In the Holy Quran and in narrations, it is shown how time should be spent. Thus, the tasks of people are pre-determined, and no body may refuse to carry out his responsibilities.
قالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ: مَنْ سَلَكَ طَريقاً يَطْلُبُ فيه عِلْماً سَلَكَ اللهُ بِهِ طَرِيقاً إلى الجَنّةِ، وَإنَّ المَلائِكَةَ لَتَضَعُ أجْنِحَتَها لِطالِبِ العِلْمِ رِضاً بِهِ، وَإنّهُ لَيَستَغْفِرُ لِطَالِبِ العِلْمِ مَنْ فِي السّماءِ وَمَنْ فِي الأرضِ حَتّى الحُوتِ فِي البَحْرِ، وَفَضْلُ العالِمِ عَلى العَابِدِ كَفَضْلِ القَمَرِ عَلى سائِرِ النُّجُومِ لَيْلَةَ البَدْرِ، وَإنَّ العُلَماءَ وَرَثةُ الأنْبِياءِ، إنَّ الأنبِياء لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا ديناراً وَلا دِرْهَماً وَلكِنْ وَرَّثُوا العِلْمَ، فَمَنْ أخَذَ مِنْهُ أخَذَ بِحَظٍ وافِرٍ.
God will direct to heaven anybody who spends his time in obtaining God’s and devine knowledge. The angles will joyfully spread their wings for the real scholar to fly by them. Every body should ask God’s blessings for divine scholars. The superiority of a scholar over a worshipper is like that of the moon of the fourteenth of the lunar calendar over other stars. In fact, the scholars and scientists are the heirs to the prophets. The prophets did not possess any wealth except knowledge. Anybody who acquires knowledge has got the complete satisfaction(Behar, Vol 1, P 54.).
وَقالَ4: أربَعَةٌ تَلْزَمُ كُلَّ ذي حِجى وَعَقْلٍ مِنء أُمّتي: اِسْتِمَاعُ الْعِلْمِ، وَحِفْظُهُ، وَنَشْرُهُ، وَالعَمَلُ بِهِ.
The Prophet (s) has also said: There are four obligatory tasks for any one of my Ommah: The acquisition of knowledge, keeping it, spreading it among people and acting it out(The Messenger's speech, P 87.).
وَقالَ4: مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ العِلْمَ لِلتَكَبُّرِ ماتَ جاهِلاً، وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ لِلقَولِ دُونَ العَمَلِ ماتَ مُنافِقاً، وَمَن تَعَلَّمَهُ لِلمُناظَرَةِ ماتَ فاسِقاً، وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ لِكَثْرَةِ المالِ ماتَ زِنْدِيقاً، وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ لِلعَمَلِ ماتَ عَارِفاً.
The Prophet (s) has said, as well: Anybody who boasts of his knowledge will pass away ignorant; any body who does not carry out what he learns is a hypocrite; anybody who uses his knowledge to argue with people will die as a wrong-doer; and anybody who used his knowledge to multiply his wealth, will die as an infidel; and finally, anybody who learns something in order to act it out is a true Gnostic(Op Cit, P 88).
وَقالَ4: لا يَكُونُ العَبْدُ فِي السَماءِ وَلا فِي الأرضِ مُؤْمِناً حتّى يَكُونَ فَضُولاً، وَلا يَكُونُ فَضُولاً حَتّى يَكُونَ مُسلِماً حَتّى يَسْلَمَ النّاسُ مِنْ يَدِهِ وَلِسَانِهِ، وَلا يَسْلَمُ النّاسُ مِنْ يَدِهِ وَلِسَانِهِ حَتّى يَكُونَ عالِماً، وَلا يَكُونُ عالِماً حَتّى يَكُونَ عامِلاً بِالعِلمِ، وَلا يَكُونُ عامِلاً بِالعِلْمِ حَتّى يَكُونَ زَاهِداً، وَلا يَكُونُ زَاهِداً حَتّى يَكُونَ وَرِعاً، وَلا يَكُونُ وَرِعاً حَتّى يَكُونَ مُتَواضِعاً، وَلا يَكُونُ مُتَواضِعاً حَتّى يَكُونَ عارِِفاً بِنَفْسِهِ، وَلا يَكُونُ عارِفاً بِنَفْسِهِ حَتّى يَكُونَ عَاقِلاً.
