Praise be to Allah, we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam ‘ala Rasulillah
As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu

A New Year Gained or a New Year Lost?
by Asma bint Shameem

Before we knew it, last year passed by like a flash and the new year is here…whether it is 2010 CE or 1431 of the Hijri Calendar.
For some people, the beginning of the new year is marked by exciting countdowns, popping of firecrackers, partying till the wee hours of the morning, and dancing.

And for some, it is a time for somber thoughtfulness and self-accountability.
Instead of celebrating, they are worried and scared.
Instead of partying, they think and reflect.
Their hearts tremble and their skins shiver.

Because each year that passes means a year LESS from their lifetime…..

Each year that passes by is bringing them closer to their death…

Because, they know that with each passing year….each passing month….each passing day…..and each passing second…they are that much closer to that inevitable event when they meet their end, that much closer to their meeting with their Lord when they will have to stand in front of Him and answer regarding all that they did.

They are aware that whatever time has passed will never come back.
They know that if they did not make the most of their time, and if they did not use their time wisely, in the obedience of Allaah, then surely, they are the losers.

That is because the Prophet (sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa sallam) said:
“On the Day of Resurrection, the feet of the son of Adam (man) will not move till he is questioned about four things: how he spent his lifetime, how he spent his youth, from where he acquired his wealth, and how he spent it, and what he did with his knowledge.” (Tirmidhi)

So they take account of themselves and their deeds at the end of a year….and at the end of a month…..and at the end of a day. They are not heedless of the passage of time or day. They are conscious of every second of their lives and how important it is to spend it usefully.

You see, your life is like the pages of a calendar. As the months go by, you flip its pages, never to flip the pages back. Those months that have passed will never come back.

Similarly, as the days and weeks, and months of your life go by, they too, will never come back.
What is gone, is gone.

That is why the righteous Salaf were so careful about their time and how they spent it. They made sure that no time, however, short it was, passed without doing something useful, like acquiring useful knowledge, doing good deeds, helping others, or advising the Ummah.

Describing the Salaf’s care for time, Hasan al-Basri said: “I saw those people and how they were more careful about their time than about their Dirhams and Dinars (meaning, their money).

Regarding Imaam Hammad ibn Salamah, someone said: “It is unbelievable! I have never seen Hammad laugh at all. He was always busy explaining hadeeth, praying, reading, or praising the Lord. This is how he spent his day.” And:” If you were to tell Hammad, You are going to die tomorrow, there would be nothing he could add to what he is already doing.”

Subhaan Allaah! What consciousness of the value of time!