Chapter Twelve IBN ALQAYYIM ON MAKING USE OF ONE’S TIME IN CHANGING EVIL INTO GOOD 39

Abdul-Malik ibn Ahmad al-Mubaarak said, “Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaahhave mercy on him) said in AL-Fawaa’id, “Chapter: How you rectify yourcondition:

“Get up (and hurry) in entering upon Allaah and accompanying Himin the Home of Peace, without any tiredness, hardship or fatigue, butin fact by the nearest of paths and the most easiest (of them). Andthis is (by realising) that you are in a time between two times whichis (what constitutes) your life, and this is the present time which isbetween what has passed and what is yet to come. Then that which haspassed, you can correct by repentance, remorse and seeking forgiveness.This is something in which there will be no tiredness, fatigue, or anystraining efforts (required on your behalf). It is (nothing but) theaction of the heart.’”

“I say: Whatever of your time has passed in disobedience to Allaah,it is possible for you to bring it back (and amend it). And it has beensaid, ‘Time is like a sword, if you don’t cut it, it will cut you.’ Andthis is correct wisdom save that Allaah has excepted the repenters fromthis. For whatever time they have wasted in committing zinaa, evenmurder, in fact, even shirk-then whoever repents from them will findhis scroll (of deeds) not just white and plain (free of those evils)but good deeds will have been written on it in replacement of thoseevil deeds, as if his time had been adorned with them. And nothing isimpossible for Allaah, He is the One who said:

And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allaah,nor kill such life as Allaah has forbidden, except for just cause, norcommit illegal sexual intercourse and whoever does this shall receivethe punishment. The torment will be doubled for him on the Day ofResurrection, and he will abide therein in disgrace. Except those whorepent and believe, and do righteous deeds, for those, Allaah willchange their sins into good deeds, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, MostMerciful.” [Soorah al-Furqaan (25):68~70].

And Ibn al Qayyim said:

“And your restraining yourself from sins in what has yet to come(in the future). (This) restraint of yours is but mere abandonment andrelaxation and does not involve (any) actions from the limbs or theefforts which cause you difficulties and hardship. It is but (firm)resolution and a strong and firm intention (which allows your) body,heart and your inner-self to rest. So whatever has passed you by, youamend by repentance and you correct what has yet to come withrestraint, resolution (of one’s will) and (firm) intention.”

“I say: From this you will learn about the secret of the connectionbetween repentance and seeking forgiveness, as occurs in the like ofAllaah’s saying:

Will they not repent to Allaah and ask His Forgiveness? ForAllaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [Soorah al-Maa’idah(5):135].

Seeking forgiveness (here) has the meaning of ‘abandoning what haspreceded (from your actions)’ and repentance (here) is with the meaning‘not persisting (in those actions) in the future.’ And Allaah hascombined both of these in a single aayah when He said:

And those who, when they have committed faahishah (illegal sexualintercourse etc.,) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allaah andask forgiveness for their sins-and none can forgive sins but Allaah.And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.” SoorahAali-Imran (3):135].

And Ibn al Qayyim said:

“And in both of these there is no hardship or tiredness for thelimbs, however the concern is for your life-and that is the time, (atpresent), which is between two times. If you waste it, you will havewasted your happiness and your (means of) safety. And if you safeguardit, along with correcting the (other) two times-that which is before itand that which comes after it-with what has been mentioned, you will besaved and you will succeed with ease, pleasure and bliss.”

I say: And this will show you the secret of Allaah’s making theamending of one’s conduct (Islaah) a condition for (true) repentance,which if it (i.e., repentance) is performed (freely and properly), willalso include the seeking of forgiveness, as occurs in the saying ofAllaah:

Your Lord has written Mercy for Himself, so that, if any of youdoes evil in ignorance, and thereafter repents and does righteous gooddeeds (by obeying Allaah), then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, MostMerciful. [Soorah al-An’aam (6):54].

and in His saying:

Except for those who repent after that and do righteous deeds.Verily, Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [SoorahAali-‘Imraan (3):89].

