Our Dying Days
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
عَنِ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ: «ابْنَ آدَمَ، إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ أَيَّامٌ، كُلَّمَا ذَهَبَ يَوْمٌ ذَهَبَ بَعْضُكَ
Hasan Al-Basri said: “Son of Adam you are only made up of days. Every time a day passes so does a part of your life.”[1]
Life lessons from this Subject:
- Imam Al-Basri’s speech teaches us that we really don’t have a lot of time and that we mustn’t be tricked into thinking we do.
- This narration tells us that we are running out of time in the life of this world with every second that passes.
- This narration refutes the capitalistic approach towards time. They say :”Time is money.” Their focus on time is how much you make per hour, per year a day , and so forth.
- Allah created time. He swears, by the Time: Asr and Fajr, the Sun, the Moon, the Night, and the Day. This shows their significance and their value of importance.
- The wisdom found in these words inform us that with every hour, minute and second to pass we are older in age, and closer to death.
- The insight mentioned in the words of Imam Hasan reiterates the fact time is the origin of a man’s life. Allah (تعالى)said: And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, to be of service to you; and He has made the night and the day, to be of service to you.[Ibrahim 33]
- Allah connects times of worship to the time. He(تعالى) said: Verily, the prayer is enjoined on the believers at fixed hours.[An-Nisa’:103].Allah made prayers attached to certain time periods. Likewise, there are times throughout the day, the month, or the year when other acts of worship are more superior when performed therein compared to other parts of time. For example, remembering Allah after Fajr until sunrise is equal to that of Hajj, or Umrah. Dua on Wednesday between Thur and Asr is answered. Worship during Layatul Qadr is better than 1,000 months, and fasting on Arafat expiates sins, etc.
- These words of insight from Hasan Al-Basri teach us that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.
- Hasan Al-Basri said: Today is a guest and when it departs it either praises you or criticizes you.” Accordingly, make the most of today!
- These words coach us to make short-term goals in life. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: I hate a man to see a man living meaninglessly. He’s not working towards attaining anything in this world, or anything of the hereafter.”[2]
- The language Hasan Al-Basri conveys in these words shows the stupidity of those who celebrate birthdays. People celebrate birthdays with total heedlessness to the day they are going to die.
- This statement urges us to be charitable every day we live. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Every joint of a person must perform a charity each day that the sun rises: to judge justly between two people is a charity. To help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity. And the good word is a charity. And every step that you take towards the prayer is a charity, and removing a harmful object from the road is a charity.[3]
Prepared by the one in need of Allah’s Mercy
Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Jakarta , Indonesia 1445©
Dhul-Hijjah 21st.
The Life of this World is Only 3 days : The Abu Aaliyah Gazette
Your Life hasn’t begun yet, you have Only One Shot at It : The Abu Aaliyah Gazette
[1] Hilyah 2/148
[2] Az-Zuhd,Imam Ahmed ,847
[3] Collected by Al-Bukhari/Muslim