Sun-kissed rays protrude through lamplit skies and pour through windows. But summer fades too soon as an autumn leaf changes color, another moment of growth, despite its inevitable fall. A cold, harsh breeze then creeps into town, leaving bare winter trees with skeletal hands. As the frost slowly melts, so does the last winter breath, until spring brings about a new beginning, a new soul. And this is the cycle of life; a momentary period of alternating seasons which ends too soon. Life, in which each of us are constricted by the prisoning grasp of an overbearing hold: time.
“Take benefit of five before five,” the Prophet (peace be upon him) had advised. “Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied, and your life before your death.”
Time is valuable. Our youthfulness is like summer, bringing about an age of peak energy, spirit, and motivation. Even a moment of free time that we have is a great blessing bestowed upon us. How much free time do we have now and what do we use it for? Often, we end up searching for ways to kill time when in reality, it is time that is killing us. Day by day, we get older, weaker, and closer to our destined death.
Islam stresses the importance of time, so much so that Allah (SWT) swears by it in the Qur’an: “By [the token of] Time. Verily Man is in loss, except such as have faith and do good deeds, and [join together] in the mutual teaching of truth, of patience and constancy.” (Surah Al-‘Asr)
While our time can be used towards doing good, we may take it for granted many times. However, allocating our time towards good doesn’t mean solely restricting ourselves to constantly praying. With the right intentions, spending time with family, seeking knowledge, or doing that which benefits both yourself and others are all acts of worship and a means of making most of our time. Using the opportunities that time provides requires a certain wisdom in planning, a constant reflection of one’s actions, and a struggle to work towards our full potential in the short frame of our lives.
Time is the most precious gift, but the easiest for us to lose. As a former Loyola student, I’m sure that many individuals involved in postgrad work can attest to this fact. Whether they’re in graduate school like myself or even occupied in their chosen career, life only gets busier and you begin to miss those opportunities of free time that you once had. Whether those were times of bonding with brothers and sisters in the Loyola musallah, being involved in the enlightening MSA events, or simply having a welcoming Muslim community that have the common goal of getting closer to Allah (SWT); these times are all precious and should be valued since you may not always have them.
Seasons will always change, summer will eventually fade, and autumn will bring a set of new colors and challenges. Before I started graduate school, people would tell me that my life would soon become revolved around my studies. Now I realize how true that is. If you’re looking to further your education such as with medical school, it’s important to prepare yourself for a spiritual drain. Once in grad school, despite it being an amazing journey that you learn a lot from, you realize that you are not getting a chance to do many of the things you used to take for granted, not as much at least. One of the greatest challenges transitioning from undergrad to grad school personally was the struggle to actively engage myself in spiritually enriching experiences to the extent that I did before. You may not have a Muslim community that you’re used to to be there to motivate you and that may become difficult to adapt to as well. The post-Loyola environment becomes more secular and professional; you don’t have many of the luxuries that you as an undergrad do now. The MSA potlucks held to encourage sunnah fasts might turn into you stuffing food alone in the brief time you have before taking another excruciating exam. Attending Professor Mozaffar’s open class discussions about Islam and student life may become you skimming his chaplain letter after you get home from a long, exhausting day of work. In other words, cherish and enjoy the opportunities and the time you currently have. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) stressed, it is essential that we try to make the most of our free time now to spiritually fortify ourselves for the future.
Insha’Allah we can use each present moment to further ourselves in our deen, to build ourselves as better people, and to establish even small but constant means to engage ourselves spiritually. And God willing, using our time in these ways will help to invigorate our drive to always draw near to Allah (SWT), in spite of changes in environment and circumstances. So that even when our destined death comes, we can leave being among the successful that haven’t lost the battle to time. So that despite our falls and our cold, harsh winters, we are left peacefully blanketed by earth’s pure white crystals.
“Take benefit of five before five,” the Prophet (peace be upon him) had advised. “Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied, and your life before your death.”
Time is valuable. Our youthfulness is like summer, bringing about an age of peak energy, spirit, and motivation. Even a moment of free time that we have is a great blessing bestowed upon us. How much free time do we have now and what do we use it for? Often, we end up searching for ways to kill time when in reality, it is time that is killing us. Day by day, we get older, weaker, and closer to our destined death.
Islam stresses the importance of time, so much so that Allah (SWT) swears by it in the Qur’an: “By [the token of] Time. Verily Man is in loss, except such as have faith and do good deeds, and [join together] in the mutual teaching of truth, of patience and constancy.” (Surah Al-‘Asr)
While our time can be used towards doing good, we may take it for granted many times. However, allocating our time towards good doesn’t mean solely restricting ourselves to constantly praying. With the right intentions, spending time with family, seeking knowledge, or doing that which benefits both yourself and others are all acts of worship and a means of making most of our time. Using the opportunities that time provides requires a certain wisdom in planning, a constant reflection of one’s actions, and a struggle to work towards our full potential in the short frame of our lives.
Time is the most precious gift, but the easiest for us to lose. As a former Loyola student, I’m sure that many individuals involved in postgrad work can attest to this fact. Whether they’re in graduate school like myself or even occupied in their chosen career, life only gets busier and you begin to miss those opportunities of free time that you once had. Whether those were times of bonding with brothers and sisters in the Loyola musallah, being involved in the enlightening MSA events, or simply having a welcoming Muslim community that have the common goal of getting closer to Allah (SWT); these times are all precious and should be valued since you may not always have them.
Seasons will always change, summer will eventually fade, and autumn will bring a set of new colors and challenges. Before I started graduate school, people would tell me that my life would soon become revolved around my studies. Now I realize how true that is. If you’re looking to further your education such as with medical school, it’s important to prepare yourself for a spiritual drain. Once in grad school, despite it being an amazing journey that you learn a lot from, you realize that you are not getting a chance to do many of the things you used to take for granted, not as much at least. One of the greatest challenges transitioning from undergrad to grad school personally was the struggle to actively engage myself in spiritually enriching experiences to the extent that I did before. You may not have a Muslim community that you’re used to to be there to motivate you and that may become difficult to adapt to as well. The post-Loyola environment becomes more secular and professional; you don’t have many of the luxuries that you as an undergrad do now. The MSA potlucks held to encourage sunnah fasts might turn into you stuffing food alone in the brief time you have before taking another excruciating exam. Attending Professor Mozaffar’s open class discussions about Islam and student life may become you skimming his chaplain letter after you get home from a long, exhausting day of work. In other words, cherish and enjoy the opportunities and the time you currently have. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) stressed, it is essential that we try to make the most of our free time now to spiritually fortify ourselves for the future.
Insha’Allah we can use each present moment to further ourselves in our deen, to build ourselves as better people, and to establish even small but constant means to engage ourselves spiritually. And God willing, using our time in these ways will help to invigorate our drive to always draw near to Allah (SWT), in spite of changes in environment and circumstances. So that even when our destined death comes, we can leave being among the successful that haven’t lost the battle to time. So that despite our falls and our cold, harsh winters, we are left peacefully blanketed by earth’s pure white crystals.