Time & Life

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ: الصِّحَّةُ وَالفَرَاغُ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed about two great blessings that Allah bestows upon man, in which many people suffer loss because they use them inappropriately. When a person is blessed with both health and free time but is overcome by laziness in worship, he is among the losers, and this is the case with most people. However, if a person uses his free time and health in obeying Allah, he is the winner, for this world is the cultivation ground for the Hereafter, and in it lies the trade whose profit will be realized in the Hereafter. Free time is followed by preoccupation, and health is followed by sickness; and if nothing else except old age, it would suffice as a reminder.

• The person who is held accountable for religious duties is likened to a merchant, and health and free time are compared to capital; whoever makes good use of his capital will attain success and profit, while whoever wastes it will incur loss and regret.
• Ibn al-Khāzin said: A blessing is something a person enjoys and finds pleasure in, and 'ghabn' (deception) refers to buying something for much more than its worth or selling it for less than its actual value. So, whoever has a healthy body and is free from burdensome tasks but does not strive for the betterment of his Hereafter is like someone deceived in a sale.
• Keenness on benefitting from health and free time to draw closer to Allah Almighty and perform good deeds before they are lost.
• Expressing gratitude to Allah for His blessings is by utilizing them in obeying Allah Almighty.
• Al-Qādi and Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi said: There is a difference of opinion regarding the first blessing that Allah bestows upon the slave. Some say it is faith, others say it is life, and some say it is health. The first opinion is more correct, as it is an absolute blessing, whereas life and health are worldly blessings. They are only considered true blessings if accompanied by faith, and here many people are deceived regarding these blessings, i.e., their profit is lost or diminished. Whoever indulges in his evil-commanding soul that seeks only comfort, neglecting the observance of boundaries and steadfastness in obedience, is deceived. Likewise, if a person has free time, he is more accountable than someone who is busy, as the busy person might have an excuse, but the one with free time has no excuse and is informed beyond the excuse of ignorance.

صحيح البخاري (8/ 88) (6412). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 131). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (2/ 65). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 180). تحفة الأحوذي بشرح جامع الترمذي، للمباركفوري (6/ 485).

عَنْ أَبِي بَرْزَةَ الأَسْلَمِيِّ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تَزُولُ قَدَمَا عَبْدٍ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يُسْأَلَ عَنْ عُمُرِهِ فِيمَا أَفْنَاهُ، وَعَنْ عِلْمِهِ فِيمَ فَعَلَ، وَعَنْ مَالِهِ مِنْ أَيْنَ اكْتَسَبَهُ وَفِيمَ أَنْفَقَهُ، وَعَنْ جِسْمِهِ فِيمَ أَبْلَاهُ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that none among people will pass the place of reckoning, either to Paradise or Hellfire, on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about four things, which are: First: His life; how did he let it perish and how did he spend it? Second: His knowledge; did he seek it for the sake of Allah? Did he act upon it? Did he convey it to those entitled to it? Third: His money; from where did he earn it? Was it lawfully or unlawfully earned? What did he spend it on? Did he spend it on what pleases Allah or on what displeases Him? Fourth: His body, strength, wellness, and youth; how did he use them and wear them out?

• It encourages the act of taking advantage of life in what pleases Allah Almighty.
• The blessings that Allah bestows on His slaves are abundant, and He will ask everyone about the blessings he was granted; thus, one must use such blessings in what pleases Allah.

سنن الترمذي (4/ 217) (2417). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 371). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 478). المعجم الوسيط (2/ 704).

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: أَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمَنْكِبِي، فَقَالَ: «كُنْ فِي الدُّنْيَا كَأَنَّكَ غَرِيبٌ أَوْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ»، وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ، يَقُولُ: إِذَا أَمْسَيْتَ فَلاَ تَنْتَظِرِ الصَّبَاحَ، وَإِذَا أَصْبَحْتَ فَلاَ تَنْتَظِرِ المَسَاءَ، وَخُذْ مِنْ صِحَّتِكَ لِمَرَضِكَ، وَمِنْ حَيَاتِكَ لِمَوْتِكَ.

