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Time Management for Muslims and Muslimas

I am always amazed by how time challenged Muslims are–whether as a student, a businessman or businesswoman, or a homemaker. Time management can be daunting as you seek to balance your responsibilities for this dunya and your responsibilities for akheera. Staying on target can get easily swept aside if you do not manage your time carefully.

In Islam, wasting time is discouraged. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “God said, ‘The offspring of Adam abuse time, (even though) I am Time.’” In Surah 103, “The flight of time”, Allah in the Qur’an states, “By the decline of Time, indeed humankind is in a condition of utter loss–except for those who believe and do righteous deeds–and exhort one another to uphold the truth, and exhort one another to persevere in faith with patience.“

Ibn Abbas narrated that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said: “There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good.” (Bukhari 8/421). The Prophet (s) used to make the following du’a,

“O Allah! Make life a means for every dimension of goodness.”

One very moving hadith is related by Ibn-Abbas; the Prophet (s) said, “Grab five things before five others: your youth before your decrepitude, your health before your illness, your wealth before your poverty, your leisure before your work, and your life before your death.” [al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak]

Stephen Covey’s time management matrix is a useful tool to manage your time. It centers on two factors: importance and urgency. Please view the video for more explanation on how prioritize your time.

Every dark light is followed by a light morning

Time Management:

If You Fail To Plan, You Plan 


To Fail

Discipline is very 


important!!!!

The Characteristics of Time

We are to bear in mind that time has certain characteristics, among of which are the following:

1.  Time passes quickly.

2.  Time that passes can never return, nor can it be compensated for, for time is irretrievable.

3.  Time is the most precious thing that man possesses.

The following are some of the most

important duties demanded of Muslims:

1.  Ensuring benefitting from time

2.  Utilizing leisure time

3.  Racing for good deeds

4.  Learning from the passage of time

5.  Seeking the superior times

6.  Planning and organizing time

7.  Fulfillment of time commitments

8.  Necessary awareness of time wasters

One of the methods of managing his time properly is for a Muslim to get up early and sleep early, for early hours always yield great blessings. Starting his day with prayer and the supplication of the morning brings the Muslim Allah's grace. A Muslim should always bear in mind that every time has its own task that suits it. Doing tasks in their due times brings about peace of mind and comfort. The most important aspect being gaining such knowledge of Islam that will enable and empower one to do such actions at a given time that pleases Allah abundantly! A Muslim is disciplined and uses every second constructively and productively!

Mu`adh ibn Jabal quotes the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as saying: "A servant of Allah will remain standing on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about four things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it up, his property and how he acquired and managed it and his knowledge and how he utilized it."

 [HADITH]

