Allah's Messenger said:
"Ightanim khamsan qabla khamsin: hayaataka qabla mautika, wa sihhataka qabla saqamika, wa faraaghaka qabla shughulika, wa shabaabaka qabla haramika wa ghinaaka qabla faqrika."
"Take advantage of five before five: your life before your death, your health before your illness, your free time before becoming busy, your youth before your old age and your wealth before your poverty."
Al-waqt means the time which we have, those few moments in the scheme of things which any one of us spends on this earth. Al-waqt is your life and it is more precious than gold and silver. And like all valuable things, a Muslim must commit israaf (overspending) or tabdheer (misallocation or using something where it should not be used). Allah said about the people of israaf:
{Wa man a'radha 'an dhikriy fa inna lahu ma'eeshatan dhankan wa nahshuruhu yauma al-qiyaamati a'maa. Qaala rabbi lima hashartaniy a'maa wa qad kuntu baseeran? Qaala kadhalika atatka ayaatunaa fa naseetahaa wa kadhalika al-yauma tunsaa. Wa kadhaalika najziy man asrafa wa lam yu'minu bi aayaati rabbihi wa la 'adhaabu al-aakhirati ashaddu wa abqaa.}
{And whoever turns away from my reminder will have a miserable life and we will resurrect him on Qiyama blind. He said, 'Lord, why have you brought me back blind though I used to see? ' He said, 'Likewise my signs came to you and you neglected them and likewise today you are forgotten.' Thus we repay those who go beyond bounds and do not believe in the signs of their Lord and the punishment of the hereafter is more severe and more permenant.} Taha:124-127
Israaf is defined as "over-allocation" while tabdheer is defined as "mis-allocation", i.e., spending in a haram direction, even if a little. Allah described the mubadh-dhireen as the "brothers of the devils", saying:
{Wa aatiy dhaa al-qurbaa haqqahu wa al-miskeena wa ibna as-sabeeli wa laa tubadh-dhir tabdheeran. Inna al-mubadh-dhireena kaanoo ikhwaana ash-shayateeni wa kaana ash-shaitaanu li rabbihi karooran.}
{And give relatives their rights and the poor and the traveller and do not misuse wealth. Surely the misusers of wealth are the brothers of Satan and Satan is to his Lord a disbeliever.} Cite
The time you have been alloted should be treated as another form of wealth. Beware of where you use it and how you use it. Always remember about time that:
None of our time should be devoid of remembrance of Allah and dedicating our purpose to Islam. In many places, Allah reminds us to remember Him, praise Him and glorify Him morrning noon and night. Allah said:
{Yaa ayyuhaa alladhina aamanoo udhkuru Allaha dhikran katheeran. Wa sabbihoohu bukratan wa aseelan. Huwa alladhiy yusalliy 'alaikum wa malaa'ikatuhu li yukhrijakum min adh-dhulumaati ilaa an-noori wa wa kaana bi al-mu'mineena raheeman.}
{O you who believe remember Allah profusely. And exalt Him morning and afternoon. He is the one who sends his prayers upon you along with his angels that he may take you from darkness into the light and He is with the beleivers most Merciful.} Al-Ahzaab:41-43{Fa subhaana Allahi heena tumsoona wa heena tusbihoona. Wa lahu al-hamdu fiy as-samaawaati wa al-ardhi wa 'asheeyan wa heena tudh-hiroona. Yukhriju al-hayya min al-mayyiti wa yukhriju al-mayyita min al-hayyi wa yuhyiy al-ardha ba'da mautihaa wa kadhaalika tukhrajoona.}
{So exalted is Allah when you reach the afternoon and when you reach the morning. To Him is all praise in the heavens and the earth and at night and at noon. He brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living and he brings the earth to life after its death. Likewise you wil be brought out.} Ar-Room:17-19
If you lose sight of the hereafter and your sights are limited to this life, you will be able to make many bad decisions regarding your time. The Prophet (sas) said:
"Ni'mataani maghboonun fihaa katheerun in an-naas: As-sihhatu wa al-faraaghu."
"Two great gifts in which many people have swindled themselves: health and free time." Al-Bukhari
Take advantage of five before five: life before death, health before illness, free time before becoming busy, youth before old age and wealth before poverty. As Umar ibn Al-Khattab used to say:
"Haasiboo anfusakum qabla an tuhaasaboo."
"Take
yourselves to account before you are taken to account."
At the end of each day, take accounts. What have you done for Islam or Muslims today? What have you learned about your deen today? Have you kept remembrance of Allah on your heart and on your tongue throughout the day?
Listen to what some of the Companions - may Allah be pleased with them - used to say in du'a:
Abu Bakr:
"Allahumma laa tada'niy fiy ghamratin wa laa
ta'khudhniy 'alaa ghirratin wa laa taj'alnaa min
al-ghaafileen."
"O Allah, do not leave me in conflict and do not
take me in a state of self-deception and do not make me among those lacking
consciousness."
Umar:
"Allahumma innaa nas'aluka salaaha as-saa'aati wa
al-barakata fiy al-awqaati."
"O Allah, we ask you righteousness
of the hour and your blessing in our time."
Abdullah ibn Mas'ood:
"Maa nadimtu 'alaa shai'in nadamiy 'alaa yaumin
gharibat fihi shamsuhu wa naqasa fihi ajaliy wa lam yazid fihi
'amaliy."
"I have never regretted anything as much as I regret a
day on which the sun set, my term was shortened and my deeds did not
increase."
And from the next generation:
Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz (Umar's grandson)
"Inna al-laila wa an-nahaara ya'malaani feeka,
fa'mal feehimaa."
"The night and the day are surely acting upon
you, so act you therein."
Al-Hassan Al-Basriy:
"Yaa ibn Aadam innamaa anta ayyaamun. Fa idhaa
dhahaba yaumun dhahaba ba'dhuka."
"O son of Adam you are just
some days. When another day has passed, some of you has
gone."
"Adraktu aqwaaman maa kaanoo 'alaa awqaatihim
ashadda minkum hirsan 'alaa daraahimikum wa danaaneerikum."
"I
met a people who were as careful with their time as you are with your dirhams
and dinars."
It has been said that:
"Maa min yaumin yanshaqqu fajruhu illaa yunaadiy:
Yaa ibna Aadama anaa khalqun jadeedun, wa 'alaa 'amalika shaheedun, fa ightanim
minniy fa inniy laa a'oodu ilaa yaumi al-qiyaamati."
"There is
no day when the sun comes up but that it calls out: 'O son of Adam, I am a
new creation and a witness over your actions. Take advantage of me for I
will never return until Qiyama.'"