Answered by our Shaykh, the ‘Allaamah, the Sincere Adviser, Abu ‘Abdirrahman Yahya bin ‘Ali Al-Hajoori – may Allaah preserve him –
Question:
We want you to explain for us how time is preserved.
Answer:
Time is preserved by performing righteous, knowledge-based actions daily, on a schedule, whereby you make yourself have a right over yourself, and for your family a right over yourself, and for memorization and revision, and reading and revisiting, a set time.
And you reflect over the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbas, my Allaah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said:
(نعمتان مغبون فيهما كثير من الناس: الصحة والفراغ)
“Two blessings which many people squander: good health and free time.”
And the hadeeth:
(لا تزول قدما عبد حتى يسأل عن أربع..)
“Man’s feet will not move (on the Day of Judgement) before he is asked about four affairs)
From it:
(وعن شبابه فيما أفناه)
“His youth; what he spent it on”
And it’s a hassan (fairly authentic) hadeeth.
And the hadeeth:
(ما جلس قوم مجلسا لا يذكرون الله فيه إلا كان عليهم حسرة يوم القيامة)
“Whatever people were to sit in a sitting and not mention the name of Allaah, it would result in grief for them on the day of judgement.”
And from the most noblest of means of preservation of time is by knowledge based incentives and that of actions, Ibn Wazir, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: the incentives strengthens a person, and the hearts are not the same.
Ones time is his life, whoever doesn’t put his time to good use, has wasted his life in relation to the amount he has wasted of his time.
So knowledge requires patience, patience like camels carrying their goods, however difficult it got and however long the road was, however hot it got and the troubles it causes.
This is the case also in regards to knowledge, it requires a student of knowledge to accustom himself upon patience, it’s not done impatiently like someone tasting knowledge then going from here to there…
I say stay firm through thick and thin == in your place, you will either be thanked or find rest.
Regardless in Yemen or in Madina or in any other place.. be firm!
Absorb knowledge until you become proficient.
As for what relates to continuous lessons in this manner, daily, there is no place where we know this to be the case except the centers of Ahlussunnah in Yemen, this fact is not something rejected, for this reason you find those that strive for a year here equating to ten years elsewhere, you will obtain knowledge-based treasures, from the Qur’an in memorization and understanding, from the Sunnah, Arabic language, fiqh, ‘aqeedah, usuul, and other than it.
Translated by Abu ‘Abdirrahman ‘Abdullaah bin Ahmed Ash-Shingaani