Therefore, amending one’s conduct (here) is with the meaning ofamending the present time (in which you are in), and it has been said:

“What has passed is a dream And what is hoped for (in the future) is unseen Yet you have (at your disposal) The hour in which you are (at present)”

And Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“And safeguarding itinvolves greater hardship than the rectification of what has passedbefore it and what is to come after it. Safeguarding the present timerequires that you make your soul cling to that which befits it, is ofgreater benefit to it and is greatest in obtaining its happiness. Inthis affair, people vary greatly one from another. Verily, these areyour days gone past, 40 in whichyou gather your provision for your place of return, either to Paradiseor to Hell-Fire…”

I say: Whoever contemplates over the Qur’aan will find that its calldoes not leave any of these three times. Allaah, the Exalted, said:

Alif, Laam, Raa. (This is) a Book, the aayaat whereof areperfected (in every sphere of knowledge) and then explained in detailfrom One, Who is All-Wise and Well, Acquainted (with all things).(Saying), ‘Worship none but Allaah. Verily, I (Muhammad (PBUH))am unto you from Him a warner and a bringer of glad tidings.’ And(commanding you), `Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Himin repentance …’ [Soorah hood (11):1~3].

Meaning, that Allaah has perfected His Book and has explained it indetail that you may worship Him in these three times with what He hascommanded. So His saying, “(Saying) worship none but Allaah …” isfor worship at the present time (in which you are in), for tawheed isthe most beneficial and foremost of the acts of obedience. And Hissaying, “And (commanding you), ‘Seek the forgiveness of your Lord…’” is for what has passed, and His saying, “And turn to Himin repentance …” is for what is to come. 41The reason for concentrating upon tawheed here, for therectification and correction of one’s current time is two matters:

The first: That it is not permissible for there to be any time inwhich there is no concern with tawheed and it is that which comprisesTawheedur-Ruboobiyyah, Tawheedul-Uloohiyyah and Tawheedul-Asmaa was-Sifaat.

The second: That it is the foundation of every righteous action. Doyou not see that righteous actions constitute its perfection, theobligatory amongst them or the recommended? For this reason it was thefirst thing that the Prophets, upon them be prayers and peace, calledto. Because the one in whose heart tawheed has been ingrained anddeeply rooted, its liveliness will appear in all of his limbs and itstree will give rise to the best of fruits as Allaah, the Exalted, hassaid:

See you not how Allaah sets forth a parable? A goodly word as agoodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) tothe sky. Giving its fruit at all times, by the Leave of its Lord andAllaah sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember.[Soorah al-Ibraaheem (14):24~25].

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“And there is due from the servant to Allaah, in every momentfrom his time, servitude which will advance him or bring him nearer toAllaah. So if he spends his time in servitude to Allaah, he willadvance to his Lord and if he busies himself with desires, orrelaxation or inactivity, he will lag behind. And the servant neverceases either to be moving forward or falling behind, and there is nostopping whilst on the path, ever. Allaah, the Exalted, said:

To any of you that chooses to go forward (by working righteousdeeds), or to remain behind (by commiting sins). [Soorahal-Muddaththir (74):37].” [Al-Fawaa’id (pp.187~188].

And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“And if he is not moving forward then he is remaining behind, bynecessity. Therefore, the servant is always moving and does never stop(in one place). So either he moves higher or he falls lower, either hemoves to the front or he goes to the back … it is but the steps orphases of a journey which lead, in the most rapid manner, to Paradiseor to Hell-fire. Therefore (there is one who is) fast and slow, one whomoves forward and one who remains behind and there is no one on thepath who stands still, ever. They only differ with each other as to howquickly or slowly they move.” [Madaarijus-Saalikeen (1/267)].

