Then Allah arranged the life span for every person in this world,

“Then Allah arranged the life span for every person in this world, determining a definite end for every creature. Every one comes one step near to his end each day and night till he passes away. He takes advantage of his days and nights. Then God summons him to give him rewards for the goodly works he performed on the earth or to give him chastisement for the evils he performed. This is the way of Allah’s justice. He is clean and fault-free. His sacred Names and Attributes are ever-lasting. His material and spiritual assets are continual. He is never responsible towards His servants; rather, it is the believers who are responsible in front of Allah”

The above subtile and elegant phrases and expressions indicate two significant facts:

1) There is a limited life-span for every creature;

2) Every body will go on trial upon his entry into the other world.

The Precious Jewel of Time

Every nation has an axiom or a proverb dealing with the precious value of time. The most famous of them is the expression: Time is gold.

But the magnificent Islamic culture has never evaluated time with the material things, however precious these things may be. This is because in the scale of justice and wisdom there is nothing equal to man’s precious life.

Life-time in Islam is measured with the scale of faith, good deeds and good mannerism. One who has spent his days and nights to gain faith and knowledge and good mannerism has not wasted his time. He sill definitely attains the paradise at the end.

To spend time in absurd activities, in satanic merry-making or in aggression, or in accumulating wealth is to waste it. And this will bring one to the fire of the hell.

Those who, at the Doomsday, suffer amxiety, torture and wretched-ness, are the ones who had wasted their time in this world. They had spent in vain the time which was given to them by Allah, the Almighty, to improve themselves.

On that day, these people awaken and find out that they should not have wasted their time. Then from among the hell fire they will resort to God: O God! Please send us back to the earth and allocate to us the same amount of life-span for the second time so that we would be doing good deeds. We would like to be like the well-wishers. But they are told: We gave you life to serve people; We even sent you prophets to teach you; but you did not benefit from Our assets.

This kind of question and answer, according to the Holy Quran, takes place between God and the hell-dwellers for five times. At the fifth and the last time, the tongues of the hell-dwellers become inactive and they become silent for ever.

قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَمَتَّنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ وَأَحْيَيْتَنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ فَاعْتَرَفْنَا بِذُنُوبِنَا فَهَلْ إِلَى خُرُوجٍ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ ذَلِكُمْ بِأَنَّهُ إِذَا دُعِيَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ كَفَرْتُمْ وَإِنْ يُشْرَكْ بِهِ تُؤْمِنُوا فَالْحُكْمُ لِلَّهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْكَبِيرِ.

“They said: O God! You took away our lives twice and gave them back to us twice. Then we confessed to our mistakes, errors and lack of attention. Is there any way for us to get rid of this hell! (In response, they are told) this is the punishment for your aggression against Allah. You were the ones who appointed an associate for Allah. Now you have to see the consequences (And the God’s verdict for you is for you to remain perpetually in the fire). 40:11-12”

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ الْمُجْرِمُونَ نَاكِسُوا رُءُوسِهِمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ رَبَّنَا أَبْصَرْنَا وَسَمِعْنَا فَارْجِعْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا إِنَّا مُوقِنُونَ... فَذُوقُوا بِمَا نَسِيتُمْ لِقَاءَ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا إِنَّا نَسِينَاكُمْ وَذُوقُوا عَذَابَ الْخُلْدِ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ.

“(O our Prophet) Could you but see when the guilty shall hang down their heads before their Lord: Our Lord! We have seen and we have heard, therefore send us back, we will do good; surely now we are certain. 32:12-14”

“So taste, because you neglected the meeting of this day of yours; surely we forsake you; and taste the abiding chastisement for what you did.”

وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُمْ مَا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَنْ تَذَكَّرَ وَجَاءَكُمْ النَّذِيرُ فَذُوقُوا فَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ نَصِيرٍ.

