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Praise be to Allah, The Lord (The One and Only) of the worlds.
O Lord, physicians failed to cure us so cure us.
O Lord, mischief has prevailed so save us.
O Lord we ran out of solutions so look after us.
Raise Your Wrath and Anger from upon us, Our Lord! Don't punish us if we forget or fall into error.
O, Allah forgive our sins, conceal our shortcomings, accept our repentance, mend our hearts, have mercy on our weak, handle our matters, cover our defects, grant us security, let us feel safe in our countries, give us triumph over your and our enemies, help us reach what pleases you, and seal our actions with good deeds.
And I testify that there is no god but Allah Alone, and that He has no partners.
There is no power and might except with (the help of) Allah, the abundance for every poor, the glorification for every humiliated, the strength for every weak, and the aid for everyone in need, thus, we seek refuge with You from being poor in the shade of Your wealth, from being astray in the shade of your guidance, from being humiliated in the shade of your glory, and from being aggrieved in the shade of your kingdom.
No one seeks Your help, but You find him a way out of the plotting of the creations of heavens and earth, and no one seeks help from others than You, but You sink him/her down from beneath his feet, and You turn away from him/her.
I bear witness that our Master Muhammad PBUH is your slave and messenger; he PBUH delivered a sermon in which he PBUH said:
“O people, for you there are the sources of knowledge. You must reach out to them. For you there are the end goals and you must reach them. You must know that a believer works between two frightening facts. On one side is the time that has passed and he does not know what Allah has done about it, and on the other is the time to come that he does not know how Allah will decide about. The believing servant (of Allah) must take from hisown soul for hisown soul and from his worldly life for his hereafter, during his youth before his getting old and in his lifetime before his death. I swear by the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad that after the worldly life there will be no chance to please anyone and there will be no other home except paradise or hell.’”
O messenger of Allah, May Allah bless you and grant you peace. You knew the value of time and thus you made the best out of it in a heroic way that nations and peoples are incapable of.
Allah takes an oath by your precious age, Allah says:
﴾ Verily, by your life (O Muhammad ), in their wild intoxication, they were wandering blindly.﴿
O Allah, our Lord! Grant peace and blessings to Sayyidina Muhammad, upon his Family, upon his Companions, the trustees upon his message and leaders of his armies, whom were educated by the prophet PBUH in such a way that made one of them (our Master Ali, may Allah be pleased with him) say, "By Allah, Even if the veils were raised (the unseen was disclosed to him), nothing would be added to my certitude in faith."
Introduction:
1- What does it mean that a year passes away and another comes forth?
Dear brothers, every now and then, we bid farewell a year to welcome another. But what does it mean that a year passes away and another comes forth?
It is the evolution of time. But what is time? It is the fourth dynamic dimension of things. Any object must necessarily have three dimensions- length, breadth, and height. If such an object starts to move, time becomes a fourth dimension for it. Physicists go even further to say that if an object moves at the speed of light, time stops for it, and its mass becomes infinite. If, however, such an object exceeds the velocity of light, time moves back. If its speed becomes less than that of light, time is delayed. Allah, All high, says,
﴾ And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing. ﴿
The sun’s movement makes the days, months, years, as well as the day and night.
2- The notion of time in the Islamic conception of the universe, life, and man:
Now, the question is: where does the notion of time stand in the Islamic conception of the universe, life, and man? Where does it exist in the Noble Quran and Sunna? What is the relationship between time and man, the supreme and honored creature? Is it possible for such a relationship to be that of congruence? In other words, is it possible to say, “Man is virtually nothing but time?”
Contemplation on the creation of the heavens and earth inevitably leads to the crystal clear fact that the universe must necessarily have a Great Creator, a Merciful Lord, and a Wise Governor.
It has been rightly said, “Footprints indicate movement as much as water denotes the existence of a spring. How come then that the heavens with constellations and earth with mountains and valleys do not bespeak the existence of Allah, the All-wise, the All-knowing”.
Such a Creator is All-Great in His creation, All-Perfect in His acts. His Being Perfect necessitates the fact that it is impossible that He neglects His servants and leaves them with no guidance, no enlightenment, no Divine law, no command, no interdiction, no excuse, no warning, no promise or menace.
That is why He, All high, sent forth His Prophets and Messengers with warnings and good tidings and sent down with them His Books with the Truth, so that He judges between the people touching their differences. Such Divine Books are meant to acquaint people with their Creator and Lord and to define the reality of the present life and man’s role therein.
