For Easier Reading: 04/30/09

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-it turns to a fixed resting-place, that is the ordaining of the All-mighty, All-knowing.”(XXXVI; 38) The sun’s movement makes the days, months, years, as well as the day and night.

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 Holy Koran 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 threat. 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 Holy Koran 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.

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 of 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, “Surely the god-fearing shall be among gardens and fountains taking whatsoever their Lord has given them; they were good-doers before that. Little of the night would they slumber, and in the early mornings they would ask for forgiveness; and the beggar and the outcast had a share in their wealth.” [LI; 15-19], and “Then as for him who is given his book in his right hand, he shall say, ‘Here, take and read my book! Certainly I thought that I should encounter my reckoning’. So he shall be in a pleasing life in a lofty garden, its clusters nigh to gather. ‘Eat and drink with wholesome appetite for that you did long ago, in the days gone by’.” [LXIX; 19-27]

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 the afternoon! Surely Man is in the way of loss, save those who believe, and do righteous deeds, and counsel each other unto the truth, and counsel each other to be steadfast.” The word “afternoon” 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 “By the afternoon!” comes to confirm, “Surely Man is in the way of loss”. The word “Man” in this verse means all human beings. But the question is: “how and why does Man lose?”
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.

Allah, All-Wise, has ordained that death is an inevitable end for every living thing. Every living creature will inevitably die, and there will remain nothing save Allah, the All-Mighty, the Ever-Lasting. 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 Koranic verses go, “Say, ‘Surely the losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection’ ” [XXXIX; 15], and “say, ‘shall we tell you who will be the greatest losers in the works? Those whose striving goes astray in the present life, while they think that they are working good deeds’.”[XVIII; 103, 104].

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 Koran, 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 the afternoon! Surely Man is in the way of loss, save those who believe, and do righteous deeds, and counsel each other unto the truth, and counsel each other to be steadfast.” [CIII; 1-2]

To believe in Allah means to seek to know Him by virtue of His Signs, cosmic as well as Koranic, to believe in all that He revealed to His Messenger of both recited and non-recited 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.

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.

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.

The Holy Koran 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 Koranic terms as “hasten” and “hurry” do confirm this meaning. Allah, All high, says, “Every man has his direction to which he turns; so be you forward in good works. Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you all together.” [II; 148]
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, “Now by your Lord, We shall surely question them all together concerning that they were doing.” [IV; 92-93]
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: “be you forward in good works” and “wherever you may be, Allah will bring you all together.”

However, some of the most important qualities of Time are:
*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 Holy Koran goes, “And on the day He shall muster them, as if they had not tarried but an hour of the day, mutually recognizing one another.” [X; 45]
*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!”
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 Holy Koran 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 Holy Koran goes, “O believers, let not your possessions neither your children divert you from remembering Allah; and whoso does that, they are the losers. And expend of what We have provided you before that death comes upon one of you and he says, ‘O my Lord, if only Thou wouldst defer me unto a near term, so that I may make freewill offering, and so I may become one of the righteous.’ But Allah will never defer any soul when its term has come. And Allah is aware of the things you do.” [LXIII; 9-10] The answer to such a void request for deferring comes decisively and conclusively from Allah, “But Allah will never defer any soul when its term has come. And Allah is aware of the things you do.” [LXIII; 11]

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, “As for the unbelievers, theirs shall be the fire of Hell; they shall neither be done with and die, nor shall its chastisement be lightened for them. Even so we recompense every ungrateful one. Therein they shall shout, ‘Our Lord, bring us forth, and we will do righteousness, other than what we have done.’ ‘What! Did We not give you long life enough to remember in, for him who would remember? To you the Warner came; so taste you now! The evildoers shall have no helper.’” [XXXV; 36-37]

The Holy Koran strongly warns of heedlessness. Allah, All high, says, “We have created for Hell many jinn and men; they have hearts, but understand not with them; they have eyes, but perceive not with them; they have ears, but hear not with them. They are like cattle; nay, rather they are further astray. Those are the heedless.” [VII; 179]

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.”

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, “The one of them wishes if he might be spared alive a thousand years” [II; 96].
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, “ He whose life is spared long and whose work is good”. 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, 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,“ Allah never sends down a disease unless He sends down a cure for it, except the Sam [i.e. death].”

If man’s life is so short, how can it be made longer? Is that at all possible?
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 life-span 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 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. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) reports his Lord as saying, “Worship at times of turmoil is like emigration unto Me.”

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, “When a son of Adam’s dies, his work ceases save three things: a running charity, beneficial knowledge or righteous offspring that invokes good for him”. In another Hadith he adds, “Of man’s work and good deeds, there remains after his death, knowledge that he has taught and caused to spread, righteous offspring he has left behind, a copy of the Holy Koran he has bequeathed, a mosque or a domicile for travelers he has built, a river he has caused to run, or a charity he has given out of his own property when healthy and alive.” Imam Muslim, the well-known scholar of Hadith, narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) also said, “Whosoever initiates in Islam a good norm, he shall have its recompense as well as the recompense of those who act thereby after him until the Resurrection Day, yet they lose none of their recompenses.”

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.”

SOURCE: NABULSI

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