Sameeh Shafi
How often do you not make the most of your day, doomscrolling on your bed for hours, constantly procrastinating your 11:59 deadlines till 11 p.m. the night of? Time is a Barakah from Allah (swt), so we must utilize most of it. We learn that it has different utilities, and as Allah says in the Quran in Surah Muminoon, “[Allah] will ask them, ‘How many years did you remain on earth?, They will reply, ‘We remained only a day or part of a day. But ask those who kept count. He will say, ‘You only remained for a little while, if only you knew. Did you then think that We had created you without purpose, and that you would never be returned to us?’. Exalted is Allah, the True King! There is no god worthy of worship except Him, the Lord of the Honourable Throne.” (Quran 23:112-116) Here, there is an emphasis that Allah tells us we must make the most of each day we have here on Earth, because once we are looking at Him on the Day of Judgment, it will feel as if our entire lives lasted no more than a day. Juniors and Seniors in college understand this the most. It is often overstated by many people, but it’s true; it feels like yesterday I was walking on campus for the first time with my family, and in a little over a year, I’ll be walking for the last time as a student, inshaAllah.
We constantly find ourselves doom-scrolling in bed or playing Clash Royale to procrastinate on our work—how can we prevent this? We were put on this Earth with a clear purpose, and how can we maintain our practice to Allah while juggling school, work, and time with friends and family? For this, we look to the Prophet’s daily life and see how there are many ways in which his life was similar to ours. In this article, you will learn how to best schedule your time according to specific rituals from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), no longer falling into the traps of distractions. The reality is, time on this Earth is going to be a millisecond compared to the hereafter, but none of what we do after this life will count, so we must treat every day as if it’s the last. When I was younger, my Imam in Tennessee would always, before every Salah, tell everyone to make the intention to pray each prayer as if it were their last. This seems grim, but making death more of a reality will allow us to be more aware of the shortness of this life. Allah (swt) says in Surah Al-Takathur, “Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you, Until you visit the graveyards.” (Quran 102:1-2). We need to adjust what is important to us in this life. Is it our Instagram follower-to-following ratio, or is it our pursuit of success and making the most of the opportunities presented to us?
There are so many examples I can pull out from the Prophet’s life that pertain to this topic. The Hadith of ‘Five Before Five’, for example, is a common one, but one we need to prioritize in our lives. “Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you become preoccupied, and your life before your death.” (Narrated by Ibn Abbas, authenticated in Mustadrak al-Hakim). This hadith emphasizes using our current blessings, such as our youth, to the fullest extent. The Prophet would maximize each day according to a schedule and a routine that he would follow. It’s also proven that you can increase productivity if you have a set routine (Arlinghouse 3). I believe that it’s part of the reason we pray 5 times a day. Another key matter that this hadith mentions is making use of your youthfulness. Take the time to memorize portions of the Quran and learn more about Islam. It may not seem like it now, but your youth is when you will have the most free time.
The most important thing that the Prophet did that allowed him to make the most of his life, though, is that he surrounded himself with “winners”. Make sure to surround yourself with people who will support you and help you grow in your faith and character. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of the seller of musk and the blower of the bellows. As for the seller of musk, he will either give you some, or you will buy some from him, or you will find a good scent from him. As for the blower of the bellows, he will either burn your clothes, or you will find a bad smell from him.” (Bukhari and Muslim). “Winners” are not necessarily the wealthiest or most famous people. They are those who are successful in their pursuit of the Hereafter while maintaining a balanced life in this world. Evaluate your friends and see if they are taking time away from that balance. Stay away from people and conversations that are wasteful of your time, for you deserve to use the precious time Allah has granted us for your own betterment and the pursuit of the Hereafter.
Citations
The Clear Qur’an. Translated by Mustafa Khattab, 2015.
Arlinghaus, Katherine R, and Craig A Johnston. “The Importance of Creating Habits and Routine.” American journal of lifestyle medicine vol. 13,2 142-144. 29 Dec. 2018, doi:10.1177/1559827618818044
EPIC MASJID. “How to Maximize Your Time in 2025 | Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi.” YouTube, 12 Jan. 2025, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m82Q9d52OkI. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
Leave a Reply