“And they shall cry therein for succour: O our Lord! Take us out, we will do good deeds other than those which we used to do. Did We not persevere you alive long enough, so that he who would be mindful in it should mind? And there came to you the warner; therefore taste; because for the unjust, there is no helper. 35:37”

وَأَنذِرْ النَّاسَ يَوْمَ يَأْتِيهِمْ الْعَذَابُ فَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا رَبَّنَا أَخِّرْنَا إِلَى أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ نُجِبْ دَعْوَتَكَ وَنَتَّبِعْ الرُّسُلَ أَوَلَمْ تَكُونُوا أَقْسَمْتُمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ زَوَالٍ.

“And warn people of the day when the chastisement shall come to them, then those who were unjust will say: O our Lord! Respite us to a near term, so we shall respond to thy call and follow the apostles. What! Did you not swear before that there will be no passing away for you! 14:44”

قَالُوا رَبَّنَا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنَا شِقْوَتُنَا وَكُنَّا قَوْمًا ضَالِّينَ رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ عُدْنَا فَإِنَّا ظَالِمُونَ قَالَ اخْسَئُوا فِيهَا وَلَا تُكَلِّمُونِ.

“They shall say: O our Lord! Our adversity overcame us and we were an erring people. O our Lord! Take us out of it; then if we return to evil surely we shall be unjust. He shall say: Go away into it and speak not to Me. 23:106-108”

The fact that they are prohibited to talk to Allah is a severe punishment indeed.

In contrast to these people, there are those who took their time in getting trained in the school of the Prophet and got good manners and engaged in goodly deeds: in other words, they worshipped Allah while on the earth.

These are people whose actions are for nobody except for God, who have no love except for Allah, who have no teachers except the Prophets and the Infallible (s).

The Prophets, Imams, Gnostics, lovers and advisers have all asked human beings to recognize the true value of time and to spend every moment of their lives in praying God and serving people and to avoid wasting their time in satisfying their desires.

The Islamic knowledge and the precious narrations all have guided man to spend their time in useful affairs.

قَالَ النَبيُّ 4: اِتَّقِ المَحارِمَ تَكُنْ أعْبَدَ النّاسِ، وَارْضَ بِما قَسَمَ اللهُ لَكَ تَكُنْ أغْنى النّاسِ، وَأحْسِنْ إلى جارِكَ تَكُنْ مُؤمِناً، وَأحِبَّ لِلنّاسِ ما تُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِكَ تَكُنْ مُوقِناً، وَلا تُكْثِرِ الضَحِكَ فَاِنَّ كَثْرَةَ الضَّحْكِ تُميتُ القُلُوبَ.

The Prophet (s) has stated: In order to be the most pious among people, do not spend your time in performing sins; In order for you to be affluent be content with what God has given you through lawful business; in order to be considered a believer, do good deeds for your neighbors; in order to be a man of conviction, let others have what you wish to have; and avoid too much laughter since it will kill your heart.[1]

وَقالَ: مَن خَزَنَ لِسانَهُ سَتَرَ اللهُ عَوْرَتَهُ، وَمَن كَفَّ غَضَبَهُ كَفَّ اللهُ عَنْهُ عَذابَهُ، وَمَن اعْتَذَرَ إلى اللهِ عَزَّوجَلَّ قَبِلَ عُذْرَهُ وتَجاوَزَ عَنْهُ.

The Prophet (s) has stated as well; Allah will not disclose the defects of anybody who keeps his tongue from backbiting people and calling them names and hurting them through his ridiculing others. One who controls his anger will be safe against God’s chastisement. And one who repents to God for what he has done wrong in the past by compensating through his good deeds and good manners and by getting involved in what Allah likes, shall be forgiven by Allah.[2]

Salman Farsi once went to visit Abudarda. He found Abudarda’s wife in shabby dress. She was very depressed. He asked her for the reason. She answered: Your brother Abudarda is not fond of the world anymore. He is always engaged in prayers. Salman waited till Abudarda arrived. He welcomed Salman and brought him some food. Salman then said: Abudarda help yourself. Have some food. But he answered: I am fasting. Then Salman said: for God’s sake, have some food. Abudarda replied: If you do not eat, I won’t eat either. Finally, they ate. At night time when Abudarda was headed for prayer, Salman stopped him, telling him: you have got to do something for God; but you are also responsible towards your family. Sometimes go on fasting, but sometimes avoid fasting. Do your prayers on time. Do not reduce your time of sleeping. Give people what they deserve. Spend your time as it is specified by Allah, Prophets (s) and divine books, or else you are to be deprived of many God’s blessings.

