The Importance of Time in Islam: Reflecting on the New Year

Reflecting on the Value of Time: A New Year’s Reminder in Islam

As soon as January arrives, the previous year becomes old and the “new year” begins. On this occasion, people around the world celebrate on January 1st. However, these celebrations are not associated with religious or social services; instead, they are marked by disbelief, disobedience, dancing, music, vice, and even indulgence in alcohol, drugs, and immoral acts, including promiscuity and debauchery. May Allah protect us from such celebrations and improper ways of showing joy. If we observe those who engage in these celebrations, we will see that they are truly careless about the value of time and are far from the real purpose of life.

In Islam, time holds great importance; therefore, every moment of human life is extremely valuable. Time is the precious resource upon which our judgment in the Hereafter will be based. Each individual will be rewarded or punished according to how they spent their time. Those who use their worldly time well will have a good result in the Hereafter, while those who waste it poorly will face a bad outcome.

The fundamental difference between the life of a believer and a non-believer is that the non-believer sees this world as a place for enjoyment and luxury and lives accordingly, which will lead them to Hell. On the other hand, a believer considers this world a place for preparing for the Hereafter and avoids disbelief and sin, fearing Allah’s punishment and Hell, while performing righteous deeds. As a result, Allah will admit them into the gardens of Paradise. Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ الْأَنْعَامُ وَالنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَّهُمْ (محمد:12)

Translation: “Indeed, Allah will admit those who have believed and done righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow, but those who disbelieve enjoy and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be their final place.”

Reflecting on this verse, consider the words of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), as reported by Ibn Mubarak (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book Al-Zuhd wal-Raqaiq:

لَيَأْتِيَنَّ عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ يَكُونُ هَمُّ أَحَدِهِمْ فِي بَطْنِهِ ، وَدِينُهُ هَوَاهُ
Translation: “A time will come upon the people when one of them will be concerned only with filling his stomach, and his religion will be whatever he desires.”

Looking at the current condition of Muslims, we do not see the pious character described in the verse above, but instead, we see the way of life described by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). Indeed, that very time has arrived for Muslims: on one hand, people are concerned only with satisfying their desires without regard for what is lawful or unlawful, and on the other hand, materialism, narcissism, grave-worship, personality cults, and innovation in religion are being performed as if they are part of the religion.

Materialism has distanced us from the purpose of life to the extent that we no longer realize how time is passing. This loss of awareness is actually one of the signs of the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

لا تقومُ السَّاعةُ حتَّى يتقارَبَ الزَّمانُ ، فتَكونُ السَّنةُ كالشَّهرِ، والشَّهرُ كالجُمُعةِ ، وتَكونُ الجمعةُ كاليَومِ، ويَكونُ اليومُ كالسَّاعةِ ، وتَكونُ السَّاعةُ كالضَّرمةِ بالنَّارِ (صحيح الترمذي:2332)

Translation: “The Hour will not be established until time is compressed; a year will feel like a month, a month like a week, a week like a day, a day like an hour, and an hour like the spark of a fire.”

The coming of time becoming compressed means that the blessings and benefits of time will diminish, and people will become so engrossed in the world that they will no longer realize how quickly time is passing. For example, today, we have the internet and mobile phones, and when we start using them, hours pass by without us realizing it. Global cricket tournaments and test series, which span months, cause not only players but also spectators and event managers to waste several months of their lives, unaware of the passage of time. The fact that something as simple as a game can take up so much time shows how people have begun to treat the world as a place for entertainment and enjoyment.

Time and life are great blessings from Allah, and it is our responsibility to protect and value them. However, most people fail to do so. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

نِعْمَتانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِما كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ:الصِّحَّةُ والفَراغُ (صحيح البخاري:6412)

Translation: “Two blessings that many people are deceived in are health and free time.”

There is another hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave a companion five pieces of advice:

اغتنِمْ خمسًا قبلَ خمسٍ : حَياتَك قبلَ موتِك ، و صِحَّتَك قبلَ سَقَمِك ، و فراغَك قبلَ شُغْلِك ، و شبابَك قبلَ هَرَمِك ، و غِناك قبلَ فقرِكَ (صحيح الجامع:1077)

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

How precious are these pieces of advice! Those who adopt these pieces of advice in their lives will surely succeed in both this world and the Hereafter.

Practical Ways to Value and Make the Most of Your Time in Islam

Now, let me briefly point out a few things that will help in understanding the importance of time and how to make the most of it:

1. First, evaluate your past life and your soul right now. Think, remember, and where there are shortcomings or mistakes, make a firm resolution to correct them in the future. If you have wronged others, make amends with them, but for any disobedience to Allah, sincerely repent, for Allah is the Most Forgiving. Regret past sins and firmly resolve to perform righteous deeds from now on.
   
2. People are drawn to sin due to the desires of the soul, and the soul is influenced by the whispers of Satan. Therefore, just as we must protect ourselves from Satan, we must also train our souls and burden it with worship, so that the soul is under our control.
   
