The preacher of the Grand Mosque: Time is the Muslim's most valuable asset, and an interpretation of Surah Al-Asr
During his Friday sermon at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Dr. Abdullah bin Awad Al-Juhani, the imam of the mosque, affirmed that the most beneficial and eloquent speech is the speech of God Almighty, who revealed the Quran as an explanation of all things and as guidance and mercy for the believers. He highlighted one of the shortest chapters of the Quran in terms of structure, yet one of the greatest in meaning: Surah Al-Asr (The Time). He described it as representing a complete Islamic methodology and outlining a comprehensive system for human life, in which the Creator, Exalted is He, swears by time and eternity.
In his sermon, which was attended by a large congregation of worshippers and pilgrims, Sheikh Al-Juhani explained that God's oath by time carries profound significance. God swears by whatever He wills of His creation to draw attention to its magnificence, while it is not permissible for people to swear by anything other than God. He pointed out that time is the vessel of events and the arena of actions, encompassing the wonders and vicissitudes that a person experiences in life, from ease to hardship, health to sickness, and from heedlessness to awareness.
In discussing the value of time, His Eminence cited a poignant story from one of the righteous predecessors who said: “I recited Surah Al-Asr for twenty years, yet I did not grasp the depth of its meaning until I heard an ice seller calling out in the market: ‘Have mercy on one whose capital is melting away!’” This simple phrase encapsulates the reality of human existence; a person’s life is but a few days, and with each passing day, a part of him is gone, just like ice which, if not utilized, melts and is lost forever. The preacher emphasized that time is a person’s capital in this world; if one wastes it, one loses in one’s dealings with God, but if one invests it in righteous deeds, one gains in this world and the Hereafter.
The preacher at the Grand Mosque addressed the general context of the importance of time in Islamic law, emphasizing that time is the vehicle through which a person travels to the Hereafter, and the field from which they reap what they sow. He added that the sign of success and profit is prioritizing the eternal over the fleeting, and working for the abode of eternity, while immersion in worldly life and forgetting the Hereafter is a sign of manifest loss. This sermon comes at a time when Muslims are in dire need of being reminded of the importance of utilizing their lives in light of the accelerating pace of modern life and the abundance of distractions.
Dr. Al-Juhani concluded his sermon by emphasizing the characteristics of those saved from loss, as mentioned in the Holy Quran: those who believe, do righteous deeds, enjoin one another to truth, and enjoin one another to patience. These are the righteous servants of God, who have no fear nor do they grieve. They understand the value of every moment and fear God in all their actions and inactions. They will have a great reward and a noble station with their Lord. He prayed that God would make everyone among those who listen to the word and follow the best of it.