Abudarda went to meet the Prophet (s) and let him know what had occurred between him and Salman. The Prophet (s) confirmed what Salman had told Abudarda.[3]

قالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ4: قَدْ أفْلَحَ مَنْ أسْلَمَ وَكَانَ رِزْقُهُ كَفافاً وَصَبَرَ على ذالِكَ.

The Prophet (s) has said: One who is obedient to Allah in all aspects of his life and does not spend his time to obtain his means of subsistence unlawfully, will be successful and salvaged.

Regarding this issue, Bahaoddin Balkhi, known as Bahawalad has offered some pieces of advice and some valuable articles. We will refer here to some portions of them:

“I said: O man! In every bit of your lust there lies a demon; and demons gather around you because of that lust. Your inner side houses demons of all sorts. You were told to close two doors in order for the demons not to enter your body: those two doors are your throat and your lust. If you try to close these doors but you still see some temptations, it is because these doors are not thoroughly sealed off yet.

You were told to empty your bottle, i.e. your stomach from bread and fill it up with light. But you filled it up with whims and desires. You were then deprived of bread in order for you to take your lesson: العاقِل تَكْفِيهِ الإشارةِ.

We have addressed the wise, not the un-wise. Equip your ears with the ear-rings of intelligence. Purify yourself; be ready to serve others. Try to appreciate the differences between right and wrong and be pious, because they say: الأولِياءُ عَرائِسُ اللهِ [4]

The great Prophet(s) has said:

قَدْ أفْلَحَ مَنْ أسْلَمَ وِكانَ رِزْقُهُ كَفافاً وَصَبَرَ على ذالِكَ.

One who spends his time doing the right things and spares spending his time in wrong affairs and does not touch anything which is against God’s will, has undoubtedly obtained the treasures in heaven.

O dear ones! The wrong affairs of this world are not worth even a little bit of your precious time.

Imam Sajjad (s), in an excellent narration, guides people how to spend their precious time:

إنَّ أحَبَّكُم عِندَ اللهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ أحْسَنُكُم عَمَلاً، وَإنَّ أعْظَمَكُم عِنْدّ اللهِ عَمَلاً أعْظَمَكُم عِنْدَ اللهِ رَغْبَةً، وَإنَّ أنْجَاكُم مِنْ عَذابِ اللهِ أشَدُّكُمْ خَشْيَةً للهِ، وَإنَّ أقْرَبَكُم مِنَ اللهِ أوْسَعَكُم خُلْقاً، وَإنَّ أرْضاكُمْ عِنْدَ اللهِ أسْبَغَكُم عَلى عِيالِهِ، وَإنَّ أكْرَمَكُم عِنْدَ اللهِ أتْقاكُم.

“The dearest ones of you in front of the Glorious Allah is the most beneficent among you. The greatest one among you in action is the one who has the greatest heed towards Allah. The safest of you from Allah’s chastisement is the one among you who fears Allah the most. The closest one of you to God is the one whose good manners every person can enjoy. God is satisfied most with anybody who provides his wife and with all their needs. And the dearest one of you for God is the one who contains himself from wrong-doings.”[5]

In order to comprehend the truth behind Imam Sajjad’s statement, we have to spend our precious time getting the required knowledge. Without this process, it would be impossible to arrive at those truths.

The Honorable Prophet (s) of Islam says: If men and women of my Ommat are careful in spening their time wisely, they will gain the paradise:

مَن سَلِمَ مِن رِجالِ أمَّتي مِنْ أرْبَعِ خِصالٍ فَلَهُ الجَنَّةُ: مِنَ الدُّخُولِ في الدُّنيا، وَإتّباعِ الهَوى، وَشَهوَةِ البَطْنِ، وَشَهْوَةِ الفَرجِ، وَمَن سَلِمَ مِنْ نِساءِ أمّتي مِنْ أربَعِ خِصالٍ فَلَها الجَنّةُ: إذا حَفِظتْ ما بَينَ رِجْلَيْها، وَأطاعَتْ زَوْجَها، وَصَلَّتْ خَمسَها، وَصامَتْ شَهْرَها.

