Allah (SWT) says: Closer and closer to Mankind comes their reckoning, yet they heed not and turn away. Qur’an 21:1
Every new day is not merely an addition to our lives; it is also a subtraction from the time we have left to live. If this truth settles in our consciousness, then what we often celebrate should also awaken us to reflection. It should remind us to stop wasting precious time on petty arguments, hollow pride, needless conflicts, and relationships that add no meaningful value to our lives.
This verse reminds us of the urgency of living intentionally and making choices that truly matter. Every new day, every new year, and every birthday is a gentle but powerful reminder that time waits for no one, that life is passing, and that death is an inevitable reality.
This World is a bridge, not a destination, it is a field in which to sow, not a palace in which to settle. Whatever we possess today in terms of wealth, comfort, status, and material, is very temporary. These things may serve their purpose in this life, but they do not themselves nourish the soul, nor can they accompany us even to the grave. Ultimately, it is our deeds that will speak for us. Why, then, do we cling so blindly to the fleeting shadows of this worldly life?
True richness lies in what we send ahead of us to the Hereafter in terms of sincerity in worship, truthfulness in our dealings, kindness towards others, and righteous deeds done for the sake of Allah (SWT). These are the treasures whose value transcends this World and whose rewards, by Allah’s mercy, endure beyond it.
Allah (SWT) reminds us of this with piercing clarity in Qur’an 28:60 thus: And whatever you have been given is an enjoyment of the life of this World and its adornment, and what is with Allah is better and more lasting. Will you not then use reason?
No wise person trades the eternal for the temporary. So, let us use whatever we have today, whether little or much, in terms of our times, health, wealth, authorities, powers, knowledges, and energy to sow the seeds of righteousness and build a Hereafter that will confront us with mercy and light, a Hereafter that we truly hope to get Allah’s mercy, forgiveness, and light.
_Oni ni iro ma, ola ogbeke ooooo. ‘You can only lie here today, tomorrow won’t accommodate deceit.’
Aiye ni iro ma, orun ogbeke ooooo. ‘You can only lie in this World, no room for deceit in the Hereafter.’
Life Will Continue in Its Divine Order
Life is like a grand theatre where every soul appears on stage at its appointed time, performs its assigned role, and eventually exits. No one can monopolise the stage. The ‘stage’ has outlived kings, prophets, rulers, and empires, and it will continue in its divine order until a time known only to Allah (SWT).
No matter our wealth, power, authority, fame, status, or position, we are all temporary travellers in this World, until death takes its toll on us.
Death is inevitable, and the departure of one soul does not bring the World to a halt. The sun will continue to rise, the moon will continue to shine, generations will come and go, and life will continue in the divine order established by Allah (SWT) until a time known only to Allah (SWT).
In Surah Ad-Dukhān, verses 25–29 where Allah says: ‘How many gardens and springs did they leave behind, and green crops and splendid dwellings, and luxuries in which they used to take delight! So, it was. And We made other people inherit them. Neither the Heaven nor the Earth wept for them, nor were they given any respite’.
Pharaoh and his mighty people perished, yet the World continued. The wealth and possessions they once regarded as theirs eventually became the inheritance of others. Their story reminds us that none of us is indispensable to the continuation of life.
This is a call for deeper reflection on our part to slow down, to humble ourselves, and take life easy. When life smiles upon us, to remember that we are only a steward, not the owner of its blessings. We should never forget that every favour is both a gift and a test. We should always remember that life is transient, and death is not the end of our existence, but a passage to what lies beyond.
What truly matters here, is not how long we live, but how sincerely we worship Allah, our Creator how faithfully we fulfil our responsibilities, how well we treat others, and the extent of goodness we send ahead and leave behind.
Let us never forget that it is our deeds, not our possessions, that will ultimately testify for or against us before Allah, The Almighty. What we accumulate will be left behind, but expending them while alive for the sake of Allah becomes our eternal wealth in the Hereafter.
Let us, therefore, live purposefully for Allah, The Giver of Life, for goodness, for humanity, and for the eternal life that awaits us.
May Allah (SWT) remove every complacency, heedlessness, and laziness from our hearts. May He strengthen us in faith and righteous deeds, protect us from every form of fitnah, and grant us the wisdom to make the best use of the time He has entrusted to us in this World.
It Is High Time
The fact that no one can escape the divine design of our existence in life is indisputable. This is also true of His design for this World and the Hereafter. Day alternates with night, we are added to this World by birth and deleted therefrom by Death, we sleep and wake, all by His undeniable grace and designs.
The truly wise are those who never lose sight of a profound reality that; we exist by His grace, that this life is fleeting and that, ultimate success lies not in how long we live, but in how well we prepare for what comes after death.
At the age of sixty and above, even, less than sixty, with the current health conditions, one has witnessed much of life, from its joys to its trials and its illusions. At this stage, the reality of the Hereafter begins to unfold more clearly. Gradually, we find ourselves being detached from the very things that once made life pleasurable. Strength weakens, independence diminishes, and what was once taken for granted is now sustained through medication and support. For many, a cabinet of life-supporting drugs quietly replaces former vitality.
This is a powerful reminder that it’s high time that the focus of our lifestyle should now shift more intentionally from this world to the next. What should matter to us now is no longer the accumulation of worldly comfort or struggles for what we derive little or no benefit from, but the pursuit of Allah’s pleasure in our daily endeavours.
It is upon this understanding that I draw your attention to a profound directive of our noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW) on what is called “Sayyidul Istighfar” (the king of seeking forgiveness).
The Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said that, whoever recites sayyidul Istighfar in the morning with sincere faith and dies that day will be among the people of Paradise; and that whoever recites it in the evening with sincere faith and dies that night will be among the people of Paradise.
This is a profound shortcut to gaining Allah’s pleasure. The likes of this should interest us more at this stage of our lives.
O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god except You. You created me, and I am Your servant. I uphold Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your blessings upon me, and I confess my sins. So, forgive me, for surely none forgives sins except You.
This supplication is rightly called the ‘chief of seeking forgiveness’ because it beautifully combines the essence of being a servant of Allah.
a) Recognition of Allah as Lord, b) Acknowledgment of His countless blessings, c) Admission of one’s shortcomings, and d) A sincere plea for His forgiveness.
O Allah, You are the Turner of hearts. Please keep our hearts firm upon Your obedience. Grant us the wisdom to see this World for what it truly is, temporary and passing. Grant us the foresight to prepare sincerely for the everlasting life to come.
O Allah, bless our final years with righteousness, our final deeds with acceptance, and our final moments with the shahadah. Make our graves gardens from the gardens of Paradise, and admit us into Your Jannah without reckoning.
May He grant us a meaningful and blessed life, a peaceful and righteous end, and admit us into Jannatul Firdaus.
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