Benefiting from our time

Allaah the Almighty and His Messenger, Prophet Mohammadvery clearly
tell us the value oftime, why we must not waste it and how we can make
use of our time wisely to increase our faith and thus attain success,
especially eternal success in the Hereafter.
Both the Quran and the Sunnah enjoin Muslims to be conscious ofthe
great importance of time. Weare reminded that life in this world is
nothing but temporary. We never know when death has been appointed for
us. We must value time for the satisfaction of Allaah. For our
guidance and success, we must never waste time nor abuse it.
Allaah, Almighty, swears in the beginning of many chapters by time or
moments in time, for example:
Allaah Says )what means(:"By time…"]Quran 103: 1[ And )what means(:"By
the dawn and ]by[ ten nights)i.e., the first ten days of the month of
Dhul-Hijjah(…"]Quran 89: 1-2[ And )what means(:"By the night when it
covers, and ]by[ the day when it appears."]Quran 92: 1[ And
)whatmeans(:"By the morning brightness; and ]by[ the night when it
covers with darkness…"]Quran 93:1[
The Prophetsaid:"There are two blessings which many people lose: )They
are( health andfree time for doing good."]Al-Bukhaari[
When Allaah swears by something of His creation, it directs our
attention to the benefit of that thing. Allaah Says)what means(:"And
He subjected for you the sun and the moon, continuous ]in orbit[, and
subjected for you the night and the day. And He gave you from all you
asked of Him. And if you should count the blessings of Allaah, you
could not enumerate them…"]Quran 14: 33-34[
And )what means(:"And it is He Who has made the night and day in
succession for whoever desiresto remember or desires gratitude."]Quran
25: 62[
The Prophetsaid:"A servant of Allaah will remain standing on the Day
of Judgment till he is questioned: about his age and how he spent it;
about his knowledge and how he utilized it; about his wealth from
where he acquired it and in what)activities( he spent it; and about
his body as to how he used it."]At-Tirmithi[
Time must be spent to fulfill our very purpose in life that is to
worship Allaah all throughout our lives. Allaah Says )what means(:"And
I )Allaah( did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me
)Alone(."]Quran 51: 56-58[
If we do not use our time effectively for something good, then we will
definitely use it for something bad, which destroys our rewards and
our lives.
Everything we do in accordance with Islam is an act of worship. Such
worship must be done sincerely for the sake of Allaah alone. We should
make use of our time in doing beneficial thingsdoing good deeds in
orderwe earn the pleasure of Allaah and the pleasures of eternal
Hereafter.
We should prefer that which is everlasting to that which will pass
away. Yet, this doesn't meanthat we should leave the life of this
world aside completely and spend every moment of our day in prayer!
No, not at all, for worship is not confined to just acts of prayer,
fasting and charity.
Verily, with the right intentions, correct knowledge and sincere heart
we can earn reward and worship Allaah through most, if not all of our
daily actions. We profit from our time when we take permissible acts
such as eating, taking care of children, etc., and make them a source
of reward by making intention for the sake of Allaah and follow the
Sunnah )way( of Prophet Muhammedfor each occasion.
We should try to make a short revision at the end of each day about
what we did during that day. Ask ourselves: What did I do today? And
what did I do that repentance for the bad things that we have done and
determine sincerely not to repeatsuch things.
We have to make use of our time wisely by knowing more of the Quran
and the Sunnah. We must have correct knowledge of what Allaah and His
Messengerhave commanded us to do and atthe same time to refrain from
what they have forbidden us. Allaah Says )what means(:"O you who have
believed, obey Allaah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate
your deeds."]Quran 47: 33[
Here are some tips that help benefiting from our time:
1. Acquiring knowledge sincerely for the sake of Allaah.
2. Abstaining from all sins.
3. When committing any sin, we should repent immediately and determine
not to repeat it.
4. Keeping away from harming others, slandering, backbiting etc.
5. Not laughing excessively nor talking excessively.
6. Always being mindful of the rules of the Sharee'ah )Islamic Law( in
everything we do.
7. Staying far from the irreligious people.
8. Offering prayer on the proper time and with great concentration.
9. Occupying oneself in the remembrance of Allaah.
10. Setting aside specific times for different tasks and abiding
strictly to these times.
11. Helping and benefiting others irrespective of whether it is in
worldly affairs or religious matters.
12. Being in the service and company of guests, travelers, strangers,
scholars, and the piousservants of Allaah.
