The Two Blessings - Misused

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

The Two Blessings

Kitaab ar-Riqaaq (Book of Softening the Hearts)

Chapter: Health and leisure.

عن بن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم "نعمتان مغبون فيهما كثير من الناس الصحة والفراغ"

Narrated Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “There are two blessings which many people lose: (they are) Health and Free Time for doing good.” [Sahih Bukhari Volume 8 Hadeeth 421]

Meaning of the word غــبـن: 

The loss as in selling and buying. الغبن في البيع والشراء

غَـبَـنَ [Ghabana]: To cheat, dupe.

غَـبْـن [Ghabn]: Fraud, deceit.

غُـبُـون [Ghuboon]: Swindle, cheating, wrong.

غَـبَـنْ [Ghaban]: Stupidity.

مَـغْـبُـون [Maghboon]: Deceived, cheated, wronged, to lose [as in to come empty-handed].

Islaam cares for the lives of the Muslims in general and especially for their time. Among other things, the Muslims are required to have keen interest in conserving their time and to take advantage of their good health, because of the great benefits which it brings to the individuals and the society. So we see in the Hadeeth under this chapter, that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has clarified (highlighted) for us about these two blessings. Without these two blessings we cannot benefit from our time. If one has [free] time, but does not have good health, he will not be able to utilize his time. Similarly, if someone has good health, but does not have free time, he will also not be able to benefit much from his time.

Ibn Al-Jawzi رحمه الله said: “It happens that a person has good health, but does not have free time because of his being engaged in earning his livelihood; or he is rich but has no good health. So, if these two (good health and free time) are gathered in a person, but laziness overtakes him from fulfilling his duties, then he is a loser. (Know that) this world is the harvest field of the hereafter; and in it there is business, the profit of which will be visible in the hereafter. So, whoever utilizes his free time and good health in the obedience of Allaah, he is the blessed one. And he who utilizes them in the disobedience of Allaah, he is the one who is unjust to himself, because the leisure time is affected by busyness and health is affected by sickness.” [Fath al-Bari 11/230]

No doubt that good health and free time are two great blessings from Allaah, by which Allaah has favored his slaves. One of the ways by which a person can thank Allaah is by utilizing them in the obedience of Allaah. The lifespan is short, and the sickness overtakes a person while he is unaware. It is essential that the people are reminded about the importance of these two great blessings, so that they utilize them in the service of Islaam and the Muslims.

Ibn Bataal رحمه الله said about this Hadeeth: “In it [the Hadeeth] is awareness about the great blessings of Allaah upon His slaves in giving them good health and sufficiency; because a person cannot have free time unless he has sufficiency in his sustenance. So, the one to whom Allaah favors with these blessings should be on the lookout that he does not do injustice to them. No doubt, he knows that Allaah created him without any need for Himself, and He bestowed upon him the many blessings - like good health and the like - without the man deserving it, and He guaranteed him his sustenance; and promised for him that He will multiply the rewards of his good deeds and He ordered them to worship Him alone in gratitude for these blessings so that it becomes a means for increasing the reward for his good deeds. So, whoever does not do it will be the loser; and he will regret it on the day when regret is of no avail.” [al-Karmanee 2/192, Fath al-Bari 11/230]

Benefits:

1. Reminding the people about benefiting from their time.

2. Giving similitude so that the people can comprehend.

3. The importance Islaam gives in safeguarding the welfare of the Muslims.

1. Reminding the people about benefiting from their time.

From among the obligations upon the caller is to remind the people and to make clear for them the importance of time in Islaam; and the dangers of taking it lightly, or using it in the things which are not beneficial because this is deception and loss for themselves.

In the Hadeeth under the chapter, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has informed his ummah about that when he said: “There are two blessings which many people lose. (They are) Health and free time for doing good.”

In another Hadeeth, he صلى الله عليه وسلم informed us that the slave will be questioned about his time on the Day of Judgment.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “On the Day of Resurrection the feet of the son of Adam will not move away till he is questioned about five matters: on what he spent his life, in doing what he made his youth pass away; whence he acquired his property, on what he spent it, and what he did regarding what he knew.” [al-Tirmidhee 2416 and classified as Saheeh by Shaikh al-Albaanee in al-Saheehah 946]

And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered the people to take benefit of their youth, good health and free time.

Narrated Ibn `Abbaas: Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said to a man in the course of an exhortation, “Grasp five things before five others: your youth before your decrepitude, your health before your illness, your riches before your poverty, your leisure before your work, and your life before your death.” [al-Haakim, and classified as Saheeh by Shaikh al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Targheeb 3355, also in Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh 5102]

Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi categorized the different stages of man into five categories: adolescence, youth, strength, old age, senility. He spoke about it in detail in his book: تـنـبـيـه النائـم الغـمـر عـلى مـواسـم الـعـمـر

The companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم were very keen in guarding their time. This is `Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud who said: “I never regretted a thing like the day I regretted when the sun went down... and I could not do many good deeds.” [الوقت أنفاس لا تعود]

Therefore it becomes compulsory upon the caller towards Allaah to address this point specially; so that the Muslims guard their time; especially when we are in an era where we see people wasting their time like scattered particles of dust.

2. Giving similitude so that the people can comprehend.

In the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, “There are two blessings which many people lose. (They are) Health and free time for doing good.”; he صلى الله عليه وسلم has given a similitude for his Ummah, where he compared an able Muslim to a trader to takes care of his profit as well as protects his merchandise from the loss.

Al-Tayibee said: “The Prophet gave a similitude of an able Muslim with that of a trader who has some merchandise. He pursues to earn a profit as well as the protection of his merchandise. That is possible only when they are put into use by a sincere and wise person so that the loss is avoided. So, good health and leisure time are the merchandise therefore he should put them to use by believing in Allaah and striving against his own self for the obedience of Allaah so that he benefits in this world and the hereafter.” [Fath al-Bari 11/23]

3. The importance Islaam gives in safeguarding the welfare of the Muslims.

Verily, Islaam concentrates in the proper upbringing of the Muslim in order to maintain a strong economy so that they keep strong in the face of the enemies. The most dangerous thing which affects the economy of the Muslims is the wastage of time by the youth and sadly, leaving off the ability to work for the non-Muslims to take over (and exceed).

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to advise his companions to utilize their time properly in searching for their sustenance so that they, after putting their trust in Allah, become self-dependant and not being dependant on anyone else (other than Allah); and his companions followed his way. Here is the Khalifah, `Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, who would inquire about a man and if he was informed that that man was not productive, he (the man) would fall (decrease in honor) in the sight of `Umar.

So, whenever the Muslim community (misses the opportunity and) wastes its time, it has a direct impact on their economy; sadly, making them dependent upon the non-Muslims. This is clear from the many studies ⁽¹⁾ that (wastage of) free time is the main reason for the deviation of the youth (from their goal). So, there is no doubt that when the youth deviate, it causes weakness in the welfare of the Muslim community.

⁽¹⁾ [الفراغ وأثره في انـحـراف الشـباب]

[Fiqh al-Da`wah]

Dr. Muhammad bin `Abdullaah al-`eedee