IbnAhmad
Junior Member
:salam2:
Hazrat Amar bin Maymoon Al-Audi (radhiyallahu anhu) narrates that once Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) gave the following advice to a Sahaabi:
"Treasure five things before five: Your youth before old-age; your health before illness; your wealth before poverty; your free time before becoming occupied, and your life before death. (Tirmizhi)
This wonderful hadith depicts the four major areas of life, viz: youth, health, wealth, and free time. Although life is counted as the fifth point, but by mentioning it last the implication is that the previous four factors make up the capital of one's life. The word "treasure" at the start of this hadith is quite significant. A human being treasures things that are valuable. A Muslim in particular, is taught to value and appreciate the four major funds that make up man's capital for investment in the hereafter.
* INVESTING OUR CAPITAL
The other important factor this hadith teaches is the method of fulfilling this trust of Allah. The factors that represent man's capital on earth are youth, health, wealth, and leisure. Here Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is advising the youth, the healthy, the wealthy, and those who have free time on their hands. These are generally the areas where people suffer the most. Another hadith narrated by Ibni Abbas (radhiayllahu anhu) goes as follows: There are two favours in which many people suffer losses: Health and Free time. (Bukhari) The trustees of this capital are instructed by Allah and His Rasool to utilize these four funds before they become depleted. And that is what normally happens.
* THE ABUSE OF BOUNTIES
When man spends his youth flouting the law of Allah, he rarely finds time in his old-age to make amends and prepare for the life hereafter. Likewise, when one's health is expended in efforts other than Deen, there is obviously no strength or enthusiasm to do go good during illness. In similar fashion, when wealth is squandered in wrong avenues, the time for charity and benevolence seldom arrives. Finally, when valuable time is wasted, there is no way such time could be retrieved.
* THE NI'MAH OF ALLAH
Almighty Allah states in Surah Anfaal: .... verily Allah shall not change a ni'mah which He has conferred upon a nation unless they change what is within themselves..
The meaning of this verse is that when people abuse the favors of Allah then He either decreases His Favors upon them or totally deprives them of His Bounties.
* THE ABUSE OF YOUTH
Significantly, the first component of the Divine Trust mentioned in the hadith is youth, the prime of life Our young people today invariably, expend their youthful energy on pursuits that conflict with Shariah. Sports, night clubs, rave clubs, drugs, sexual indulgence, are but a few examples of what the youth find time to do. Frightfully, along with the destruction of this prime period of their lives, they are also wasting wealth, health, and most precious of all, time. Let them be warned that once these priceless gifts are lost, there is no way they can be retrieved.
What guarantee do the youth have that they will live till old age to do ibaadat (as many of our young friends believe)? And even if they do become old, how certain are they that the health and strength will still be there to perform acts of worship, especially when these young Muslims wantonly abused these gifts of Allah during their youth? For this reason Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) mentioned the young person who spent his/her time in the worship of Allah as among the seven people who will be granted shade under His Throne on Judgment Day, when there will be shade but that of The Arsh of Almighty Allah.
We urge our young brothers and sisters to review their lifestyle and make a concerted effort to reform themselves. Even if this reform is slow and gradual, let it be set into motion now, rather than later.
May Allah grant us all sound intellect to fully understand and appreciate the gift of life
Hazrat Amar bin Maymoon Al-Audi (radhiyallahu anhu) narrates that once Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) gave the following advice to a Sahaabi:
"Treasure five things before five: Your youth before old-age; your health before illness; your wealth before poverty; your free time before becoming occupied, and your life before death. (Tirmizhi)
This wonderful hadith depicts the four major areas of life, viz: youth, health, wealth, and free time. Although life is counted as the fifth point, but by mentioning it last the implication is that the previous four factors make up the capital of one's life. The word "treasure" at the start of this hadith is quite significant. A human being treasures things that are valuable. A Muslim in particular, is taught to value and appreciate the four major funds that make up man's capital for investment in the hereafter.
* INVESTING OUR CAPITAL
The other important factor this hadith teaches is the method of fulfilling this trust of Allah. The factors that represent man's capital on earth are youth, health, wealth, and leisure. Here Rasoolullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is advising the youth, the healthy, the wealthy, and those who have free time on their hands. These are generally the areas where people suffer the most. Another hadith narrated by Ibni Abbas (radhiayllahu anhu) goes as follows: There are two favours in which many people suffer losses: Health and Free time. (Bukhari) The trustees of this capital are instructed by Allah and His Rasool to utilize these four funds before they become depleted. And that is what normally happens.
* THE ABUSE OF BOUNTIES
When man spends his youth flouting the law of Allah, he rarely finds time in his old-age to make amends and prepare for the life hereafter. Likewise, when one's health is expended in efforts other than Deen, there is obviously no strength or enthusiasm to do go good during illness. In similar fashion, when wealth is squandered in wrong avenues, the time for charity and benevolence seldom arrives. Finally, when valuable time is wasted, there is no way such time could be retrieved.
* THE NI'MAH OF ALLAH
Almighty Allah states in Surah Anfaal: .... verily Allah shall not change a ni'mah which He has conferred upon a nation unless they change what is within themselves..
The meaning of this verse is that when people abuse the favors of Allah then He either decreases His Favors upon them or totally deprives them of His Bounties.
* THE ABUSE OF YOUTH
Significantly, the first component of the Divine Trust mentioned in the hadith is youth, the prime of life Our young people today invariably, expend their youthful energy on pursuits that conflict with Shariah. Sports, night clubs, rave clubs, drugs, sexual indulgence, are but a few examples of what the youth find time to do. Frightfully, along with the destruction of this prime period of their lives, they are also wasting wealth, health, and most precious of all, time. Let them be warned that once these priceless gifts are lost, there is no way they can be retrieved.
What guarantee do the youth have that they will live till old age to do ibaadat (as many of our young friends believe)? And even if they do become old, how certain are they that the health and strength will still be there to perform acts of worship, especially when these young Muslims wantonly abused these gifts of Allah during their youth? For this reason Rasoolullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) mentioned the young person who spent his/her time in the worship of Allah as among the seven people who will be granted shade under His Throne on Judgment Day, when there will be shade but that of The Arsh of Almighty Allah.
We urge our young brothers and sisters to review their lifestyle and make a concerted effort to reform themselves. Even if this reform is slow and gradual, let it be set into motion now, rather than later.
May Allah grant us all sound intellect to fully understand and appreciate the gift of life
