Your time is your life; and much like ice, it is constantly melting away. Do not let time go to waste.
Know that time should not be without structure; you must audit your day and night organizing your routine of worship, and assigning an activity to each period.
This is a method for constant remembrance of God, a necessary ingredient in attaining spiritual happiness.
At Dawn
Try to awake from sleep before dawn, a noble time, and let the first words in your heart and on your tongue be the remembrance of God.
Purify your body and get dressed appropriately with the intention of obeying God.
Pray in your home then make your way to the mosque in tranquility and with remembrance of God. Pray with the congregation, which is 27 times better than a prayer alone.
Do not fail to complete this profitable act, for if you are negligent, then what benefit is there for you in the pursuit of knowledge? After all, the fruit of knowledge is in acting upon it.
Use your time until sunrise in four types of remembrance:
- Supplication
- Glorification
- Recitation
- Reflection
Reflect upon your mistakes and the nearness of your end, and carefully plan your day with the intention of obeying God.
Noon Time
By the light of the day, you should strive to occupy yourself with what benefits you in the hereafter. Use your time in one of four ways:
1- Seek Useful Knowledge
The first is seeking useful knowledge. This is the best use of time and highest form of worship. Useful knowledge increases your God consciousness.
2- Remembrance
If you are unable to acquire useful knowledge, use your time in extra prayers, or one of the four types of remembrance mentioned.
3- Good Deeds
The third use of time is to act in a way that will bring happiness to the hearts of believers, or make it easier for the righteous to accomplish good works, such as visiting the sick, and feeding the poor.
4- Earn a Living
Finally spending your time earning an honest living to take care of yourself and your family is also a form of worship. However, beware of worldly greed for it will ruin your religion.
At Sunset
When the sun turns red, try and spend your time glorifying God.
The sun should set while you are seeking forgiveness. One must also set aside time for worldly necessities: family and community.
Night Time
Before you sleep, review your knowledge. Do not end your day in entertainment for actions are according to the last of them. Know that sleep is like death and waking is like resurrection.
Be ready to meet God, by sleeping, in a state of purity with your will beneath your pillow. Sleep in a state of repentance and resolve to do good to all people if God should allow you to rise again.
Do not let your sleep exceed eight hours for it is enough that you waste one third of your life. Try to wake in the depths of the night when the soul is pure, there are no worldly distractions and the gates of Mercy in heaven are wide open. Prayer at this time is a treasure.
If this routine is difficult, you must be patient as a sick person is patient with the bitterness of medicine waiting for a return to health.
Reflect upon the shortness of your life. Every single breath is a priceless jewel because it is irreplaceable; once it is gone there is no return for it.
Do not be like fools who rejoice each day as their wealth increases while their lives decrease.
What good is there in wealth that increases while one’s life decreases?