The Prophet (s) has also stated, there are some actions dependant on some others: A worshipper from the sky and the earth is not truly a believer unless he is generous. Your being a true believer depends on your generosity. Your being a Moslem depends on the fact that others are safe from your tongue. People are not at ease with you unless you are knowledgeable. A man is not considered a scholar unless he acts on what he knows and preaches. He is not a true actor unless he is reluctant to engage in wrong-doings. He is not considered reluctant to do wrong unless he is clean. He is not clean unless he bows to God. And he is not decent and honest unless he recognizes his true self. And finally he does not recognize his very self unless he is wise(The Messenger's Speech, P 108 ).
وَقالَ 4: أفْشُوا السَّلامَ وأطْعِمُوا الطّعامَ، وَصِلوا الأرْحامَ، وَصلّوا باللَّيْلِ وَالنّاسُ نيامٌ تَدْخُلوا الجَنَّة بِالسَّلامِ.
He has also stated: be prepared to greet people first, feed others, visit your relatives; when people are asleep go on worshipping: only under these conditions will you enter the paradise in complete health(Op Cit, P 109).
وَقالَ 4: إنَّهُ لا نَبِيَّ بَعْدي، وَلا اُمَّةَ بَعْدَكُمْ، ألا فَاعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمْ، وَصَلُّوا خَمْسَكُمْ، وَصُومُوا شَهْرَكُمْ، وَحُجُّوا بَيْتَ رَبِّكُمْ، وَادُّوا زَكاةَ أموالِكُمْ طَيِّبَةْ بِها أنْفُسُكُمْ، وَأطِيعُوا وُلاةَ أمْرِكُمُ تَدْخُلُوا جَنَّةَ رَبِّكُمْ.
And the Prophet (s) has said as well: there is no Prophet after me and there will be no more Ommah. Let us fast in the month of Ramathan; let us carry out hajj. Let us pay our due alms with all our hearts. You obey the Infallible ones (s) and the Jurisprudent so that you may enter the paradise.
وَقالَ 4: مَنْ أطْعَمَ مْؤْمِناً لُقمةً أطْعَمَهُ اللهُ مِنْ ثِمَارِ الجَنَّةِ وَمَنْ سَقاهُ شَرْبَةً مِنْ مَاءٍ سَقاهُ اللهُ مِنَ الرَّحِيقِ المَخْتُومِ، وَمَنْ كَسَاهُ ثَوباً كَساهُ اللهُ مِنَ الإسْتَبْرَقِ وَالحَريرِ، وَصَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَالمَلائِكَةُ ما بَقِيَ في ذلِكَ الثَّوْبِ سِلْكٌ.
He has also stated: Anybody who feeds a believer a loaf will receive the heavenly fruits from God; and any body who gives a believer a drink of water will receive water from ZamZam. And any body who dresses a believer will receive silk dress from God and will be blessed by God upto the last moment when a tread of that dress still remains.
وَقالَ 4: خافُوا مِنَ اللهِ، وَصِلُوا الرَحِمَ، فَانَّهُما فِي الدُّنْيا بَرَكَةٌ، وَفِي العُقْبى مَغْفِرَةٌ، وَفي صِلَةِ الرَّحِمِ عَشْرُ خِصالٍ: رِضا الرَّبِّ، وَفَرَحُ القُلوبِ، وَفَرَحُ المَلائِكُةِ، وَثَنَاءُ النّاسِ، وَتَرْغِيمُ الشَّيطانِ، وَزِيادَةُ العُمْرِ، وَزِيادَةُ الرِّزْقِ وَفَرَحُ الأمْواتِ، وَزِيادَةُ المُرُوَّةِ، وَزِيادَةُ الثَّوابِ.
