Class 1
TIME & ACCOUNTABILITY
AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
To start, pause for a moment and think about yesterday.
How many hours passed without you noticing?
How many moments slipped away quietly—between scrolling, worrying, planning, rushing?
Now ask yourself: If Allah were to ask me today: “How did you spend the time I gave you?” — would I feel at peace answering?
The Prophet ﷺ said, “The son of Adam will not be dismissed from before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he has been questioned about his life and how he spent it….” (Tirmidhi, Sahih).
So remember this one powerful truth: Time is not neutral in Islam. It is sacred. It is witnessed. And it will speak.
Welcome to TIME — not just a time-management course, but a heart-management course.
Why Islam Treats Time Differently
When the Prophet ﷺ was asked about the most beloved deeds to Allah, he replied: Prayer at its proper time.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Notice that he did not simply say “prayer.” He said prayer on time. This tells us something profound: Allah values not only what we do, but when we do it.
Time is one of the strangest gifts Allah has given the human being.
It is invisible, yet it governs everything. It cannot be stored, paused, or reclaimed, yet it shapes who we become. It feels abundant in some seasons and painfully scarce in others.
Most people live as though time is endless — until something reminds them it is not.
Islam, however, does not allow us to be careless with time, it positions time as something serious, meaningful, and deeply connected to our ultimate return to Allah. In Islam, time is not just a resource. It is not just “24 hours in a day.” Time is a trust (Amānah).
Allah says in Surah Al Asr: “By time (Al-‘Asr). Indeed, mankind is in loss.”
When Allah swears by something, it means it carries immense weight and importance. This short surah tells us something startling:
Loss is the default state of human beings. Except for those who:
Believe
Do righteous deeds
Encourage truth
Encourage patience
Allah is telling us that loss is the default state of human life — not because people are evil, but because time slips away quietly. Loss does not always come with obvious destruction. Often, it comes through neglect. Days pass, routines form, distractions multiply, and life moves forward whether we are awake to it or not.
Yet Allah does not leave us in despair. The same surah tells us that salvation lies in belief, righteous action, truth, and patience. In other words, time is not meant to be filled — it is meant to be directed.
Time, therefore, is not empty. It is either:
Working for you, or
Testifying against you
There is no third category.
I have time!
One of the biggest misconceptions about time is that it is something we “have.” Islam corrects this idea gently but firmly. Time is not owned. It is entrusted.
Allah describes the regret of those who wasted their time when He says: “My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short time, so I would give charity and be among the righteous.” (Surah Al-Munāfiqūn :10)
Notice the words “a short time.” Even a little more time would feel priceless then.
This is why Islam calls us to awareness now — while time is still flexible, while repentance is open, while intention can still transform ordinary moments into worship.
----------------------------------
Reflection Pause
Write down (or think quietly):
When do I feel my time is most meaningful?
When does it feel most wasted?
----------------------------------
Accountable for Time
The Prophet ﷺ said that a person will not move on the Day of Judgment until they are questioned about their life and how they spent it, their youth and how they used it, their wealth and how it was earned and spent, and their knowledge and what they did with it. (Reported in Tirmidhi, Hasan Sahih)
Also the Prophet ﷺ warned us about a very subtle danger: “There are two blessings which many people waste: health and free time.” (Sahih Bukhari)
The Prophet ﷺ did not say some people, he ﷺ said ‘Many people’. Why? Because wasted time rarely feels dramatic. It often feels comfortable, distracting & harmless. Until years pass… and we wonder where life went. Free time rarely feels precious when we have it. It only reveals its value once it disappears — through illness, responsibility, or age.
Islam does not condemn rest, leisure, or enjoyment. But it teaches us that living without intention slowly drains meaning from our days.
This is why Accountability is important. Accountability gives time weight. Without accountability, time becomes something we kill, waste, or lose. With accountability, time becomes something we honour.
Honouring Time
Many people associate accountability only with acts of worship — prayer, fasting, charity. But Islam places accountability much closer to our everyday lives than we often realise.
When Allah gives us a role, a responsibility, or a position, He also gives us time to fulfil it. That time is not morally neutral.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
This responsibility applies whether a person is:
a parent or guardian
an employer or an employee
a teacher or a student
a doctor, a manager, a homemaker, or a caregiver
When we are at work, the hours we are paid for are not merely contractual — they are trust-based.
Arriving late repeatedly without necessity, being careless with duties, wasting long stretches of time while being paid — these are not just “work issues.” They are moral issues in Islam, because they involve trust.
At the same time, Islam recognises sincerity and effort. A person who struggles but tries to improve their use of time at work — becoming more focused, more reliable, more present — is not just becoming more professional. They are growing spiritually.
Excellence (ihsān) is not limited to the prayer mat. It extends to how we honour our commitments which include how we honor the hours we have been given responsibility over.
One of the quiet laws of life is that people do not grow by accident. Growth — whether spiritual, intellectual, or even professional — almost always comes from how a person respects and uses the time to grow.
They grow in trust.
They grow in reliability.
They grow in inner discipline.
This is not coincidence. Islam links barakah to intention and responsibility. When a person becomes mindful of how they use their hours — planning better, avoiding unnecessary distraction, fulfilling obligations with care — Allah places expansion in their efforts.