3. Choose friends who value time and know the best way to live, and avoid bad company, which is a major cause of wasting time.
   
4. Reading the biographies of the righteous predecessors is also beneficial, as it helps cultivate discipline, etiquette, and awareness of life. I read in the biography of Dr. Muqtadi Hassan Azhari (may Allah have mercy on him) that he was not the most intelligent student, but he surpassed his brilliant peers due to two qualities: managing his time well and continuous effort. I have tried to adopt these two qualities in my life and have witnessed the results.
5. The health that you have before illness, and the life you have before death, should be considered precious resources to be used in good deeds. Abdullah bin Umar (RA) used to say: إذَا أمْسَيْتَ فلا تَنْتَظِرِ الصَّبَاحَ، وإذَا أصْبَحْتَ فلا تَنْتَظِرِ المَسَاءَ، وخُذْ مِن صِحَّتِكَ لِمَرَضِكَ، ومِنْ حَيَاتِكَ لِمَوْتِكَ (صحيح البخاري:6416)
   Translation: When evening falls, do not wait for the morning, and when morning comes, do not wait for the evening. Take advantage of your health before sickness, and your life before death. This means that any task that can be done in the evening, complete it immediately without waiting for the morning, and any task that comes up in the morning, do it without waiting for the evening.
6. Why does a person waste their time? It could be that they do not know the true purpose of life, or they lack fervor in their faith and concern for the Hereafter, or they are inclined towards sins, or they are consumed by the pursuit of worldly desires, or they view the world solely as a place for enjoyment and recreation, or they may be influenced by bad company, or dominated by their own desires and Satan. In such circumstances, the following measures can help: First: We must know that the true purpose of life is to live according to the commands of Allah and His Messenger. Eating and drinking are merely necessities of life, not the purpose of life. Therefore, the love for the world should not dominate the heart, and the focus should be on the Hereafter. Secondly: Frequently remember death, as the Prophet (SAW) instructed us, for remembering death strengthens and invigorates our faith, removes sinful thoughts, and inclines the heart towards good deeds. Thirdly: Recall the moment of death and the agony when the soul departs. While surrounded by family and wealth, none of these can ease the pain or delay death. Just as family and wealth will not benefit at the time of death, similarly, in the Hereafter, only one’s deeds will matter. Fourthly: Visit cemeteries so that you may develop a consciousness of the Hereafter, and reflect on the preparation for the life to come. Fifthly: Feel the solitude from the moment of the grave to the Day of Judgment. No one accompanies you at the time of death, no one comes with you into your grave, and on the Day of Judgment, people will flee from one another. Sixthly: The most important measure is to always remember the moment when we will be questioned about our time and actions. The Prophet (SAW) said: لا تزولُ قدَما عبدٍ يومَ القيامةِ حتَّى يسألَ عن عمرِهِ فيما أفناهُ (صحيح الترمذي:2417)
   Translation: On the Day of Judgment, the feet of a servant will not move until he is asked about his life and how he spent his time.
7. Allah swore oaths by different times in the Quran, such as by the night and day, and by the times of Fajr and Asr. The reason for this is that Allah wants to remind His servants of the importance of time and the need to preserve it. Therefore, we should value our time, protect it, and fear Allah when spending time on useless or sinful activities.
8. Organize your time, meaning prepare a daily schedule that allows you to perform all of your tasks—whether domestic, social, or religious—properly and on time. For example, many people make excuses for not praying, reciting the Quran, making Du’a, or remembering Allah, citing a lack of time due to worldly responsibilities. This is a weak excuse; it means you have not organized your life properly. Arrange your time so that you can consistently engage in worship at the prescribed times and also fulfill your worldly duties effectively.
   

New Year and the final message:

People celebrate the arrival of the new year because they feel that they have completed one more cycle of life and that they have gained one more year in their lives, thus growing one year older. This is the same reason behind celebrating birthdays. These are the thoughts of those whose world is everything to them, and as a result, they spend their time amassing wealth and providing temporary pleasures for their souls.

It is important to reflect on the reality that the life of this world is limited, typically spanning between sixty and seventy years. If one year passes, it means a year of their life has decreased. So, if a year has increased, it also implies one less year remains to live. With the arrival of the new year, we are reminded that we are one year closer to death. It is indeed astonishing that a person celebrates the end of a year, which brings them one step closer to death. Does this not seem like they are celebrating their death? How foolish is the person who celebrates the approach of their own death?

My dear brothers and sisters, try to understand: This world is a place of trial. Would it be appropriate to celebrate in a place of trial? Here, we should live with the awareness of our mortality. The Prophet (SAW) said:
لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ ما أعْلَمُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلًا، ولَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا (صحيح البخاري:6485)
Translation: If you knew what I know, you would laugh a little and weep much.

Let us make a pledge that from now on, we will not celebrate the new year, but instead, we will use the occasion to reflect on our actions, repent for past sins, and make a firm resolution to continuously perform good deeds in the future, insha’Allah.