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) mentioned that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) took him by the shoulder—the part that joins the arm with the shoulder—and said to him, Be in this world as if you are a stranger who arrived at a country where he has no house to shelter him and no one to keep his accompany. He is away from family, children, and relationships that are the cause behind one's distraction from the Creator. Rather, be more than a stranger, i.e., a wayfarer who passes by the way seeking his homeland. This is because the stranger may live in a foreign land and reside therein, unlike the wayfarer who passes by swiftly without stopping and whose main concern is to reach his homeland. Just as a traveler needs nothing beyond what helps him reach his destination, a believer needs nothing in this world beyond what helps him reach his destination in the Hereafter. Ibn ‘Umar acted upon this advice, and he used to say: If you reach the morning, do not wait for the evening; and if you reach the evening, do not wait for the morning, and count yourself among the grave dwellers. Given the fact that health and sickness are inevitable in one's life, then hasten to obedience when you are in good health before getting sick, and take advantage of your health in performing righteous acts before being prevented by sickness. Take advantage of your life in this world and do everything that could benefit you after your death.

• A teacher may put his hand on his student's shoulder as he instructs him as an expression of cordiality and to attract his attention.
• One may offer advice and guidance to those who do not ask for it.
• The Prophet's excellent approach in teaching by making convincing comparisons, as he said: "Be in this world as if you are a stranger or a wayfarer."
• People vary in their advance towards the Hereafter, bearing in mind that the status of the wayfarer is higher than that of the stranger in terms of asceticism.
• One should have simple ambitions in this world and should be prepared for death.
• The Hadīth does not denote the renunciation of sustenance or the prohibition of worldly pleasures; rather, it denotes asceticism in such things and consuming less thereof.
• Hastening to righteous deeds before one is unable to perform them due to sickness or death.
• The merit of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) as he was influenced by this advice from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
• Paradise is the believer's homeland; hence, he is a stranger in this world and a traveler to the Hereafter. He does not allow his heart to be attached to anything of this foreign land; rather, his heart is attached to his homeland, to which he will return. His stay in this world is to fulfill his needs and get prepared to return to his homeland.

صحيح البخاري (8/ 89) (6416). التحفة الربانية في شرح الأربعين حديثًا النووية، لإسماعيل الأنصاري (ص90). شرح الأربعين النووية، لابن عثيمين (ص390). فتح القوي المتين في شرح الأربعين وتتمة الخمسين، للنووي وابن رجب (ص131).

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رضي الله عنه عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا حُلْوَةٌ خَضِرَةٌ، وَإِنَّ اللهَ مُسْتَخْلِفُكُمْ فِيهَا، فَيَنْظُرُ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ، فَاتَّقُوا الدُّنْيَا وَاتَّقُوا النِّسَاءَ، فَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ فِتْنَةِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَتْ فِي النِّسَاءِ».

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarifies that this worldly life has a sweet taste and looks green and alluring. Hence, man gets deceived by this worldly life, indulges in its pleasures, and makes it his biggest concern. Allah Almighty has made us successors of one another in this worldly life to see how we behave; and whether we obey or disobey Him. Then he said: Beware of being deceived by the worldly pleasures and adornment that will cause you to abandon Allah's commands and fall into His prohibitions. Among the gravest worldly trials that one must beware of is women's temptation, which was the first temptation the children of Israel fell into.

• It encourages adherence to piety without being preoccupied with worldly pleasures and adornment.
• Warning against being tempted by women either through gazing, allowing them to mingle with foreign men, etc.
• Women's temptation is among the gravest worldly trials.
• Taking lessons from the previous nations, such as what happened to the Children of Israel could happen to others as well.
• In the case of the wife, a woman's temptation might be by asking her husband what he cannot afford, thus, distracting him from seeking religious affairs and urging him to exert himself in seeking this world. As for the foreign woman, her temptation lies in alluring men and making them deviate from the truth when she goes out and mixes with them, particularly if she is not wearing Hijāb and is exposing her adornment. This might lead to falling into various degrees of adultery. So, the believer must hold onto Allah and ask Him to save him from their temptation.

صحيح مسلم (4/ 2098) (2742). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 146). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 173). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 103).