May Allah guide us to use our time 

correctly and beneficially!!!...Ameen

`Praying on Time is Just as Important
Here is some evidence, that we not only have to pray 5 times a day, but that we have to do it on time. The following is from Al Kabaair -The Major Sins by Sh. Adh-dhahabi The Fourth Major Sin - Not Praying Allah most High says: Then there succeeded them a generation which neglected prayers and followed lusts. They will meet with destruction (Ghayy), excepting the one who repents and believes and acts righteously. (Quran 19:59-60) Ibn abbas (RAA) explained that it does not mean that they completely abandoned prayers, but that they delayed them to the end of their prescribed times. Sa'id bin Musayyab, a great Imam following the generation of the Companions, elaborated on this, saying: "A person neglects if he delays the noon prayer up to the afternoon prayer time, afternoon prayer up to almost sunset prayer time, sunset prayer up to evening prayer time, and evening prayer up to morning prayer time, while delaying morning prayer until just before sunrise.  If anyone dies without repentance while continuing in this manner, Allah has promised Ghayy for him, and that is a valley in Hell which is very deep and has foul food." Allah Most High says: Woe to the worshippers who are unmindful of their prayer. (Quran 107:4-5) Saad bin Abi Waqqas said: "I asked Allah's Messenger (SAW) about the meaning of 'unmindful,' and he replied: 'It is delaying it (the prayer) up to the end of its prescribed time.'" (Bazar) While Allah calls such people <, they are lazy and perform the prayer very late. He has promised them <> (Wayl), which signifies a great punishment. Some say, "Wayl is a valley in Hell, exceedingly hot, and that is the place for those who delay or miss the prayer, excepting the ones who repent and correct their habits." Allah Most High says: O you who believe, let neither your wealth nor your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. And those who do so, they will be the losers (Quran 63:9) The commentators say: "The 'remembrance of Allah' in this verse means the five daily prayers. If anyone is so busy in buying and selling, or with his daily work of earning a livelihood, or with his children, that he cannot perform prayers on time, he will be among the losers." The Prophet (SAW) said in this regard: "The first thing which will be judged among a person's deeds on the Day of Resurrection is the prayer. If that is in good order, he will pass the test and prosper, and if that is defective, he will fail the test and be a loser." (Tirmidhi) Informing us about the inhabitants of Hell, Allah Most High says: (The people in Hell will be asked): "What caused you to enter Hell-fire?" They will say: "We were not among those who prayed, nor did we feed the needy. We used to engage in vain discourse with the vain-talkers, and we used to deny the Day of Judgment, until there came to us that which is certain (i.e.. Allah's judgment)." Then no intercession by an intercessors will benefit them. (Quran 74:42-48) The Prophet (SAW) said: "The covenant between us and them (that is, believers) is prayer, so if anyone abandons it he has become an infidel." (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawood, Nisai, Tirmidhi). He also said: "What lies between a man and infidelity is the abandonment of prayer." (Muslim) Allah's Messenger (SAW) is reported to have said: "If anyone abandons the afternoon prayer, his deeds are of no avail." (Bukhari). And he said: "If anyone abandons prayer deliberately he has no claim upon Allah" (Sunan). Abdullah bin amr bin al-As (RAA) said that the Prophet (SAW) mentioned prayer one day saying, "If anyone keeps to it, it will be light, evidence, and salvation for him on the day of Resurrection; but if anyone does not keep to it, it will not be for him light, evidence, or salvation; and on the Day of Resurrection, he will be associated with Qaran, Pharoah, Haman, and Ubayy bin Khalaf (a great enemy of Islam from among the Quraish)." (Ahmad, Darimi and Baihaqi) Some scholars have explained that the person who abandons prayer will be raised with such a foursome because his neglect of prayer may be due to his involvement with his property, his country, his  administrative work, or his trade, Therefore, if he was involved with his property, he will be resurrected with Qarun; if with his country, then with Pharoah; if with his administrative work, then with Haman; and if with his trade, then with Ubayy bin Khalaf, the trader among the unbelievers of Mecca. Mu'adh bin Jabal (RAA) reported Allah's Messenger (SAW) as saying: "If anyone abandons prayer intentionally he has no claim to Allah Most High." (Ahmad) Umar ibn al-Khattab (RAA) reported that a man asked the Prophet (SAW):  "Messenger of Allah, what action is dearest to Allah Most High?" The Prophet (SAW) replied: "Prayer at its proper time. The one who does not pray has no religion. Prayer is the main pillar of the religion (of Islam)." (Baihaqi) After Umar had been stabbed, it was said to him, "As-salat, ya amir ul-mumineen!" (The prayer, Leader of the Believers!) He said, "Yes, truly!  If anyone misses the prayer, he has no share in Islam," and thereupon he prayed while his wounds were bleeding. Abdullah bin Shaqiq (RAA) said that the Companions of the Prophet (SAW) did not consider the abandonment of any good deeds to be unbelief excepting the abandonment of prayer. When Ali (RAA) was asked about a woman who did not pray, he replied:  "The one who does not pray is an unbeliever." Ibn Masood said that the one who does not pray has no religion, and Ibn Abbas said: "The one who leaves off a single prayer deliberately will find, when he meets Allah Most High, that He is angry with him." Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "When a person meets Allah after neglecting his prayer, he will meet him as if he had not worshipped him at all, nor done any good deeds." And Ibn Hazm said: "There is no greater sin after polytheism than missing a prayer [That is to say, if one deliberately delays a prayer until its time has passed, although he was able to pray it on time, without any valid reason which permits delaying it before its time.] and killing a believer without just cause." Ibrahim Nakahi said: "The one who has left off the prayer has become a disbeliever." Awn bin Abdullah said: "When a person is buried, the first question which will be asked him will be concerning the prayer. If that is accepted from him, his other deeds will be looked at, but if that is not accepted form him, no other deeds will be looked at." Abdullah bin al-As reported Allah's Messenger (SAW) as saying: "A person who combines two prayers without excuse, enters a gate among the major sins." We seek Allah's guidance and help, for indeed. He is the Generous, the Magnanimous, and the Most Merciful of all merciful ones!