The Noble Quran shows beyond a shadow of doubt that man has been created for Paradise, as wide as the heavens and earth, beneath which there flow rivers, whose produce and shade are eternal, and therein believers shall be granted whatsoever they will and shall dwell forever. That is the great success.
3- Preparing for the eternal life in the Hereafter:
Allah, All-wise, ordained that the eternal life in the Hereafter must necessarily be properly prepared for in the present world where man is supposed to purify his own original Self. And since such purification is the price for Paradise, man has been equipped with all the necessary abilities and elements that insure the attainment of such purification, namely a magnificent universe created for his guidance and honor, a highly intelligent mind whereby he acquires knowledge and is held responsible for the duties assigned for him, a pure human nature that warns him of his errors and deviations, an instinct whereby he goes up in rank (with Allah) either thankful or patient, a free will by which his deeds are evaluated, a power that seemingly brings such a free will into action, and a Divine Law that guides him onto the right way - all on an earthly stage and in a definite length of time, namely man’s lifetime, his only capital in this present life. Such equipment, if used properly, is sure to lead man to Paradise. To this effect Allah, All-high, says,
﴾ Verily, the Muttaqun (pious) will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs (in the Paradise), Taking joy in the things which their Lord has given them. Verily, they were before this Muhsinun (good-doers). They used to sleep but little by night [invoking their Lord (Allah) and praying, with fear and hope]. And in their properties there was the right of the beggar, and the Mahrum (the poor who does not ask the others) , ﴿
Allah also says:
﴾ Then as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand will say: “Take, read my Record! “Surely, I did believe that I shall meet my Account!” So he shall be in a life, well-pleasing. In a lofty Paradise, The fruits in bunches whereof will be low and near at hand. Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past! ﴿
Time:
1- Time is the capital of man:
Investigation shows that the concept of time occupies a prominent place in Islamic ideology, which makes clear that time is the most important dimension of man’s life. It is his sole capital and the vessel that contains his righteous deeds that Allah has set as price for Paradise. Allah, All-high, says,
﴾ 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 (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah’s Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad, etc.). ﴿
The word “Asr” here refers to Time, which has been created by Allah. He, All high, swears by time in order to affirm its importance and highlight the fact that man is nothing but time. Man is but a few days; whenever a day passes away, he loses some of his being. Therefore, time is the most valuable thing in man’s life. Nothing else can ever be so valuable. It has been rightly said,
What has been has been, what you hope for is of the unseen
and you only possess the hour you are in”.
The apodosis of the oath
﴾ Verily! Man is in loss﴿
The word “Man” in this verse means all human beings. But the question is: “how and why does Man lose?”
2- The true loss is to lose man's only capital (i.e. time):
As above-mentioned, man is nothing but a few days. Hence, time is the most valuable thing in man’s life; it is his real capital. Is there a greater loss than losing one’s only capital? In other words, the constant movement of time will undoubtedly drive man to his inevitable end, death. Does not this movement of time consume man’s life? Hence comes the notion of “loss” as mentioned in the above-verses.
A poetry goes as follows:
Death is inevitable end for man
Worldly life is not the eternal abode
Man in life talks and tells news
Until he becomes piece of news (i.e. he dies)
Allah, All-Wise, has ordained that death is an inevitable end for every living thing.
Every living creature will inevitably die, there will remain
nothing save Allah, the All-Mighty, the Ever-Lasting.
No matter how long the night is,
dawn must rise inevitably,
and no matter how long you live,
it is inevitable that you will enter the grave
Every man, no matter how long he has been safe,
shall be carried to his grave.
So if you carry a deceased man to his tomb
know that one day you will be carried
In other words, when movement of time consumes man’s life, he loses his only capital, and hence he is sure to be a loser. To the same effect, the Quranic verses go,
﴾ So worship what you like besides Him. Say (O Muhammad ): “The losers are those who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Verily, that will be a manifest loss!” ﴿
Allah also says:
﴾Say (O Muhammad ): “Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? “Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds! “They are those who deny the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord and the Meeting with Him (in the Hereafter). So their works are in vain, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall not give them any weight. “That shall be their recompense, Hell; because they disbelieved and took My Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and My Messengers by way of jest and mockery. ﴿
Real “loss” for man is to spend his lifetime, his only capital, on things he has not been created for. Abou Sa’eed Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, once quoted the Messenger of Allah as saying,
“O People, life is no good save for a wise scholar endowed with reason, or a heeding listener. O people, verily you are now in a time of truce, but the march with you is verily fast, and you see that the day and night wear out every new thing, and bring forth every promised thing.” Al-Mickdad said, “O Messenger of Allah what is “truce”?” The Messenger of Allah replied, “An abode of trial and discontinuity; [so] if things get confused to you, like the dark watches of the night, stick to the Quran, for it is an approved intercessor and a credible witness, whosoever places it before him, it is sure to guide him to Paradise; and whosoever places it behind his back, it is sure to guide him to the Fire. It is the best guide to the best way; whosoever speaks by it says the truth; and whosoever abides by it will be surely rewarded; and whosoever judges by it is sure to be just.”