In a sahih hadeeth by Hakim, The Prophet ﷺ said: “Take benefit of five before five:
1. Your life before your death,
2. Your health before your sickness,
3. Your free time before your busyness,
4. Your youth before your old age,
5. And your wealth before your poverty.”
This hadith is remarkable because it does not command us to do something specific. Instead, it teaches us how to think about time.
Each pair mentioned — life and death, health and sickness, free time and busyness — reminds us that circumstances change. What feels stable today may not remain so tomorrow. And when those changes arrive, opportunities quietly disappear with them.
Free time, in particular, is often misunderstood. Many people see it as “leftover time” — something to be filled once everything important is done. Islam presents it differently. Free time is potential time. It is the space where growth is either nurtured or neglected.
The way a person uses their free time often determines the direction of their life.
Those who use it only for distraction may feel momentary relief, but little long-term progress. Those who invest even small portions of it — in learning, reflection, worship, or skill — often find that their lives begin to expand in unexpected ways.
In this world, such people grow in clarity, discipline, and reliability. They tend to become more grounded, more capable, and more trusted. Over time, this shows in their work, their relationships, and their sense of purpose.
In the next world, the same moments carry far greater weight.
A few quiet minutes spent remembering Allah, a voluntary prayer offered when no one was watching, knowledge sought without compulsion — these acts are light in effort but heavy on the scale. And once time ends, even the smallest opportunity becomes priceless.
This is why the Prophet ﷺ urged us to take advantage before change arrives.
Islam does not ask us to abandon rest or enjoyment. It asks us not to be careless with opportunity. Because when time is honoured, it does something remarkable: it begins to build the person using it.
The Regret of Missed Moments
The Prophet ﷺ said: “The people of Paradise will not regret anything except the moments that passed without the remembrance of Allah.” (al-Tabarani; graded Hasan)
This is a striking statement.
Even in Paradise — a place of joy and reward — there is a quiet regret. Not over sins that were forgiven, nor hardships that passed, but time that could have held more goodness.
Another example is when the Prophet ﷺ passed by a grave in which a person had been newly buried. He stopped, looked towards it, and said words that should completely change how we understand time and “small” deeds. He ﷺ said, “Two light rak`ahs, which you would regard as being something slight, and which you pray as something extra; if he- and he pointed to his grave- were able to add them to his deeds it would be more beloved to him than (having) everything in your world. (Tabarani, classed Hasan Sahih)
Those two rak‘ahs were not obligatory. They were not difficult. They required no wealth, no audience, no recognition.
And yet, once time ended, they became more valuable than the entire world.
This tells us something crucial: the true value of time is not fully visible while we are still living inside it.
As long as time is available, opportunities feel ordinary. Acts of goodness feel repeatable. Worship feels optional. But when time ends, even the smallest missed opportunity becomes irreplaceable.
This is why the Prophet ﷺ urged us to act before change arrives, he ﷺ said, “Make use of… Your free time before your busyness,”
Time Is a Witness
Allah tells us something deeply sobering: That Day, it will report its news.” (Surah Az-Zalzalah (99:4)
The earth itself will testify — about what happened upon it. The moments we occupied, the places we sat, the actions we repeated.
So remember, our time remembers us. The masjid remembers who came. Your prayer mat remembers who stood. Your phone remembers where hours went.
Nothing is forgotten.
Islam does not teach us to obsess over every minute. It teaches us not to be careless with opportunity.
Free time, youth, health, and ability are not permanent states. They are passing windows. Those who recognise them early grow — in this world through discipline, clarity, and trust, and in the next world through deeds that continue to benefit them long after time itself has ended.
The person who learns to honour time while they have it is not just preparing for the Hereafter. They are quietly shaping a life of purpose, balance, and depth.
Time is not simply passing. It is building, recording, and waiting.
What it becomes — loss or growth — depends on how we meet it.
What’s Coming Next
In the course, we’ll explore:
Time Management as per the Sunnah
Procrastination
Building Productive Habits
Managing Distractions in the Digital Age
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the importance and benefits.
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
I. Invite atleast 10 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 4 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Reflect on yourself and make changes in your actions/attitude to make better use of Time by using any of the tips given this course. 5 Marks.
III. Talk to 3 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
IV. Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and Maghfirah of the Muslims who passed away. Pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
JOIN FOR FREE VIA
WHATSAPP | TELEGRAM | EMAIL
Pls read our FAQs to get the details and to know how we go about things if U have any further Qs pls feel free to ask...
FAQs: - https://learn-islam.org/faqs-short-courses
Happy Learning... JazakAllah Khair...
As Salam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakaatuh :)
SUPPORT LEARN ISLAM
Alhamdulillah we have been providing free courses on LEARN ISLAM for over 15years now. We now have employees working in our organisation and need support to fulfil commitments and accomplish goals/projects.
Support LEARN ISLAM in continuing to provide free courses on
Quran & Tajweed.
Various Islamic Topics.
Parenting.
Worldly Skills (like Designing, Excel Sheets etc).
Free Matrimonial Services.
More Projects coming up InShaAllah.