Jalees Ahmad, Al Hakam
With only one day remaining of the year, the clock ticks closer to another new year. A time when many around the world reflect on the year gone by, and the year to come.
With celebrations and countdowns in major cities of the world; and with New Year’s resolutions, a deeper question often goes unasked: What is time? Is time merely a sequence of moments measured by the ticking of a clock? Or is it something far beyond our comprehension? Is time something profound, something that speaks to the essence of our existence? There is one thing we are sure of, and that is: time waits for no one. It is the one thing humans want the most, yet may not fully comprehend. And herein lies the paradox, we want something we don’t fully understand.
When we look at time from the Islamic lens, it is clear that time is a trust from Allah, a gift that we are advised to use wisely in righteous deeds:
وَالۡعَصۡرِ۔اِنَّ الۡاِنۡسَانَ لَفِیۡ خُسۡرٍ۔اِلَّا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡا بِالۡحَقِّ ۬ۙ وَتَوَاصَوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ
“By the [fleeting] Time, Surely, man is in a [state of loss], Except those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to [accept] truth, and exhort one another to be steadfast.” (Surah al-Asr, Ch.103: 2-4)
This chapter of the Holy Quran reminds Man of the fleeting nature of time and advises us to act accordingly lest we become losers in the race against time.
The nature of time
As humans, we are forced to think and contemplate: What does it mean to truly understand time?
Philosophers, such as Parmenides, Heraclitus and Al-Ghazali, as well as scientists, have long debated the nature of time for years and decades. A saying that is often attributed to Aristotle is that time crumbles things; everything grows old under the power of time and is forgotten through the lapse of time. From this, we can deduce many things. One point to keep in mind is that time passes, stopping for no one.
And then, to some, time is a progression – a straight line that stretches from the past, through the present, and into the future. Others may see it as a cycle, like the changing of seasons or the orbits of celestial bodies. In the Islamic world, time is both a creation of Allah and a mystery. Simply put, time is a dimension in which events occur according to God’s divine decree.
Consider this: if time is a creation, what exists beyond it? If everything decays with the passage of time, will time decay too? And will that be within its passage? Allah describes Himself as al-Awwal and al-Akhir, existing outside the bounds of time and space. This realisation should serve as a humble reminder to be grounded. It serves as a reminder of our temporal nature and reliance on the One who transcends time and, in fact, all limitations.
Time as a test
If time is a test, will we pass it? One thing is certain: time itself will always pass, whether we use it wisely or waste it.
To further understand time, we must take a step back and observe life. The Islamic understanding of life puts great emphasis on time as a test. Every single second, minute, hour, or moment is an opportunity to draw closer to Allah or drift further away. The Holy Prophetsa is reported to have said:
“Two blessings that many people squander are good health and free time.’” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab az-Zuhd, Hadith 417)
This hadith forces us to consider how we spend time. It asks us to look within and see whether we are investing it in pursuits that matter, such as acts of worship, kindness, and personal growth, or are we letting it slip away in distractions?
While the Gregorian calendar is merely one of many systems devised to organise time, the arrival of a new year often prompts reflection. In fact, each day, not just the new year, offers an opportunity to renew one’s intentions.
Let it be clear that whether we truly grasp what time is, we must remember that time is not ours to own; it is ours to manage. After all, time, once spent, can never be reclaimed.