Abstract
Time is the one treasure that, once lost, can never be recovered. Wealth, health, friendships and even buildings can be restored, but a moment that has passed is gone forever. This article examines the value of time and the virtue of punctuality in the light of the Qur’an, the Sunnah and everyday experience.
It begins with Surah Al-‘Asr, in which Allah swears by time and declares that all of humanity is in loss except those who believe, do good and counsel one another to truth and patience, and with the verses describing the precise, unfailing order of the sun, moon, night and day. It then studies the Prophetic hadith “Take advantage of five before five”, along with related narrations about health and free time and about being questioned on the Day of Judgment regarding how one’s life was spent. It also discusses a narration about the regret of the people of Paradise over moments spent without the remembrance of Allah, including what scholars say about its chain. Finally, it shows how prayer at fixed times, keeping promises and disciplined study train a Muslim in punctuality, and offers practical tips for managing time.
Keywords: Punctuality, Value of Time, Surah Al-‘Asr, Five Before Five, Time Management, Discipline, Remembrance of Allah
Introduction: The Treasure That Never Returns
What is time? Why does it matter? And what do we gain by respecting it? Everyone has asked these questions at some point, yet few take the answers seriously.
Consider this. If we lose money today, we may earn it back tomorrow. If a friend is upset with us today, we can make peace the next day. If our health suffers, it may recover in a few days or weeks. Even if a house is destroyed by a natural disaster, it can be rebuilt within a year. But time is different. Once a moment has passed, all the wealth in the world cannot bring it back.
As the well-known proverb says, “Time and tide wait for no one.” No one can stop the flow of time, and very often we only realise its value after it has gone. The early Muslim scholar al-Hasan al-Basri is reported to have said: “O son of Adam, you are nothing but a collection of days. Whenever a day passes, a part of you is gone.”
Punctuality, doing things at their proper time, is the practical expression of respecting this treasure. It is a habit that shapes individuals, institutions and entire nations.
Time in the Qur’an
Surah Al-‘Asr: an oath by time
وَالْعَصْرِ إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ (العصر: 1-3)
Translation: “By time, indeed humanity is in loss, except those who believe, do righteous deeds, and urge one another to truth and urge one another to patience.”
When Allah swears by something in the Qur’an, it shows its great importance. Here He swears by time itself, and then declares that every human being is in loss. Commentators explain the image: a person’s life is like capital that melts away moment by moment, like ice in the sun. If he does not invest it in faith and good deeds, he ends up with nothing. Imam al-Shafi’i is reported to have said that if Allah had revealed no other proof to His creation except this surah, it would have been enough for them.
Allah also swears by other parts of time: “By the morning brightness, and by the night when it grows still” (Al-Duha 93:1-2), and “By the dawn, and by the ten nights” (Al-Fajr 89:1-2). Each oath draws attention to the value of the hours that we often waste.
The universe runs on time
All of creation follows an exact schedule set by Allah: “The sun runs to its appointed place… and for the moon We have determined phases… It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outrun the day; each floats in its own orbit” (Ya-Sin 36:38-40). “The sun and the moon move by precise calculation” (Al-Rahman 55:5).
Sunrise and sunset come at their fixed times; day and night follow each other without delay. If this order were disturbed even slightly, life on earth would fall into chaos. The whole universe teaches a silent lesson in punctuality. A human being who lives without order is, in a sense, out of harmony with the creation around him.
Worship tied to time
Allah has also linked the most important acts of worship to fixed times: “Indeed, prayer has been prescribed for the believers at fixed times” (Al-Nisa’ 4:103). Fasting begins at dawn and ends at sunset; Hajj takes place in specific months and days; zakah is due after a full year. Islam trains its followers to live by the clock of worship.
Time in the Sunnah
Five before five
‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised a man:
اغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قَبْلَ خَمْسٍ: شَبَابَكَ قَبْلَ هَرَمِكَ، وَصِحَّتَكَ قَبْلَ سَقَمِكَ، وَغِنَاكَ قَبْلَ فَقْرِكَ، وَفَرَاغَكَ قَبْلَ شُغْلِكَ، وَحَيَاتَكَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِكَ (المستدرک للحاکم؛ شعب الایمان للبیہقی)
Translation: “Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you become busy, and your life before your death.”
Each of these five is a form of opportunity, and each will one day end. Youth gives energy that old age does not. Health makes worship and work easy. Wealth allows charity and service. Free time is the space in which good plans can be carried out. And life itself is the only time in which deeds can be done at all. The wise person uses each opportunity before it is replaced by its opposite.
Two blessings that most people waste
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There are two blessings in which many people are at a loss: health and free time” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6412). The word used for “loss” (maghbun) describes a trader who sells something precious for far less than its value. Many people trade their healthy, free hours for things of little worth.
Questioned about every moment
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said that on the Day of Judgment a person’s feet will not move until he is asked about his life and how he spent it, his knowledge and what he did with it, his wealth and how he earned and spent it, and his body and how he used it (Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2417). Time, in other words, is not ours to waste. It is a trust for which we will answer.
The Only Regret of the People of Paradise
Mu’adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
لَيْسَ يَتَحَسَّرُ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا عَلَى سَاعَةٍ مَرَّتْ بِهِمْ لَمْ يَذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ فِيهَا (المعجم الکبیر للطبرانی؛ شعب الایمان للبیہقی)
Translation: “The people of Paradise will not regret anything except an hour that passed them by in which they did not remember Allah.”
