Originally posted 2020-12-17 13:39:25.

Time is your most valuable asset

Dear brothers!

I have never read more wonderful, comprehensive definition of mankind than that of Imam Al-Hassan Al-Basri

He said: “man is nothing but a number of days, whenever a day passes away, a part of him passes away.”

Meaning you are but a period of time; time is your assets

Time is the most valuable thing that you have

And because you are but a period of time Allah swore by time to you

Saying: “By time”, followed by response to the oath: “Indeed, mankind is in loss”

O Lord, why is he in loss?

With time passing we spend more days of life

Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

Then a week passes away

Then the next week, the third, the fourth, and etc.

Then a month passes away

Four months; a season

Four seasons; a year

Ten years; a decade

Your life is but a few decades

And when your time comes Allah calls you: “O My slave, they went home and left you alone”

He left behind a house, vehicles, luxuries, meetings, and mixed parties

“They went back home and left you alone, and in dust they buried you, and even if they were to stay with you they would never be able to benefit you as here you have only Me, The Ever-living that dies not”

Intelligence, reason, success and strength are in knowing Allah

“O son of Adam, if you ask for me you will find me there for you, and if you’ve found me, you have found everything, and if you miss me you will miss everything, while I ought to be the most beloved to you.”

“By time, Indeed, mankind is in loss, except those ….”

And in this exception lies the mercy of Allah

What follows the word “except” is called “the pillars of salvation” according to Imam Ash-Shaf`’i

“Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience” (Al-`Asr 103:3)

These are the stages of salvation: to search for the truth until you believe

To live by it until you stand firm on the straight path

And to get closer to Allah by good deeds until their faith was increased

And to remain patient in your search for it (the truth) with steadfastness and good deeds

Those are the pillars of salvation for Imam Ash-Shafi`i

“Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience” (Al-`Asr 103:3)

If only people ponder over this surah (Al-`Asr) it would suffice them