Take Advantage of 5 Before 5 - Shaykh Mustafa Abu Rayyan

Khutbah: Take Advantage of 5 Before 5

Praise be to Allah, we praise Him, we ask for His help, and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whom Allah guides, none can misguide him, and whom He misguides, none can guide him.

And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, no partner for Him. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, the purest of His creation, and His companion. Allah has sent him to all people as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.

And he conveyed the message, and fulfilled the trust, and advised the Ummah. And he left us on the white path, its night is like its day, nothing departs from it except to destruction. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family, and his companions — and upon whoever is guided by his guidance, follows his Sunnah, and calls to his call until the Day of Judgment.

O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and spread from them many men and women. And fear Allah, with whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed, Allah is ever watching over you.

O you who have believed, fear Allah and say a firm word. He will amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has indeed won a great victory.

My beloved brothers and sisters, I start by praising Allah and sending blessings and salutations upon our beloved Messenger Muhammad — our Messenger who gave us beautiful and sound advice always.

Today I want to reflect over one of those beautiful statements of our beloved Messenger Muhammad. It is important, my brothers and sisters, that every single time you hear Allah's speech — by that I mean the Quran — or you hear the Prophet's speech — by that I mean the Sunnah, or his statements — it is important that we pay extra attention. Because Allah says:

O you who believe, respond to Allah and His Messenger when they call you to that which gives you life. The advice, the commands, the reminders that we receive from our Creator Allah and our beloved Messenger Muhammad — it irrigates our hearts, it gives us life and meaning. So it is important that we pay attention to what they are telling us and saying to us. It is good for your dunya, it is good for your akhira.

This particular hadith I want to share with you — narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas and reported by Al-Hakim — is a hadith perhaps many of you have heard of. But it is okay if you have heard this before, because it is important that you hear it again and again. Allah says:

Remind, for indeed reminders are beneficial to the believers. Which is why it is okay if you heard a reminder before, because the point of it is for you to be reminded.

(Al-Mustadrak of Al-Hakim, narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas — also reported by Al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman)

Take advantage of five before five. Take advantage of five before another five arrive.

1. Your Youth Before Old Age

The first thing he said was: Take advantage of your youth before old age arrives.

My brothers and sisters, every single second and minute counts. Every single moment in your life is being observed by Allah. Every single moment of your life which you are engaged in and doing is being recorded by the angels. And it will be presented to you. Nothing will be left out. So it is extremely important that you are an individual that is paying attention to what they are doing with their time — especially your younger years.

Now in this audience right now, there is a mixture between people that are more towards the younger side, and people that are more towards the older side. And to both of them I say: for those of you that have perhaps lived much longer, look back and realize — you probably could have done much, much more. But thank Allah that you are still living. That you are still healthy. That you can still worship. There is still opportunity for you. Don't only look back and think, Khalas, it's over for me. Today is a chance. Today is a chance. Tomorrow is another chance if Allah gives it to you. So understand that.

For those of you that are younger — that perhaps have potentially more time, and I say potentially, because it is not guaranteed. If you are in your 20s, you are not guaranteed you are going to get to your 30s. And if you are in your 30s, you are not guaranteed you are going to get to your 40s. But there is some potential here. You are young. And because you are young, you have more energy. Because you are young, you do not need to sit on a chair to pray. Because you are young, perhaps you are not so busy raising big families. Because you are young, you can fast and it will not bother you health-wise. Because you are young, you have so many opportunities of worship that you can be engaged in. But perhaps the dunya is distracting you.

And the Prophet ﷺ is saying:

Take advantage of these five before another five arrive. Take advantage of your youth. It should be the youth that are filling the masajid, not just the elders. It should be the youth that are engaged in worship and benefiting from their time, not just the elders. We have it completely switched around. Where the idea today is, I will do my hajj when I get older. I will start praying when I get married. I've seen someone say that once — as if the two are connected. I'll take my deen more seriously later on in life. I'm still young.

How many young folks died and they never got that opportunity? How many young people died and never got that opportunity? Death does not discriminate. You don't have a guarantee you're going to live forever. So benefit from your youth right now.

And it is important that you appreciate why the Prophet ﷺ is specifically saying: benefit from your younger years. Because you have more time. You have more energy. You have more zeal. And just like a lot of energy is being put into haram, imagine if that was put into halal. Imagine that was put into worship. Imagine what the Ummah would gain. Imagine what the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ would gain if the youth were people that truly took their deen seriously. Imagine what you individually and personally would gain from Allah if you took your deen seriously, my young sister and my young brother.

