath-e-Makkah, etc.
Time is a great, great
creation of Allah Jalla Jalaaluhu. It is so abstract that it is not
perceived by most, as a creation of Allah Jalla Jalaaluhu. …Together with being
a great creation, it is also a great ni'mat.
The mind has to be
seriously focussed contemplating the creation of an abstract bounty such as
time. In this, as well, we will recognize what a Great Creator Allah Jalla
Jalaaluhu is!
Every passing moment of time, is a ni’mat which we are using,
but we do not recognize it. We do not show appreciation for
it until it is lost.
This is generally the
weakness of man : He appreciates a
ni'mat only when it is lost. Thereafter, there is regret, remorse and shame.
When we look back and
think of the time spent in futility and sometimes even sins, then we wish we
could go back in time, and spend that time differently, constructively and
fruitfully. But this is not possible. What
is lost of time is lost – and lost forever. It cannot be retrieved.
The Hadeeth, in fact,
highlights this regret to the extent that it will be felt even in Jannah: “The people of Paradise will not regret
anything (of this world) except that time void of the remembrance of Allah.”
[Tabraani / Bayhaqi]
In a Hadeeth, Hazrat
Abu Hurrairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “Most
of mankind are at a loss regarding two favours, good health and free time
(opportunity).”
[Sahih
Al Bukhari]
In the Qur`aan
Shareef, Allah Jalla Jalaaluhu takes an oath by time, bringing attention to its
importance, greatness and excellence.
“By Al-'Asr (the time). Verily, man
is in loss. Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous
good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to
perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf) which Allah has ordained, and abstain
from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar which Allah has forbidden),
and recommend one another to patience.”
This Surah is guiding
man as to how to maximise on the bounty of Time; if not, he surely stands at a
loss.
My Sheikh, Hadhrat
Moulana Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb (Rahmatullahi ‘alayh) says that people say
they want to pass time, but undeniably, most fail time. They fail time when their time is spent in negligence, heedlessness and
disobedience.
And it is this bounty
from amongst the foremost bounties which we will have to account for on the Day
of Qiyaamah:
‘[On the Day of Judgement], the feet of a person will not move until he
is asked regarding :
(1)
His
life; how did he spend it,
(2)
His knowledge; how did he act upon
it,
(3)
His Wealth; how did he acquire it
(and)
(4)
How did he spend it, and
(5)
His body, how did he use it.’
[Tirmidhi Shareef]
We constantly check
the time – whether on our watches, clocks, cell-phones, computers … but are
heedless that every second passed, is bringing an end to our time in this
world.
Allah Ta’ala also
created the measurement of time.
What a magnificent bounty! Without the measurement of time, we would not know
the times for the respective Salaahs, for Ramadaan, for Hajj, and so forth.
This too is another
sign of the signs of Allah Ta’ala’s. Without the measurement of time, can we
say when we will be undertaking a journey, when we will do this or that?
Imagine if we did not
have time? What would have been our condition, without something such as time
and the measurement of time?
O Allah! What
another great creation and gift! - Just what would we have done if we did not
have the measurement of time ??!!