I say: The saying of the Prophet (PBUH) gives evidence to this,

“All of mankind awake and sells his soul, so (one) either freesit or destroys it,” reported by Muslim, and in a version, “OKa’b ibn Ujrah! All of mankind awake …” 42 soall of them awake (each morning) and whoever does not sell his soul toAllaah, the One who said:

Verily, Allaah has purchased of the believers their lives andtheir properties, for the price that theirs shall be Paradise. [Soorahat-Tawbah (9):111].

then he has sold it to Satan, the (schemer) who waits in ambush. 43 This is because Allaah has created timefor a person and has ordered him with acts of worship which aresuitable for the time he has been granted, for it is not so that, “theacts of worship are greater (more numerous) than the moments of time,” 44 as Hasan al-Bannaa has(falsely) claimed, and whoever does not spend his time in what Allaahhas commanded, Shaytaan will assault (and ravish) him without respite.Allaah, the Exalted, said:

And recite to them (O Muhammad (PBUH)) the story of him towhom We gave Our aayaat (proofs, evidences) but he threw them away. SoSatan took control of him, and he became of those who went astray. [Soorahal-Araaf (7):175].

Ibn al-Qayyim said, “(Meaning) that Satan will seize him and keephold of him in such a manner that he will overcome and attack him, andfor this reason He said, “So Satan took control of him (atba’ahu)…” and He did not say, “…followed him (taba’ahu)…” for themeaning of “… took control of him …” is “… seized and kept holdof him …” and this is greater than `followed him,’ in both wordingand meaning.” [Al-Fawaa’id (p.100). And refer to the bookMadaarikun-Nadhar fis-Siyaasah (pp.390~405) for the completion of thisdiscourse.

easy, and all praise is due to Allaah, Who is alone inlegislating. And if this was not so and if control of the affair wasgiven to (these such people), they would have burdened us withobligations for which Allaah has sent down no authority!39 From ‘Abdul-Malik ibn Ahmadal-Mubaarak ar-Ramadaanee al-Jazaa’iree’s, Madaarikun-Nadharfis-Siyaasah, pp. 390~393.40 Allaah,the Exalted said: Then as for him who will be given his Record inhis right hand, hewill say, `Take, read my Record! Surely, I did believe that I shallmeet my Account!’ So he shall be in a life, well-Pleasing. In a lofty Paradise, the fruits inbunches whereof will be low and near at hand. `Eat and drink at easefor that which you have sent on before you in days past!’ [Soorahal-Haaqqah (69): 19~24]. 41This is one of the sayings by which `Istighfaar’ and `Tawbah’have beenexplained, which have been mentioned in this aayah, as ash-Shawkaaneehas quoted in Fathul-Qadeer (2/481). And this explanation which Ibnal-Qayyim has mentioned about the division of the three times is notthe result of mere thinking, rather he has taken it (may Allaah havemercy on him) from the guidance of the Salaf. Referto the narrations in this regard in Kitaabuz-Zuhud al-Kabeer ofal-Bayhaqee (p.196).42 Reportedby ‘Abdur-Razzaaq (20719), Ahmad (3/321), IbnHibbaan (7498) and Ibn Hajr declared it authentic in Al-Amaaleeal-Mutlaqah (p.214). 43 IbnTaymiyyah has indicated this meaning asoccurs in Majrnoo’ul-Fataawaa (7/51) and Ibn al-Qayyim in Al-Jawaabal-Kaafee (p.133 of Ar-Riyaan). 44 InMajmoo’ah Rasaa’il Hasan al-Bannaa, at the end of Risaalatut-Ta’aaleem(p.30). And this phrase, the meaning of which is suspecting andaccusing Allaah of oppression, has been made one of the legacies (ofadvice) of this Imaam, as you can see and it is often distributed inthe gatherings of the general-folk. (This is what it is) even though wemay be aware that they desire by this to arouse and stimulate thepeoples thoughts and concerns for establishing the obligatory aims ofthe movement! We are not aware of obligations save those of theSharee’ah, which are facile and