There are seven types of people whom Allah will allow to enjoy the shade on the Day of Judgment. And among them is:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 660; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1031)

A young person who grew up in the worship of Allah. So if you're a young person, just by being someone that takes their deen seriously, just by being someone that takes their salah seriously, just by being someone that is connected to Allah and avoiding sin to the best of their ability — if you're someone that's engaged in regular worship and connected to Allah — you may very well be amongst those that will enjoy the shade of Allah on the Day of Judgment.

And finally, my brothers and sisters, regarding this point: Allah will specifically ask you what you've done with your youth. What have you done with your early years? Allah will ask you about it. And the last thing you want is for the answer to be: Ya Allah, I was engaged in sin and reckless behavior.

2. Your Health Before Sickness

The second advice the Prophet ﷺ gave is that you should take advantage of your health — صِحَّتَكَ — your health قَبْلَ سَقَمِكَ — before you become sick.

Here you're learning something very important from our Messenger. It is likely that at some point you'll be tested with an illness. It is likely that at some point you will not be able to physically worship or exert yourself as you could before. There are people that cannot fast Ramadan — they just cannot fast Ramadan due to health reasons. There are people that cannot perform hajj due to health reasons. There are people that cannot pray standing up due to health reasons.

Now, at some point they could. But imagine the person today who cannot fast Ramadan, cannot fast Mondays and Thursdays — but maybe four years ago they could. And now they wish they could, but they can't due to health reasons. They should have taken advantage of their health before illness and sickness arrived. Now if it has arrived, then this is the qadr of Allah. But for those among us that are able to benefit, use your time and your health wisely.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

There are two blessings that people squander: health and free time. We squander our health. We don't realize how important it is until Allah takes it away from us. So right now, as you are healthy, ask yourself: Am I using my health and benefiting from it? Number one — am I being grateful for it? Have I ever said, Ya Allah, thank you. Alhamdulillah, all praise belongs to You for the health You have given me? Have you ever thanked Allah for how healthy you are? Because we don't think about it.

That's why when the scholars discuss which is actually more virtuous — to be a grateful person or to be a patient person — أيُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ: الصَّبْرُ أَمِ الشُّكْرُ — a lot of the scholars say: actually, gratitude is more beloved and more virtuous than patience. Why? Because patience comes more naturally to the person. You wake up one morning and you have a migraine or a headache and you'll have sabr. But will you remember that the week before you did not have a headache once — and were you thankful? You are much more forgetful during good times. And that's why we ought to remind ourselves to be grateful to Allah.

Part of gratitude, my brothers and sisters, is using that which Allah has given you in a good way. Because you are healthy now, you should be planning for your ibadah. Because you are healthy now, it is now that it is most deserving for you to be standing in prayer, for you to be fasting, for you to be doing all of these acts of worship that you may very well not be able to do when you are sick.

Take advantage of five before five: your youthful years before old age comes, and your health before sickness arrives. And sickness is coming to all of us — everyone experiences illness and sickness. It is part and parcel of life.

3. Your Wealth Before Poverty

Then the Prophet ﷺ said: غِنَاكَ قَبْلَ فَقْرِكَ — take advantage of your wealth before you lose it.

Now, not everyone is filthy wealthy or has so much money to spend. But one of the mistakes that people make is that somehow they think charity is only for the rich — that you only give when you can afford it. Most people think this way: I am going to give sadaqah when I can afford it. But the moment it becomes inconvenient — the moment it means, if I give sadaqah, I can't get my coffee in the morning — then the coffee is more important. My cup of coffee is more important than charity because giving is inconvenient. But if I have a few pounds to spare, then I'll give sadaqah. This is the mentality of many people and it is wrong.

Allah often talks about giving charity فِي الضَّرَّاءِ — when you are in a difficult position, that you are willing to sacrifice your luxuries to help others. That is true sadaqah.

Maybe it is a habit of yours to go out and eat on Fridays, which is a nice habit to have. But then you find out there is a cause worthy of your donation. If you say, Yeah, but I've planned to go out with my friends and have some food. I know the brothers in Sudan are starving. I know that the masjid needs to stay on and they need to pay the bills. I know that. But I also need to have a lavish meal. If I have some pounds to spare, then I'll give. This is not the way of the Muslim.

Give even when it's difficult. In fact, give when it's difficult. This is true sadaqah. Wallahi, often we don't give — not because we have a necessity or a need to cover — but because of luxury. May Allah forgive our shortcomings.

When you have wealth, sometimes you don't have it. What does that mean? Maybe right now you have money to spare. Maybe right now you're getting a regular salary and you have a job. Maybe in a few months you won't have that job anymore. This month, and the next month, and the month after — maybe you can afford to give sadaqah. Take advantage of your wealth. Maybe your business is doing well, but next year it won't. Take advantage.