13. Fearing Allaah all the time.
14. Remembering death.
15. Setting aside a certain time daily wherein we should think about
all our actions for that day.When we remember any good action, express
gratitude to Allaah. When we remember any evil action, repent.
16. Living with bashfulness, modesty and forbearance.
17. Making Du'aa )supplication( toAllaah to keep us steadfast on the
straight path.
When it is time for anyone of mankind to die, he will ask for more
time to do good deeds, as Allaah Says )what means(:"They will cry out
therein, 'Our Lord, remove us; we will do righteousness – other than
what we were doing!" But did We not grant you life enough for whoever
would remember therein to remember, and the warner had come to you? So
taste ]the punishment[, for there is not for the wrongdoers any
helper."]Quran 35: 37[

How to achieve humbleness

Islam highly commends humbleness and simplicity and reckons that as
one of the traits of a true believer. The Prophetsaid:"Al-Kibr )proud
and arrogance( is rejecting the truth and looking down upon
people."]Muslim, At-Tirmithi and Abu Daawood[
Humility is for one who is important and significant and he fears to
gain notoriety or to become too great among people.As it was said,
"Humble yourself, you will be as a glimmering star to the viewer on
the surface of the water even if it is lofty." We don't say to an
ordinary person,"Humble yourself." But it is said tohim, "Know the
value of yourself, and do not place it in the wrong place!"
It was narrated by Al-Khattaabiin Al-Uzlahthat Imaam `Abdullaah ibn
Al-Mubaarakcame to Khuraassaan ]in Persia[ and went to a person who
was known for his Zuhd and Wara']asceticism and cautiousness in
piety[, so when he entered wherethe man was, he )the man( did not turn
around nor give him anyconsideration at all.
When 'Abdullaah Ibn Al-Mubaarakleft, some of the people who were
inside with the man said to him, "Don't you know who he was?!"He said,
"No." He was told, "This is the 'Ameer of the believers...`Abdullaah
Ibn Al-Mubaarak." So the man was astonished and came out to 'Abdullaah
Ibn Al-Mubaarak in a hurry apologizing and absolving himself from what
happened, saying, "O Abu 'Abdur-Rahmaan! Forgive me and advise me!"
Ibn Al-Mubaarak said, "Yes... whenever you come out of your house and
see someone, assume that he is better than you!" He knew that the man
was conceited. When 'Abdullaah Ibn Al-Mubaarakinquired as to what the
man's profession was, he found out that he was a weaver!! Therefore,
this educatedImaam noticed that this Mutazahhid )devoted pious person(
possessed a kind of arrogance, conceitedness and feeling of
superiority over others.
This disease sometimes envelops pious people; this is why he was
offered advice that was easy for him. Many times we find this
characteristic in some pious people, as well as some callers toIslam.
But when it reaches the small students who misbehave with their
scholars and teachers, this really hurts inside! There is no objection
if you differ in opinion or judgment with a scholar as long as you are
qualified to do so. The problem occurs when this difference of opinion
becomes a destructive element to the scholar's dignity, diminishes his
value, disregards and disrespects him.
One should humble himself with his companions. Frequently whenthe
spirit of competition and envy is agitated between companions and
rivals, a person may feel superior over his companion, he may be
pleased byharming him, degrading his valueand importance, accusing him
of defects or exaggerating his faults; faults that may have come to
light when seeking advice, or correction. In reality this is called
jealousy.
Humility is to humble oneself to one who is below you. If you find
someone who is younger than you, or of less importance than you, you
should not despise him, because he might have a better heart than you,
or be less sinful, or closer to Allaah than you. Even if you see a
sinful person and you are righteous, do not act with arrogance towards
him, and thank Allaah that He saved you from the tribulation that He
put him through. Remember that there might be some Riyaa')showing off(
or vanity in your righteous deeds that may cause them to be of no
avail, and that this sinful person may be regretful and fearful
concerning his bad deeds, and this may be the cause of forgiveness of
his sins.
According to Jundubthe Messenger of Allaahmentioned that a man said,
"By Allaah, Allaah will not forgive so-and-so," and that Allaah
said:"Who is swearing by Me that I will not forgive so-and-so? I
surely have forgiven so-and-so and nullified your
deeds."]Muslim[.Therefore, do not act in arrogantly towards anyone.
Even when you see a sinner, do not show superiority towards him, nor
treat him with arrogance anddomination. If you feel that the sinner
may perform some acts of obedience which you do not, and that you may
also posses some defects which the sinner may not, then deal kindly
with him, and gently give Da`wah which will hopefully be the cause of
his acceptance and remembrance.