The Messenger of God has stated: Be fearful of God and pay visits to your relatives. These two are the source of abundance here. There are ten advantages in paying visits to one’s relatives: God’s delight, the happiness of hearts, the angels’ satisfaction, the people’s admiration, Satan’s anger, adding up to one’s life-span, having abundance, the happiness of the deceased, the increase in one’s manhood, and finally an increase in the heavenly rewards.
وَقالَ 4: إذا كانَ يَوْمُ القِيامَة لَمْ تَزُلْ قَدَما عَبْدٍ حَتّى يُسْألَ عَنْ أرْبَعٍ: عَنْ عُمْرِهِ فيمَ أفْناهُ، وَعَنْ شَبابِهِ فيمَ أبْلاهُ، وَعَمَّا اكْتَسَبَهُ مِنْ أيْنَ اكْتَسَبَهُ وَفِيمَ أنْفَقَهُ، وَعَنْ حُبِّنا أهْلَ البَيْتِ.
The Great Prophet (s) has also stated: On the Doomsday, each believer will be asked the following four questions: how he spent his life, how he spent his youth, how he earned and spent his wealth, and his love and affection towards us, the infallible ones(s).( The Messenger's speech, P 115.).
وَقالَ 4: يا أيُّهَا النّاسُ تُوبُوا إلى اللهِ قَبْلَ أنْ تَمُوتُوا، وَبادِرُوا بِالأعْمالِ الصالِحَةِ قَبْلَ أنْ تُشْغَلوا، وَأصْلِحُوا الَّذي بَيْنَكُم وَبَينَ رَبِّكُم تَسْعَدوا، وَأكْثِروا مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ تُرزَقُوا، وَامُرُوا بالمَعْرُوفِ تُحْصَنُوا، وَانْهَو عَنِ المُنْكَرِ تُنْصَروا، إنَّ أكْيَسَكُم أكْثَرُكُمْ ذِكْراً لِلمَوْتِ، وَإنَّ أحْرَمَكُم أحْسَنُكُمُ اسِتِعداداً لَهُ. ألا وَإنَّ مِنْ عَلاماتِ العَقْلِ التَّجافِيَ مِنْ دارِ الغُرُورِ، وَالإنابَةِ إلى دارِ الخُلُودِ، وَالتَزَوُّدَ لِسُكْنَى القُبُورِ، وَالتأهُبَ لِيَومِ النُّشُورِ.
The Honorable Prophet has also said: O people, prior to your death, repent all your sins; and engage in good deeds while you have freedom; make peace between yourself and your God so that you will prosper; pay lots of alms so that you will be given abundance; enjoin the good so that you may be safe against social harms; and forbid the evil so that you may get help; The cleverest one among you is the one who remembers death the most; and the most prudent among you is the one who is most capable and ready to receive death. Be aware that there are four signs for one being wise: not being proud, having love in the world Hereafter; compiling provisions for the other world; and being prepared for the Doomsday(The Messenger's speech, P127.).
It would take me a lot of energy to delve into all the details of this divine issue. Now you are familiar with Islam’s view on how to spend one’s time. Now it is time for me to deal with the second part of the first invocation of Sahifeh Sajjadieh.
قَبَضَهُ إلى ما نَدَبَهُ إلَيهِ مِنْ مَوْفُورِ ثَوابِهِ، أوْ مَحْذُورِ عِقابِهِ، لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذينَ أساؤُوا بِما عَمِلُوا، وَيَجْزيَ الَّذِينَ أحْسَنُوا بِالحُسْنى، عَدْلاً مِنْهُ تَقَدَّسَتْ، أسْماؤُهُ وَتَظاهَرَتْ آلاؤُهُ، لايُسْأَلُ عَمّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسأَلُونَ.
“At the end of one’s life, one is accountable for what good he has performed and what the evil he has done. This is to punish the evil-doer for the evils he has done and to reward him for the good he has performed and for the prayer he has engaged in. This is the mere justice by God who is flawless and Whose assets are continual. He will do what He deems advisable and nobody is allowed to question His authority. Rather, it is man who is asked for what he has done, especially how he has spent his time.”
Refrence: The land of lovers by professor Hossein Ansarian
source : The land of lovers by professor Hossein Ansarian
