The Value of Free Time Before Busy Times: An Islamic Perspective

Maximizing Free Time for Worship and Good Deeds in Islam

Allah, the Almighty, has blessed us with numerous gifts, among which the gift of time is crucial, as life depends on it. When a person’s time is up, they depart from this world and head to an eternal life from which there is no return. The brief life in this world is essentially an opportunity to prepare for the Hereafter. Blessed is the one who spends their time in good deeds and prepares for the Hereafter, while unfortunate is the one who fails to understand the value of time, does not fulfill the purpose of life, and continues engaging in sinful acts, thus ruining their Hereafter.

A Muslim must understand that the purpose of human creation is to worship Allah. Therefore, they must allocate time from worldly tasks to worship Allah and strive to do good deeds. It is surprising to see those who claim they do not have time for worship. Even more surprising are the Muslims who openly state that they are so occupied with worldly matters that they do not have the time to worship, seek knowledge, engage in religious work, or participate in good deeds. To such people, I say: When Allah afflicts you with a calamity, when you become disabled, when you are struck with illness, and when you lose the ability to walk, only then will you have all the time in the world. At that point, you will not be able to say that you are too busy to worship. Remember that youth, health, wealth, free time, and life are all significant. Therefore, it is narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised:

اغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قبلَ خَمْسٍ: شَبابَكَ قبلَ هِرَمِكَ، وصِحَّتَكَ قبلَ سَقَمِكَ، وغِناكَ قبلَ فَقْرِكَ، وفَرَاغَكَ قبلَ شُغْلِكَ، وحَياتَكَ قبلَ مَوْتِكَ (صحيح الترغيب:3355)

Translation: “Take advantage of five things before five others: your youth before old age, your health before sickness, your wealth before poverty, your free time before becoming busy, and your life before death.”

In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) advises that one should value free time before becoming busy. The example of lockdown can be cited, as many people had no work during that period, which was an excellent opportunity. Such free time should not be spent sleeping, playing games, or engaging in meaningless activities. No, it should be valued and used for benefiting oneself and others. One should engage in learning and good deeds, perform additional voluntary acts of worship, and engage in repentance and seeking forgiveness. Additionally, one should teach others, encourage righteous actions, and assist the weak to the best of their ability.

It should be clear that Allah does not accept the excuse that one is too busy with business and livelihood to worship. Worship is the ultimate purpose of life, and one must find time for it, just as one finds time for worldly tasks and needs. When we fall ill, we manage to find time to go to the hospital, seek treatment, rest, and so on. Similarly, we find time for eating, drinking, and sleeping. If we can manage time for worldly tasks, we can certainly manage time for religious duties, and this is our most important responsibility.

It is up to us how we strike a balance between worldly tasks and worship so that neither our faith is neglected nor our livelihood suffers. One must find time for worship, or else both worlds will suffer. Allah may make us so busy with worldly matters that we no longer even consider worship. Our hearts will become indifferent to goodness, and in the Hereafter, we will face destruction. It is narrated in a Hadith Qudsi:

يقولُ اللَّهُ سبحانَه يا ابنَ آدمَ تفرَّغْ لعبادتي أملأْ صدرَك غِنًى وأسدَّ فقرَك وإن لَم تفعَلْ ملأتُ صدرَك شُغلًا ولم أسدَّ فَقرَكَ (صحيح ابن ماجه:3331)

Translation: Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says: “O son of Adam! Devote yourself to My worship, and I will fill your heart with richness and relieve you of your poverty. But if you do not do so, I will fill your heart with preoccupations and will not relieve you of your poverty.”

This Hadith is enough to open our eyes and gain insight. It advises us to give precedence to worship and good deeds over worldly affairs, and to dedicate time for worship, which is the purpose of our creation. Those who fail to do so will suffer in this world, as Allah will entangle them in more distractions, and even though they may have wealth, they will constantly feel a lack of it. May Allah not let this happen to any of us.

In the Qur’an, Allah also advises that the love for wealth and children should not divert us from His remembrance. If that happens, we will suffer immense loss. Allah says:

أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ (المنافقون:9)

Translation: “O you who have believed, do not let your wealth and your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that — it is they who are the losers.”

From these points, it becomes clear that everyone must find time for worship, regardless of how busy they are. Doing so fulfills the command of Allah and achieves the purpose of life. Those who prioritize worldly matters over worship and do not make time for worship are disobedient to Allah, and they will face the consequences both in this world and in the Hereafter.

Furthermore, it is essential to recognize that if Allah grants you free time, you should consider it a blessing and make use of it. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised us in the context of five important things:

The first point regarding neglect of worship is widespread. Many people excuse their neglect of worship by claiming that they do not have time due to their worldly engagements. We must reflect deeply on whether it is right to make such excuses and abandon worship due to our worldly preoccupations. The answer is clearly no, and we must seek reform. Scholars also have a responsibility to help correct this negligence in people.

Similarly, many people, including the educated, waste free time on frivolous and meaningless activities, such as watching movies or misusing social media.

Here, it is worth noting that we often fail to appreciate the value of small moments of free time. In a society where the concept of free time is not given importance, the few hours of free time are of little significance. However, in reality, even a few minutes of free time holds great value in the life of a believer. The Muslim community should be known for making the most of even the briefest opportunities. In these few minutes, a person can recite the Qur’an, engage in dhikr (remembrance of Allah), make supplications, give charity, teach one verse or one hadith, visit a neighbor, or perform any small act of goodness. It depends on an individual’s capacity and willingness.

In this regard, let us reflect on a beautiful hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), which encourages us to make the most of even the smallest opportunities:

إنْ قامَتِ السَّاعةُ وفي يدِ أحدِكُم فَسيلةً فإنِ استَطاعَ أن لا تَقومَ حتَّى يغرِسَها فلْيغرِسْها (صحيح الأدب المفرد:371)

Translation: “If the Hour (Day of Judgment) is established and one of you has a sapling in his hand, then if he is able to plant it before the Hour arrives, he should plant it.”

This hadith emphasizes the importance of even the smallest opportunity and encourages us to engage in righteous deeds immediately. Imagine the Prophet’s encouragement to plant a sapling just moments before the Day of Judgment! How much more should we be motivated to seize the opportunities of our present time to perform good deeds?

May Allah make us devoted to His worship and grant us the ability to make the most of even the smallest amounts of free time for religious benefit. Ameen.