Your deeds also should not become too great in your eyes. If you do a
good deed, or attempt to get closer to Allaah through anact of
obedience, your deed still may not be accepted. Allaah Says what
means:"…Indeed, Allaah only accepts from the righteous]who fear
Him[."]Quran 5:27[This is why some ofthe Salaf)predecessors( said, "If
I knew that Allaah accepted one Tasbeeh)saying "Subhaanallaah"( from
me, I would have wished to die right now!"
The arrogant person never gives credit to anybody or mentions good
about someone, and if he needed to do so, he would also mention
defects of that person. But if he hears somebody reminding him about
his own defects, he will not be flexible nor comply due to his
inferiority complex. This is why it is among man's moral integrity to
accept criticism or comment without any sensitivity or discomfort or
feelings of shame and weakness. Here he is, the 'Ameer of the
Believers `Umarraising the flag and lifting the motto, "May Allaah
have mercy on a person who informed us of our defects."

Dought & clear - He travelled to a house of his in Madinah and had intercourse during the day in Ramadan without ejaculating

I was on leave and I travelled to Makkah to do 'Umrah, then I went to
al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, where I had intercourse with my wife during
the day in Ramadan, but there was no ejaculation. Do I have to do
anything? If Ihave to do something, as far as I know it is, in order,
to free a slave, which I cannot do because I do not have enough money;
or to fast for two consecutive months, which I cannot do because of
the circumstances of my work in the field, and with the summer heat it
is too difficult for me to fast. Can I feed sixty poor persons, and
does my wife have to do the same thing because she was willing? Please
notethat we have a house in al-Madinah al-Munawwarah and I am a
resident of Riyadh;I go there when I am on leave.
Praise be to Allah.
Whoever has intercoursein the day in Ramadan when he is fasting and
isnot travelling has to offer a severe expiation, which is to free a
slave. If he cannot do that, then he has to fast for two consecutive
months.If he is not able to do that, then he has to feed sixty poor
persons. He also has to repent and make up that day. The same is
required of the wife if she was willing. Itmakes no difference whether
ejaculation occurred or not; if intercourse, i.e., penetration,
occurred, then expiation must be offered.
If they were travelling, then there is no sin and they do not have to
offerexpiation or refrain from eating and so on for the rest of the
day. Rather they have to make up that day, because fasting was not
obligatory for them.
If you are a resident of Riyadh and you have a house in Madinah that
you go to when you are on leave, then when yougo to Madinah you
comeunder the same ruling asthose who reside there, and you have to
fast andoffer the prayers in full, and it is haraam for you to break
the fast by having intercourse and so on, and you have to offer
expiation for having intercourse.
But if you went to Makkah, for example, then you do not come under the
same ruling asthose who reside there, unless you intended to stay
there for more than four days. If you intended to stay there for less
than that, then you come under the ruling on travelers.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was
asked: A man travelled from one city to another,and he owns a house in
the city to which he travelled; should he offer the prayers in full or
can he shorten them?
Shaykh: But is he a resident in that city? For example, does he stay
for two or three months in one, then two or three months on the other,
or what?
Questioner: He travels there during the summer vacation.
Shaykh: He goes there during the summer?
Questioner: Yes.
Shaykh: Then he should not shorten his prayers, because in fact he has
two homes.
End quote fromLiqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh, 25/162
Based on that, if your breaking the fast happened before you entered
Madinah, there is no sin on you for whatyou did, and all you haveto do
is make up that day, because you broke the fast because of travelling.
But if your breaking the fast happened after you had entered Madinah,
then you have to offer expiation.
Our advice to you is to try to fast the two consecutive months on cold
or moderate days when the day is shorter and there will be less
difficulty involved, or during the days of annual leave from work and
other times when you have the opportunity to do what is required of
you. If youare genuinely unable to fast, then it is permissible for
you in that case to feed sixty poor persons, giving them one meal, or
giving several meals until you complete the number required.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear - He broke the fast at home before travelling, then he had intercourse with his wife; what doeshe have to do?

I was going to travel on a particular day, so I broke the fast in my
house then I had intercourse with my wife. What do I have to do?
Please note that I thought that the expiation was to make up that day
only, I did not know that it is fasting for two consecutive months or
feeding ten poor persons.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah, and scholarly consensus,
indicates that the traveller may break the fast of Ramadan, then make
up the number of days that he did not fast.Allah, may He be
exalted,says (interpretation of the meaning):"and whoever is ill or on
a journey, the same number (of days which one did not observe Saum
(fasts) must be made up) from other days" [al-Baqarah 2:185].