Not only does man need to avoid such a great loss, but also to achieve an abounding win provided that he spends his lifetime on the things he has been created for, such as knowing Allah, abiding by His laws, calling unto Him and enduring hardships for His sake. Allah, All-high, says,
﴾ 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 (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah’s Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad, etc.). ﴿
3- Man should believe at the right time:
To believe in Allah means to seek to know Him by virtue of His Signs, cosmic as well as Quranic, to believe in all that He revealed to His Messenger of both reauthord and non-reauthord Revelation and then to establish firm links with Him. This is the basis for a clear view of the ultimate truth, human perfection and spiritual bliss. Once based on proper knowledge, faith becomes the basis for all kinds of virtue, the shield against all types of vice, the stamina for good human conscience, the support for good will in times of hardship, the essence for endurance in case of disaster, the pillar for content with one’s lot and the ray of hope in one’s heart.
4- Good deeds are the natural outcome of faith:
Righteous work is the natural fruit of belief, for belief is a dynamic positive thing. No sooner is it deeply rooted in man’s soul than it seeks to manifest itself in the form of righteous work. Should belief not bring forth movement and action, it is false and even void. This is because true belief is by no means introversion, passiveness or seclusion, neither is it mere impractical intentions, no matter how good such intentions might be.
5- Counsel unto the Truth is a must:
Counsel unto the Truth is a must, simply because belief in the Truth and strife in its way is not at all easy, due to a great many difficulties and troubles on the way.
Counsel unto the Truth is a very important social duty as it leads to supremacy of Truth over Vanity. In the sight of Islam, no Muslim is too little to give counsel; none is too impeccable to accept it. However, common counsel unto steadfastness and endurance is by no means less important for protecting the Truth and safeguarding it from weakness and recession.
6- Quran comprises minute and delicate references to the great importance of time in man’s life
The Noble Quran comprises minute and delicate references to the great importance of time in man’s life. It encourages man to make the most of his lifetime and warns him of the danger of procrastination and heedlessness. Such Quranic terms as “hasten” and “hurry” do confirm this meaning. Allah, All high, says,
﴾ For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers). So hasten towards all that is good. Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you together (on the Day of Resurrection). Truly, Allah is Able to do all things. ﴿
The above verse refers to the fact that the direction that every man takes, (whether right or wrong) his stances (honorable or dishonorable), and his deeds (righteous or iniquitous) are all the fruit of his own choice, and that he will inevitably be questioned, and recompensed, for his deeds. In confirmation of this, Allah, All high, says,
﴾ For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers). So hasten towards all that is good. Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you together (on the Day of Resurrection). Truly, Allah is Able to do all things. ﴿
Man will be asked and held responsible for all his deeds, Allah says:
﴾ So, by your Lord (O Muhammad ), We shall certainly call all of them to account. For all that they used to do.﴿
Such freedom of behavior is the basis that gives meaning and value to man’s works and the essence of his happiness in the present life and the life to come. Such freedom is a non-recurring opportunity, for it is life-dependent and ends up with man’s death. That is why Allah, All-high, asserts, the first Ayah:
﴾ So hasten towards all that is good ﴿
The second Ayah:
﴾ Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you together (on the Day of Resurrection). ﴿
Freedom of behavior will come to an end, and man's deeds will be concealed so that he will be held responsible for them.
Some of the most important qualities of Time are:
However, some of the most important qualities of Time are:
1- It passes away rapidly:
It passes away rapidly whether in weal or woe, even though bad days seem to be slower than good ones. In other words, so long as death is an inevitable end for every living thing, life is too short, no matter how long it might tarry. Upon death, years and decades turn out to be seconds and instants. To this effect, the Noble Quran goes,
﴾ And on the Day when He shall gather (resurrect) them together, (it will be) as if they had not stayed (in the life of this world and graves, etc.) but an hour of a day. They will recognise each other. Ruined indeed will be those who denied the meeting with Allah, and were not guided. ﴿
2- Once it passes away, it can never be reclaimed:
Another property of time is that once it passes away, it can never be reclaimed. Therefore, it is the most valuable thing man can ever possess. More importantly, it is the vessel that contains all man’s deeds and works from the cradle to the grave. Al-Hassan Al-Basri says, “Each new-born day calls out, ‘O son of Adam! I am a new creation and a witness of your work! Make the most of me, for I shall never return until the Resurrection Day’ ”. He also said, “O son of Adam! You are but a few days. Each day leaves away with one part of you!”