This narration is recorded by al-Tabarani and al-Bayhaqi. Hadith scholars have differed about the strength of its chain, but its meaning is supported by authentic narrations. For example, the Prophet said: “Whoever sits in a gathering in which he does not remember Allah, it will be a cause of regret for him from Allah” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 4856).
What this teaches about time
Paradise is a place of complete happiness, free from sorrow. Yet, according to this narration, its people will still feel the value of the moments they let slip. When they see the immense reward of every glorification and every remembrance, they will wish that no moment of their worldly life had been empty.
Remembrance of Allah does not only mean sitting with prayer beads. Scholars explain that every action done with the right intention, such as studying, working honestly, caring for family or helping others, becomes a form of remembrance and worship. The lesson is not that every minute must be spent in formal worship, but that no minute should be spent in a way that has no value in this world or the next.
This also points to punctuality. A student who arrives on time, revises his lessons and completes his work as scheduled fills his time with purpose. A student who comes late, postpones today’s work to tomorrow and tomorrow’s to the day after finds his tasks piling up. In the end he complains of lack of time, while the real problem was how he used it.
Punctuality in Practice
Prayer: a daily school of punctuality
When ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) which deed is most beloved to Allah, he replied: “Prayer at its proper time” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 527). Five times a day, a Muslim stops whatever he is doing to stand before Allah at an appointed hour. Someone who truly guards his prayers is being trained, every day, to respect time. It is no surprise that the first thing a Muslim’s day is built around is the call to prayer.
Keeping appointments is keeping promises
Arriving late for a meeting, a class or an appointment means breaking a promise, even if it seems small. Allah commands: “Fulfil your promises; indeed, every promise will be questioned about” (Al-Isra’ 17:34). The Prophet (peace be upon him) listed breaking promises among the signs of a hypocrite (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 33). Punctuality is therefore not only good manners; it is part of a Muslim’s honesty and trustworthiness.
The blessing of the early morning
The Prophet (peace be upon him) prayed: “O Allah, bless my nation in its early mornings” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 2606; Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1212). He also disliked sleeping before the night prayer and talking unnecessarily after it (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 568). Sleeping early and rising early is the foundation of a productive, punctual day.
In the life of a student
A punctual student arrives on time, prepares lessons in advance and reaches the examination hall early and calm. Over time, his discipline brings success, respect and, most importantly, a strong character. Punctuality learned in childhood becomes a lifelong habit, which is why parents and teachers should begin teaching it early.
In the life of a nation
Nations that value time build strong institutions, efficient services and productive economies, and they earn a respected place in the world. Nations that waste time fall behind and become dependent on others. The habits of individuals, multiplied across millions of people, decide the direction of a country.
The Wise and the Careless
Time is given equally to everyone: the wise and the foolish both receive twenty-four hours a day. The difference lies in how they use them. The wise know where and how to spend their time; they stay purposefully busy and leave behind good work and a good name that lives on long after them. History is full of such people, scholars, reformers and builders whose achievements still benefit humanity.
The careless waste their hours and are soon forgotten. They often blame time itself, saying “times are bad” or “time was against me”. Yet the Prophet (peace be upon him) reported that Allah said: “Do not curse time, for I am time” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2246), meaning that Allah is the One who controls the passing of days. Blaming time is a way of escaping responsibility for how we used it.
Practical Tips for Punctuality
- Build your day around the five prayers. Use them as fixed anchors and plan other tasks between them.
- Sleep early and wake early, and use the blessed hours after Fajr for study or important work.
- Make a simple daily list of tasks, and do the most important one first.
- Stop postponing. Do today’s work today; small tasks left for later become heavy burdens.
- Leave early for appointments, allowing extra time for traffic and delays.
- Control screen time. Set limits on social media and games, which quietly consume hours.
- Use small moments well, such as waiting time or travel, for dhikr, short reading or reflection.
- Review your day each night. Thank Allah for time well spent, seek forgiveness for time wasted, and plan for tomorrow.
Conclusion
Time is an everlasting treasure whose loss nothing in the world can make up for. Allah swears by it in Surah Al-‘Asr and warns that every human being is in loss except those who fill their time with faith, good deeds, truth and patience. The universe itself runs on a precise schedule, and Islam ties its greatest acts of worship to fixed times. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us to seize five opportunities before they disappear, reminded us that most people waste their health and free time, and warned that we will be asked how we spent our lives.
Punctuality is how a believer turns these teachings into daily practice: praying on time, keeping appointments, completing work as scheduled and avoiding procrastination. Whoever values his time will see its fruits in this world through success and respect, and in the Hereafter through a record full of good deeds rather than regret.
References
- The Holy Qur’an: Al-Nisa’ 4:103; Al-Isra’ 17:34; Ya-Sin 36:38-40; Al-Rahman 55:5; Al-Fajr 89:1-2; Al-Duha 93:1-2; Al-‘Asr 103:1-3.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 33, 527, 568, 6412.
- Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2246.
- Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 2606, 4856.
- Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1212, 2417.
- Al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, and al-Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Iman (hadith “Take advantage of five before five”).
- Al-Tabarani, al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, and al-Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Iman (narration of Mu’adh bin Jabal on the regret of the people of Paradise).
- Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim, commentary on Surah Al-‘Asr.