If a person is in his home, then he decides to travel, he is not
called a traveller until he has passed beyond the built-up area of his
city. So it is not permissible for him to avail himself of the
concessions of travel,such as not fasting and shortening the prayers,
just because he has the intention of travelling. That is because
Allah, may He be exalted, has only made breaking the fast permissible
for the traveller, and he is not a traveller until he has passed
beyond (the boundary) of his city.
Ibn Qudaamah said inal-Mughni(4/347), after mentioning that the onewho
travels during the day may break the fast:… it is not permissible for
him to break the fast until he has left the houses behind, i.e., he
has passed beyond themand emerged from the built-up area. Al-Hasan
said: He may break the fast in his house, if he wishes, on the day
that he is going to depart. Something similar was narrated from 'Ata.
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr said: The view of al-Hasan is an odd (shaadhdh) view;
no one who is not travelling has no right, on the basis of either
rational thinking or reports, to break the fast; and the opposite was
also narrated from al-Hasan.
Then Ibn Qudaamah said: (That is also) because Allah, may He
beexalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):"So whoever of you
sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e.
is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month"
[al-Baqarah 2:185]. This one who is present at his home (andis not
travelling) is not described as a traveller until he has left the
city. So long as he is in the city, he comes under the heading of
those who reside there (and are nottravelling), hence he may not
shorten the prayers. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about a
man who decided to travel, and hebroke his fast at home because he was
unaware (of the ruling), then he set out. Does he have to offer
expiation?
He replied: It is haraam for him to break the fast when he is in his
house, but if he broke the fast before leaving his house, then he only
has to make up the fast. End quote fromFataawa as-Siyaam, p. 133
Secondly:
The one who has intercourse during the day in Ramadan when he is
fasting and not travelling has to offer a heavy expiation, which is to
free a slave; if that is not possible then he has to fast for two
consecutive months; if he is not able to do that, then he has to feed
sixty poor persons. He also has to repent and make up that day.
His wife also has to do the same if she was willing. It makes no
difference whether ejaculation occurred or not; if intercourse, i.e.,
penetration occurred, then expiation must be offered.
Thirdly:
The kind of ignorance for which one may be excused is ignorance of the
ruling. If a person failed to do an obligatory duty and did not know
that it is obligatory, or he did something forbidden and did not know
that it is forbidden, this is the one who is ignorant andmay be
excused for his ignorance.
You may only be excusedin your case if you did not know that this
action of yours was haraam in the first place,or you thought that the
one who has decided to travel can do that when he is still in his
house.
But in the case of one who knew that this action is forbidden, and he
did it but was unaware of the punishment that results from it, this is
not regarded as an excuse, because in this case the person went ahead
and committed the sin and transgressed the sacred limits knowingly.
Hence in the case of the Sahaabi who had intercourse with his
wifeduring the day in Ramadan, the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) instructed him to offer expiation, and he did not
let him off because of his ignorance of (the punishment), as was
narrated by al-Bukhaari (1834) and Muslim (1111), because he had done
it deliberately, knowing that it was forbidden. This was stated by
al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar inal-Fath(4/207), based on the fact that hesaid "I
am doomed" or "Iam burnt".
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If someone were to say: Wasn't the man who came to the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) ignorant?
The answer is: He was ignorant of what he wasrequired to do (after
breaking the fast); he was not ignorant of the fact that it was
haraam. Hence he said "I am doomed." If we say that ignorance is an
excuse, we are not referring to ignorance of the consequences of this
haraam action; rather what we are referring tois ignorance of whether
this action is haraam or not. … Ignorance of the consequences of the
haraam action is not an excuse; ignorance of whether the action is
haraam or not is an excuse.
End quote fromash-Sharh al-Mumti', 6/417
To sum up:
You have to make up that day, and you have to offer expiation, so long
as your breaking ofthe fast occurred when you had not yet begun your
journey.
Our advice to you is to try to fast the two consecutive months on cold
or moderate days when the day is shorter and there will be less
difficulty involved, or during the days of annual leave from work and
other times when you have the opportunity to do what is required of
you. If youare genuinely unable to fast, then it is permissible for
you in that case to feed sixty poor persons, giving them one meal, or
giving several meals until you complete the number required.
Your wife also has to fast, and if she is not able to, she should feed
sixty poor persons and not ten poor persons as mentioned in the
question.
And Allah knows best.