Two serious situations man should consider: death and the hereafter:
However, it should be noticed that those who fail to realize the great value of time will inevitably find out such value, but only after it is too late. To affirm this, the Noble Quran mentions two exemplary situations where man most sorrowfully regrets, when it is too late, the time he has wasted. The first situation is when man is dying and leaving away this present world for the Hereafter. He wishes he were granted a respite so as to remedy his wrong deeds and put things right. The Noble Quran goes,
﴾ O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers. And spend (in charity) of that with which We have provided you, before death comes to one of you and he says: “My Lord! If only You would give me respite for a little while (i.e. return to the worldly life), then I should give Sadaqah (i.e. Zakat) of my wealth , and be among the righteous [i.e. perform Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah)]. And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time (death) comes. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do. ﴿
The answer to such a void request for deferring comes decisively and conclusively from Allah,
﴾ And Allah grants respite to none when his appointed time (death) comes. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do. ﴿
The second situation is in the Hereafter, when everyone is recompensed for what they have done and repaid for what they have earned, and when good people are allowed into Paradise and bad ones are forced into the Fire. People of the Fire vainly wish they could go back to the abode of labor haply they do righteous works. In confirmation of this, Allah, All-high, says,
﴾ But those who disbelieve, (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) for them will be the Fire of Hell. Neither it will have a complete killing effect on them so that they die, nor shall its torment be lightened for them. Thus do We requite every disbeliever! Therein they will cry: “Our Lord! Bring us out, we shall do righteous good deeds, not (the evil deeds) that we used to do.” (Allah will reply): “Did We not give you lives long enough, so that whosoever would receive admonition, – could receive it? And the warner came to you. So taste you (the evil of your deeds). For the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc.) there is no helper.” ﴿
Quran strongly warns of heedlessness and postponement:
The Noble Quran strongly warns of heedlessness. Allah, All high, says,
﴾ And surely, We have created many of the jinns and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones. ﴿
Another tragic flaw is postponement. Al-Hassan Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, “Beware of postponement, because you live and work today, but perhaps not tomorrow. If tomorrow ever becomes yours, be then as you are today; if it is not yours, you shall not regret what you have neglected today.” Another venerable scholar was one day asked, “Counsel us!” He replied, “Beware of ‘WILL’! It is one of the soldiers of Iblis (Satan).
Get yourself equipped with piety, for you know not,
When night befalls, whether you shall stay alive till dawn.
Too many a healthy die with no illness;
Too many an ailing live a long span of time,
Too many a youth spend their lifetime heedlessly,
Yet their shrouds have been woven, but they know not.
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) says,
“Avail yourself of five (things) before five: your life before your death, your health before your illness; your leisure before your involvement in work, your youth before your old age, and your riches before your poverty.”
The second Khutbah:
Long life:
1- Long life as a Favor from Allah, particularly if such lifetime is spent righteously:
Most people invoke long life for the people they love or those who do them favors! But is man’s life really prolonged or shortened? Furthermore, if life is to be made longer, what makes it longer?
Every man is naturally disposed to seek a happy, safe, long, perfect life. Allah, All-high, says,
﴾ They said, “Call upon your Lord for us to make plain to us its colour.” He said, “He says, ‘It is a yellow cow, bright in its colour, pleasing to the beholders.’ “ ﴿
Religion itself considers long life as a Favor from Allah, particularly if such lifetime is spent righteously. The messenger of Allah (PBUH) was one day asked,
“Who are the best of all men?” He replied, “It is he whose life is spared long and whose work is good”
2- Man's life is limited and death disturbs man's life:
Yet death quite often comes all of a sudden to spoil the pleasures of human life, stealing people in the prime of youth, brides on their wedding days, caressed only children from the hands of loving parents, happy men from their happiness and powerful men from amongst their guards and servants! That is why death has always been given such dreadful names as “defeater of enjoyments”, “divider of lovers”, and “disperser of companions”.
