Thanks be to Allah, the
Lord of the worlds. Peace and prayers be upon the
most honorable of all messengers Mohammad; and all his folks, companions, and
followers to the day they are all summoned together.
This Friday the talk is
about a number of points with regard to the summer holiday. The first of these
points is the importance of time. Allah says: {وهو
الذي جعل الليل والنهار خِلفَةً لمن أراد أن يذكر أو أراد شكورًا
}, {And He (it
is who) has put the night and the day in succession, for such who desires to
remember or desires to show his gratitude.}
Allah has made pledges
using time, he says: {By Al-'Asr (Mid-evening time). Verily! Man is in loss,
except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one
another to the truth and to patience}
This time, man is either
a looser or a winner. This is determined how man utilizes his life time. Allah
used the start of the day and the end of the day when he pledges. Like: {By
the time of forenoon (after sun-rise); And by the night when it is still (or
darkens)}. He also says: {By the night as it envelops; And by the day as it
appears in brightness}. He also says: {By the dawn; By the ten nights}. Why
does Allah pledge?
Allah does make pledges
so that we know how important they are. So we keep them and take care of them.
This life time you live in this garden whose fruits you pick in the next life.
If you plant with goodness and good deeds, you will harvest happiness and
success. And you shall be of those in the next life called upon: {Eat and
drink with comfort for that which you have done in the days gone by}. And if
you have wasted the life time with forgetfulness and sowed with defiance and
violation, then you will be sorry when it will do no good. Such a person will
wish to be returned to this life and he will be told: {Didn’t we give you long
age, so those who remember will remember, and a portent or preacher came to
you. Taste, for those who transgress have no supporter}.
The messenger (PPBU)
said: {In the day of resurrection, the feet of any slave shall not budge until
he/she is asked about four: about his life time what it was wasted in. and
about his youth, in what it was worn out. His money or treasure, from where he
earned it and in what he spent it, and about his knowledge, what he did with
it.}
This is you life time,
the most precious thing you have, do not waste it. For Allah made different
functions for his slave in each day. Some are compulsory tile the five
prayers, and some that are recommended like the nafilah prayers, and praising
of Allah.
Allah made functions for
the different months like fasting, zakah, and Haj. Allah made some times
better than other times where reward is multiplied many fold, and in answering
prayers like in the haram months and the month of Ramadan. Also the month
Muharram, the night of Qadr, and the day of Arafah.
Each of seasons or times
blows a breeze on to us and Allah includes whom he wishes with his mercy.
Allah has asked us to spend the time remembering and praising him and obeying
him at the end of the day and early mornings. Even if you get board saying out
load, remember him within your self in hope and fear.
Allah did not specify
any thing to remember him with or a special way or position. It is left open,
Allah says: {Those who remember Allah standing, sitting or laying on their
sides, and think of the creation of the heavens and earth. Lord you did not
create all this in vain}. In bed you can think of Allah, while you are on your
way to work, or while you are waiting on the bus, or waiting on someone you
can think of Allah. Allah says: {Hail Allah when you come to the night and the
morning. Thanks be to him in heavens and in earth, in the evenings and at
noon.}
Your life is between
praising and thanking Allah. What are we going to do with our times now that
the summer holiday is here? People are either of three types: (those who sell
them selves, those who disentangle and free them selves, those who destroy
them selves.)
The second point is: the
types of people in the summer holidays.
In the way they utilize
the summer holidays, people are of many types. There are those who utilize the
times in getting more of the good and knowledge. They get useful books; attend
valuable lectures, Quran and Hadeeth of the Messenger PPBU. Some even travel
to where the scholars are to meet them and sit at their classes to gain
enormously.
Some other type of
people travel to make contact or connect with their blood relatives.
Some travel with their
families for what Allah has permitted to enjoy what Allah has created.
Reminding them of the powerful and the capable, praising him.
Some others spend their
times in giving advice to the Muslims. This whom Allah has giving him or her
knowledge, goes out to teach people, about the oneness of Allah, about Salah,
about halal and haram. For who is better in words and in action than such
people.
There is another type of
people whom I ask Allah that we shall not be one of. This type occupies their
time with haram. At night they watch videos, or TV channels that transmits the
unacceptable, and what destroys good traits and moral excellence. The
messenger PPBU said: {Allah hates every x x x x x x , loud in the
markets, a corpse at night and a donkey at day}. Those who never checks what
is Halal and what is Haram. To them all they get is hala, and all they can not
get is haram.
The final point is: how
do we utilize the holidays.
1)
Remember the Islamic science of priorities. Arrange all matters
according to their importance. Also remember the balancing things is a sign of
success.
2) Read
about the subject of utilizing time. There are many books by Muslim authors.
3)
Keep your emotional and caring credit towards your family and children.
Do not ruin it by rough and ill treatment.
4)
Conditional entertainment. Meaning make a good goal for all your trips
or entertainment. Make positive comments on events, or situations, social or
otherwise.
5)
Do not gamble with the most valuables, your children. Do not with the
intention of entertaining them; do not expose them to temptations and
seductions. Do not be ignorant of what images may stick into their memories
and minds that may cause some behavioral deviation.
6)
Before you leave, stop a little and think, did you leave your parents
or one of them to go to keep your children safe? Did you leave someone to take
care of your affairs here? Don’t forget about your neighbours.
Don’t go with your
friends and leave your family and children between temptations and those who
may prey on them.
7)
Be warned of the power of addiction to habits, and yearnings. So many
no longer have power to take a decision because of some habit they put them
selves into.
8)
Take enough to spend so you will not be burden on to others.
9)
Where you travel may be good religious or scientific activities and
programs in which you may participate. And avoid clusters of bad acts and bad
deeds.