“Any one of the men of my ommat who defends himself against four traits and who will not spend his time on these four will be a paradise dweller: The four traits are: indulging in the world of wrong-doing; indulging in the whims and desires; filling the stomach with unlawfully-gained food (haram)and spending time in sexual affairs.”[6]

“And those women of my Ommat who pay attention to four facts shall be paradise dwellers, as well: keeping their chastity, obeying their husbands, praying God five times a day and fasting in the month of Ramathan.”

And all these are the result of having faith in Allah and paying heed to the Resurrection Day and doing good deeds. We will see this issue brought up in the Holy Quran:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ جَزَاؤُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ.

“As for those who believe and do good, surely they are the best of men. Their reward with their Lord is gardens of perpetuity beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein for ever; Allah is well pleased with them and they are will pleased with Him; that is for him who fears his Lord. 98:7-8”

Imam Muse Ibn Ja’afar (s), in a precious narration, shows us how to spend our life-time usefully:

اجْتَهِدوا في أنْ يَكُونَ زَمانُكُم أرْبَعَ ساعاتٍ: ساعْةٌ لِمُناجَاةِ اللهِ، وَساعَةٌ لأمْرِ المَعاشِ، وَسَاعْةٌ لِمْعاشَرَةِ الإخْوانِ وَالثُقاتِ الَّذينَ يُعَرِّفُونَكُم عُيُوبَكُم وَيُخْلِصُونَ لَكُمْ فِي البَاطِنِ، وَساعَةٌ تَخْلُونَ فِيها لِلَذاتِكُمْ في غَيْرِ مُحَرَّمٍ.

Try to divide your 24 hours in the following manner:

1) Some portion for worshipping and supplication;

2) Some part for earning life and managing family circle;

3) Some portion for meeting with your religion brothers, those who tell you what defects you have and are sincere to you;

4) and some portions for pleasures which are not unlawful.[7]

Imam Baqir (s) says: Ali (s) prayed the night prayers in the kufe Mosque, then he called people three times, telling them:

تَجَهَّزوا – رَحِمَكُمُ اللهُ – فَقَدْ نُودِيَ فِيكُمْ بِالرَحِيلِ، فَمَا التَّعَرُّجُ عَلَى الدُّنْيا بَعْدَ النِّداءِ فيها بالرَّحيلِ!

تَجَهَّزُوا ـ رَحِمَكُم اللهُ ـ وانتَقِلُوا بِأفْضَلِ ما بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ مِنَ الزَادِ وَهُوَ التَّقْوى، وَاعْلَمُوا أنَّ طريقَكُمْ إلى الْمَعادِ، وَمَمَرَّكُمْ عَلى الصِّراطِ وَالهَوْلَ الأعْظَمَ أمَامَكُمْ؛ عَلى طَرِيقِكُمْ عَقَبَةٌ كَؤُودَةٌ، وَمَنازِلُ مَهُولَةٌ مَخُوفَةٌ، لابُدَّ لَكُم مِنَ المَمَرِّ عَلَيْها وَالوُقُوفِ بِها؛ فَإمّا بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللهِ، فَنَجاةٌ مِنْ هَوْلِها وَعِظَمِ خَطَرِها وَفَظاعَةِ مَنْظَرِها وَشِدَّةِ مُخْتَبَرِها؛ وَإمّا بَهَلَكَةٍ لَيْسَ بَعْدَهَا انْجِبَارٌ.

“May God bless you all. Be ready for the journey to the other world. You are called to that ever-lasting abide; you are invited to join there. Then why are you procrastinating? You act as if you were not called upon to join the other world.

“May God bless you. Get prepared and take with you the best kind of provision, which is piety.

“Be aware that you have to enter the other world, and you have to pass the Sarat, A great fright is ahead of you; there is a rough journey ahead. There are awesome resting-places on your way. You have to cross them; they can not be discarded. The only Salvation you have is God’s blessings. These blessings can only be obtained through faith and good deeds. If you live neglectfully and meet some obstacles, there will not be any compensation.”