Wake Up Before Time Runs Out - بسم الله
بسم الله As-salamu alaykum brothers and sisters - take five minutes for Allah today, what’s five minutes in a day if it’s for His sake? Allah says in the Qur’an: “When death approaches any of them, they cry, ‘My Lord! Let me go back, so I may do good in what I left behind.’” (Surah Al-Mu’minun) SubhanAllah, do we want to be those who regret at the end? Allah even swore by time - when will we truly value it? Time doesn’t wait for anyone; once it’s gone, it’s gone. Reflect on Surah al-Asr: “By the Time, indeed mankind is in loss, except those who believe and do righteous deeds and advise each other to truth and patience.” And remember: “I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Surah Adh-Dhariyat) Imagine if every small thing you did had that purpose in mind. Your intention when you eat could be: “I’m eating wholesome food to have energy for my ibadat.” For a husband working: “I’m working to provide for my family as Allah commands.” For a wife preparing the home: “I’m serving my family to seek Allah’s pleasure and care for this amanah.” When you exercise: “I’m caring for the body Allah entrusted me with so I can worship better.” Little shifts in intention change wasted minutes into acts of worship. On the other hand, some activities are rarely redeemable by a good intention: endless scrolling, binge-watching questionable films, long gaming sessions, and pointless idle talk. SubhanAllah we spend hours on those things but rush through prayer. The Prophet ﷺ warned that excessive speech without mentioning Allah hardens the heart - the furthest from Allah is a person with a hard heart (Sunan al-Tirmidhī). And of course, spending time in sin - A’udhu billah - is the worst kind of squandering. May Allah forgive us for every moment we used against His commands. So please, stop wasting your time. Don’t keep saying “tomorrow.” Who guarantees tomorrow? Wake up from ghaflah and use your moments for what you were created for. Don’t wait until regret is useless. I hope this reminder reaches at least one heart. I was reminded myself after listening to a beneficial podcast this morning (in French), which inspired me to write this. May Allah accept it and bless you all. May Allah grant us all guidance and make our time a means of drawing near to Him. Amin.