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The Qur'an states: "(I swear) By the Time, man is a state of loss indeed. Except for those who believed, did righteous deeds, and exhorted each other to follow truth and exhorted each other to observe patience." (103:1-3)
Among the diverse oaths found within the Noble Qur'an, none encompasses the profound depth, universality and magnitude of meaning as the divine oath by time itself. Surah al-'Asr is perhaps the most concise yet comprehensive chapter of the Qur'an.
It is for this reason, that Imam al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy upon him, reflected upon these verses and said: "If people were to reflect upon this Surah alone, it would suffice them." In just three short verses, Allah has encapsulated the entire human condition-our perpetual state of loss as time passes, and the only path to salvation: faith, righteous action, mutual encouragement toward truth, and patience.
Time is not merely a measure of our days; it is the very fabric of existence itself. With every breath we take, every moment that passes, a portion of our life slips away irretrievably. We are not owners of time-we are its temporary trustees, accountable for every second granted to us.
Ṣalāh (Prayer):
The five daily prayers are each assigned their specific windows of time. Allah says: "Surely, prayer is an obligation on the believers that is tied up with time." (4:103). To pray outside its designated time is to forfeit its very essence. The believer's day is thus structured around these five appointments with the Divine-Fajr before sunrise, Dhuhr after midday, 'Asr in the afternoon, Maghrib at sunset, and 'Isha after twilight. These prayers act as anchors, preventing the soul from drifting into heedlessness.
Ṣawm (Fasting):
The fast of Ramadan is confined to the days of a specific month, beginning each day at the break of dawn and ending precisely at sunset. The believer learns to master time down to the minute-stopping to eat moments before Fajr and breaking the fast the instant the sun disappears. Through this temporal precision, fasting becomes a school of self-discipline and God-consciousness.
Zakāh (Almsgiving):
The obligation of Zakat becomes due only after the passage of one complete lunar year (hawl) over one's savings reaching the minimum threshold (niṣāb). This temporal condition teaches us that generosity must be consistent and accountable, not sporadic or whimsical. It trains the believer to think in terms of annual cycles and long-term responsibility.
Ḥajj (Pilgrimage):
Perhaps no pillar demonstrates the criticality of time more dramatically than Hajj. The pilgrimage is valid only during the specified months (Shawwal through Dhul-Hijjah), and its core rituals must be performed on exact days. Standing on the plain of 'Arafah on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah-even for mere moments before sunset-validates the entire pilgrimage. Missing this standing, regardless of how many other rituals one performs, nullifies the Hajj entirely. Similarly, the stoning at Mina, the stay at Muzdalifah, and other rites are each bound to their appointed hours.
Thus, every act of worship in Islam is anchored in time. To honour time is to honour worship itself; to waste time is to neglect the very purpose of our creation.
How profound this statement is! In our relentless pursuit of worldly goals, we squander our health in acquiring wealth, only to spend that wealth later trying to regain our health. Similarly, we waste our free time in trivial pursuits, only to desperately wish for more time when death approaches.
The Prophet ﷺ also said: "Take advantage of five before five: your life before your death, your health before your illness, your free time before you become busy, your youth before your old age, and your wealth before your poverty" (al-Ḥākim).
These words constitute a comprehensive philosophy of life. They remind us that every blessing has an expiration date, and wisdom lies in utilizing it before it vanishes. Youth does not last, health inevitably declines, free time becomes scarce, and wealth can disappear overnight. The intelligent believer seizes these opportunities while they last.
Ḥasan al-Basri, the great scholar and ascetic, would remind his students: "O son of Adam, you are nothing but a number of days. Whenever a day passes, a part of you passes away." He lived this reality, never allowing a moment to pass in heedlessness. It is reported that he would weep at the approach of night, saying, "Perhaps this night will carry me to the grave, and I have not prepared enough."
Ibn al-Qayyim, the distinguished student of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, wrote profoundly: "Wasting time is worse than death, because death separates you from this world, but wasting time separates you from Allah." He understood that physical death is inevitable and natural, but spiritual death-the death of the heart through neglect-is the real catastrophe.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, despite reaching the pinnacle of Islamic scholarship, would say, "With the inkwell until the graveyard"-meaning he would continue seeking and teaching knowledge until his final breath. Even during his last illness, students would gather around his bed to learn from him. When some suggested he should rest, he replied, "The pen is with me until I enter the grave."
Al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdadi narrates about Imam al-Bukhari, the compiler of the most authentic collection of hadith after the Qur'an, that he would not waste even a moment. If he was traveling and his companions stopped to rest, he would continue reviewing hadith. When others slept, he would write. His students reported that in the last moments of his life, he was still correcting and verifying narrations.
'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, the great scholar, warrior, and merchant, managed to excel in multiple fields simultaneously. When asked how he accomplished so much, he attributed it to valuing every moment. He would memorize hadith while traveling for trade, engage in worship during breaks, and teach students between transactions. For him, no moment was too small to be filled with benefit.
Imam al-Shafi'i would divide his night into three portions: one-third for writing and compiling knowledge, one-third for worship, and one-third for rest. He remarked, "I never debated anyone while desiring that they make a mistake, for knowledge is not multiplied through the defeat of opponents, but through the emergence of truth."
Guard the Morning Hours: The Prophet ﷺ specifically prayed for blessing in the early morning hours: "O Allah, bless my Ummah in its early hours" (Tirmidhi). There is barakah hidden in those quiet moments after Fajr. The mind is fresh, the world is still, and the soul is receptive. Many righteous predecessors would accomplish in the morning what others couldn't achieve in an entire day.
Plan with Intention: Writing down goals and organizing your week is not merely worldly efficiency-it is a manifestation of sincerity in fulfilling your purpose. When you plan to read Qur'an, visit the sick, or seek knowledge, you honor the trust of time that Allah has given you.
Transform Idle Moments: Every moment of free time is a test. Will you use it to polish your heart or allow it to rust? Use waiting time for dhikr (remembrance), commute time for listening to beneficial lectures, or brief breaks for connecting with family.
Reflect on Death Regularly: The Prophet ﷺ advised: "Remember often the destroyer of pleasures," referring to death (Tirmidhi). When we remember that our time is finite, we become more conscious of how we spend it.
Time management in Islam is not about squeezing more tasks into our day or achieving worldly productivity metrics. It is about living with purpose, with a heart that beats in constant remembrance of Allah, and with the awareness that we will stand before Him and account for every moment He granted us.
The question that will be asked on the Day of Judgment is clear: "On that Day, you will surely be questioned about the blessings" (Qur'an 102:8). Among the greatest of these blessings is time itself-the hours, days, and years we were given. How did we spend them? Did we fill them with faith, righteous deeds, truth, and patience, as Surah al-'Asr commands? Or did we join the ranks of those who are in loss?
The choice is ours, but the time to choose is now-for with every passing moment, the opportunity diminishes, and the meeting with Allah draws nearer. As the Arabs used to say, "Time is like a sword-if you don't cut with it, it will cut you." Let us therefore seize this precious trust before it slips away, and let us live each day as if it might be our last opportunity to earn the pleasure of our Lord.
This piece is drawn from my forthcoming book Polish Your Soul, a collection of reflective writings on Islamic character development, spiritual refinement, and the journey of self-purification.
The Human in the Quran