The Prophetic Hadith goes to this effect,
“Live as long as you wish, you shall (inevitably) die; love whomsoever you wish, you shall (inevitably) part; and do whatsoever you wish, you shall (inevitably) be recompensed for.”
Neither medical nor any other science, no matter how advanced or developed, has ever been able to prevent senility or bring an old man back to youth. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) says,
Abu Huraira narrated: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "There is no disease that Allah has created, except that He also has created its treatment."
If man’s life is so short, how can it be made longer? Is that at all possible?
3- Man's true life is the life he spent in offering sincere good deeds:
In essence, man’s life is not the number of years he lives but rather the bulk of good deeds he does during his lifetime. The periodic aspect of man’s life is the most trivial of all.
Ata’-ullah Assakandari, says, “Many a long life are void of good work; and many a short life are abundant with good work. He whose life is blessed achieves in a short time innumerable favors”.
Therefore, it has been rightly said, “It is not a blessed day that in which I am not increased in knowledge of Allah; and it is not a blessed day that in which I do not get nearer to Allah”.
However, man can make his lifespan vaster so long as he serves Allah and does good things to His creatures. The more faithful and better done the work is, the better Allah recompenses it. The wider the range of good work is, the greater the number of the people served. The longer it lasts, the deeper it goes into the various aspects of human life and the higher it goes up with human standards, the greater it is in the sight of Allah.
The best exemplar in this context is the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), who took humanity from the shadows to the light and from lowness of ignorance to loftiness of utmost human honor and dignity. He changed the whole human history over a period of only 23 years. During that short time he was able to introduce to the world a new religion, a unique Islamic generation, an ideal Islamic nation, and a strong Islamic state despite all the difficulties he met.
The more the obstacles and distractions are in the path of offering good deeds the more importance these deeds take:
The more the obstacles and distractions and the fewer the supporters and helpers are, the more heavily righteous work weighs and the greater value and esteem it gains, and the better reward it deserves with Allah. The more corrupt the communities are, the worse the conditions are, the more tyrannical and unfair the rulers and men in power are, the more sumptuous the rich are, the more unctuous the scholars are, the more monstrosity prevails, the more evil spreads out and good disappears, the more heavily righteous work weighs and the more it increases in value with Allah.
It was narrated from Ma’qil bin Yasar that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Worship during the time of bloodshed is like emigrating to me.”
4- Man can prolonged his lifespan after his death:
Man therefore, can prolong his life if he knows well how to spend his lifetime in such a way as to preserve for himself a good name and righteous works that remain long after his death. Even after he has passed away, he remains alive in the memories of his fellowmen through the good deeds and the noble message he offers to the world. To this effect, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) says,
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: "When a man dies all his good deeds come to an end except three: Ongoing charity (Sadaqah Jariyah), beneficial knowledge and a righteous son who prays for him."
In another Hadith:
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'The rewards of the good deeds that will reach a believer after his death are: Knowledge which he taught and spread; a righteous son whom he leaves behind; a copy of the Qur'an that he leaves as a legacy; a mosque that he built; a house that he built for wayfarers; a canal that he dug; or charity that he gave during his lifetime when he was in good health. These deeds will reach him after his death.'"
Muslim related:
" He who introduced some good practice in Islam which was followed after him (by people) he would be assured of reward like one who followed it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who introduced some evil practice in Islam which had been followed subsequently (by others), he would be required to bear the burden like that of one who followed this (evil practice) without theirs being diminished in any respect."
Damned are those who pass away leaving evil deeds behind; and blessed are those who pass away leaving good deeds that bring people happiness and guidance!
Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, says, “Nothing is more evil than the Evil itself except punishment [i.e. on the Judgment Day]; nothing is better than the Good itself except reward [on the Judgment Day]. Everything in the present world is better heard of than seen; and everything in the Hereafter is better seen than heard of. So [in this present world] let hearing suffice you from seeing; and let the news suffice you from the unseen; and let you know that what is missed from the present world yet gained in the world to come is better than what is missed from the world to come but gained in the present world. Many a loser (in the present world) are winners (in the world to come); and many a winner (in the present world) are losers (in the world to come). Let you know that what you have been ordained is vaster than what you have been forbidden; and what has been made lawful for you is far more than what has been made unlawful. So leave you the less for the more, and the narrow for the vast. The means for sustenance has been guaranteed for you; and good work has been ordained on you. So let not the quest for what has been guaranteed for you be more important to you than the quest for what has been ordained on you. Hasten you to work and beware of the suddenness of death.”
[Nahj Al Balaghah]
