VALUE OF TIME
There are so many aspects of time. Time doesn’t ever come to an end, time just carries on, and explaining the value of time can never come to an end. Nobody will ever be able to explain. First of all, a great aspect that we should realise is that time is a creation of Allah Ta'ala, nothing has happened on its own. Allah Ta'ala has created time and this aspect requires quite a bit of contemplation. We are so complacent in this matter that we just take time for granted, that time is there. Time is not just there, rather Allah Ta'ala has created time. There was nothing, not even time, Allah created everything. We can still understand that oxygen was created; water and other material things which are visible are easily understood. Time is not easy to understand but apply your minds to it and then you will realise that Allah is Khallaaqe Azeem, a great creator, Allah created a thing like time.
We are over taken by computers, computer systems, all the other various things on the computers, the electronic gadgets etc. but we don’t see that which Allah has made. So first of all realise that Allah Ta'ala has created time.
Another great creation of Allah is the measurement of time, which is another very great qudrat and great Ne’mat of Allah. Time is a Ne’mat . When a person hasn’t got time, for example, a person was supposed to catch a flight and reached late, and now you can’t check in then only do you realise the great bounty of time. A person will realise the value of time when he has a connecting flight ahead of him, an important meeting in front, or when death approaches.
THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE
A person should be on the ball from the start, learn to discipline ourselves, this is extremely important. One great aspect of Islaah is also discipline. Some Mashaaikh emphasise on discipline to such an extent that your car keys must be always in one place, in your right side pocket, don’t fumble when you go to the car. If you looking for your pen it should be easily found in a certain pocket. We notice our friend’s cellphones are ringing or vibrating but they are looking in this pocket, in that pocket and everywhere else, that’s not a disciplined person.
Maulana Thanwi r says, “Bring two Aalims and let them sit silently in front of me and within 5 minutes I will tell you whose Tarbiyat has been made and whose Tarbiyat has not been made, meaning who has been disciplined and who is not disciplined. Disciplining is absolutely important.
The term ‘time management’ is a big word that is being used today but the value of it is not there. Don’t procrastinate by thinking that I’ll do it later. What is Islaah? To do what we have to do! That is all. If we have to make Tilawat, recite our Quraan. If we have to make our Zikr, complete our Zikr. Islaah simply means that we complete the work which we are suppose to do and we abstain from those things that we are required to abstain from.
Therefore we shouldn’t waste time. When going to the toilet don’t waste time, when eating don’t waste time, and the same should apply in all matters. How much time do we need to eat? If you need 10 minutes, by all means give 10 minutes, if you need 20 minutes, by all means give 20 minutes, but don’t waste time.
Once Hadratjee Maulana Inaamul Hassan sahib R.A. explained that it is not a problem to make Naashta (breakfast), but this naaaaaaaaaaaashta what you make with such a long madd is not required. What is Naashta usually? It comprises of tea, maybe some toast, maybe some cereal, maybe and egg or whatever it is, that is Naashta, but now the talking that takes place, and the people who have to clean up at home also get angry, come finish up now as we want to clean up. In a hotel you see the waiters are now standing around indicating that you should get up and move, how long are you going to sit here?
Sometimes in some hotels the people even make announcements that people are not allowed to just sit around here in the restaurant, you have finished eating, now it’s time to leave.
TALKING WITHOUT NECESSITY
In the Quraan Sharif Allah Ta'ala says,
فاذا طعمتم فانتشروا
When you have eaten then disperse
When you go and visit somebody and you have eaten then leave. Take permission and go. Don’t just sit around and waste time. The Hadith has prohibited gossiping and unnecessary talk all the time. If we got nothing to talk about we dig up a subject to talk about, whether it is the weather, the prime minister, the Imaam of the Masjid or anyone else, we make anyone a subject and then we start talking on that. We shouldn’t waste our time especially when we have come for I’tikaaf and our Islaah.
In the Khanqah of Hadrat Maulana Maseehullah Khan Saheb R.A. people used to spend 40 days and even 4 months together in the same room but at the end of that 40 days and 4 months they didn’t even know each other’s names, they didn’t know from where the other person came from, how many children he has, etc. We on the other hand, in our first meeting can write the history of that person. We haven’t left out anything to find out about that person. So we should try not to waste our time. For what purpose we have come, spend our time in that.
Things lead from one story to another; one person was travelling by train and a young boy travelling on the same train asked him the time so he just said, “5 past”, he didn’t say 5 past 4 or 5. After a while, the person again asked the time. He just said, “8 past”, it just carried on like that. Somebody told him, “Give him the proper time, he is asking so many times but you not giving him the proper time.” He said, “If I give him the proper time then he is going to ask me the next question, from where you come, what you do and then he will get personal by asking me how many children you got, and when he finds out that I got a young daughter he’ll come to visit me and propose for my daughter. Now a person who hasn’t got a watch, must I give him my daughter in marriage? So I just cut him off from here.
So don’t waste time and go into the history and details and everything. If it is important to know something, it is a different thing. When it is just unnecessary and futile talks try and avoid it and you will be surprised of the blessings that you will see.
The people of the world have stated that Maulana Thanwi R.A. and Imam Ghazali R.A. was not the name of one person rather it was a whole institution. The amount of work that was done by them cannot be comprehended, that one person could do so much work.
Maulana Thanwi R.A. wrote over 1000 kitaabs. The work of Imaam Ghazaali, and the Ulema of the past are so numerous. There was a time when it could be said that the Kitaabs they had written cannot be read due to it being voluminous. Today we can’t even turn the pages of those 20 volumes, 50 volumes, 80 volumes which have been written on a certain subject. How did they get Barkat in their time? At that time the books weren’t written on type writer and key board, but they were written with pens made of bamboo sticks. This was all the result of Barakah in time, in Ilm, and all other things. Therefore, appreciate the seconds and the minutes will look after themselves, the hours and the days and the weeks will look after themselves.
For many of us we have a habit of talking all the time and this is a serious disease which we will discuss separately. We just have to have a subject and the talking commences, and this indicates that this person hasn’t got any connection with Allah, if a person has got some connection with Allah Ta'ala then he will be talking with Allah, and every person can do it. You are not a hafiz and cannot recite Quraan from memory, but you can read third kalimah, you can recite Durood Shareef and you will attain enjoyment in there. Really, an important point to consider is that Deen is not high and big things, Deen is the basic things, just to repeat laa ilaha illalla holds great rewards. May Allah grant us the Taufeeq. Ameen!