And it doesn't just mean sadaqah — don't get me wrong. It's not just charity. Take advantage of your wealth by using it to go to hajj and umrah. Take advantage of your wealth by giving the zakah that is obligatory upon you. Take advantage of your wealth by investing in your akhira for your own self — with regards to sadaqah jariyah. Dig wells. Put money into a mosque that's being opened. Take care of yourself — this is for you.

One day, Abu Hurairah came across a graveyard and said to his students: these people in these graves would give everything — everything — to get some reward. But now we have everything. We have wealth. We have time. We have opportunity. But somehow we behave like we're going to live forever. Wallahi, we're not going to live forever. So take advantage of the wealth Allah has given you before you lose it.

And how do we lose wealth? Either the wealth will be lost — because you're not guaranteed jobs forever, you're not guaranteed wealth forever, you're not guaranteed that your business is going to do well forever — and it may very well end up being that you are in need of money and asking people. Or, the money is still there, it's in your bank, the properties are still there — but you leave. Where do you go? You die. In either case:

The Prophet of Allah said: غِنَاكَ قَبْلَ فَقْرِكَ.

I now want to also highlight a very important related point, my brothers and sisters. What about the person who was engaged in good acts of worship — the person that used to fast Mondays and Thursdays, then is diagnosed with an illness and can't do it anymore? The Prophet of Allah said:

He will be given the reward of what he used to do when he was healthy or not traveling. Let's say you used to fast and then you started to travel, or you used to do an act of goodness but then you became sick — you'll still get the reward. So part of the benefit of actually utilizing your time now is: if you're doing the right thing now and then later on you can't do it anymore, the reward still continues — because Allah knows that you would have done it had you had the ability and strength to do so. But you have to be engaged in those acts of worship to begin with.

4. Your Free Time Before You Become Busy

The hadith continues. The Prophet of Allah said — so we've mentioned three: your youth before old age, your health before sickness, your wealth before you become poor or lose it — and now: فَرَاغَكَ قَبْلَ شُغْلِكَ — your free time before you become busy.

Life fluctuates. At certain times you are busier than at other times. A father with a newborn will be busier than when he didn't have a newborn. A father and mother with many children will be busier than a newly-wed couple with no children. A single person will generally be less busy. During your times of assignments, tests, and exams, you're more busy than when you are not. And on and on it goes — a hectic period in your work versus a time that is less hectic. It fluctuates.

So you need to be someone that is switched on. And when you have more free time, fill that free time with righteousness and good actions. Because there will be a time you will not be as free. Perhaps at this very point in your life you can wake up in the morning and there is no rush — and you can read some Quran before you leave your home. It may be soon that you have to leave really early and you can't do that. Maybe there is time for you to go to the masajid and pray. We have people with jobs where they cannot make it to Jumu'ah. Others have Fridays off. Again, you don't know what circumstances you will be in.

Right now, the free time that you have — Allah will ask you about it. So fill it with righteousness and goodness. The free time you have now: you can learn the Quran and its meaning, you can memorize new chapters, you can learn new adhkar, you can listen to Islamic lectures, you can come to classes, you can visit family members, you can visit the sick in the hospitals. You can do so much khair that you may very well not be able to do as much once you get busy.

So the Prophet ﷺ is reminding you: take advantage of your free time before you get busy.

5. Your Life Before Death

And finally, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned a point that really summarizes everything, which is: حَيَاتَكَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِكَ — take advantage of your life before you die.

What will happen to the people that pass on? Allah tells us they will say:

They would wish: Oh, I wish I could put something forward for my life. For my life — لِحَيَاتِي. Why are they calling the akhira their life? Because that's the real life — not this. The dunya is nothing compared to the akhira.

People will — even those that go to Jannah, even those that go to Jannah — will see what they have missed out on when they look up towards the people on higher levels, saying: I could have reached further. I could have gotten more had I taken advantage of my life. Had I made more dhikr. Had I given more sadaqah. Had I prayed more. Had I watched my tongue more. Had I, and had I, and had I.

Similarly, Allah mentions they will say:

Oh Allah, allow us to go back — they will say — so that we may do righteous actions. Now is the time. The Prophet ﷺ is telling us: take advantage of your life right now. Every moment counts.

Closing Reminder

It may very well be that right now, my brothers and sisters, we are going to pray two janazahs after this Jumu'ah — for our brothers who have passed away. They were alive not too long ago. They were alive — now they're not. They can't go and attend another Jumu'ah. They can't give a pound in charity. They can't read more Quran.

I hope the family members and the community do a lot of khair on their behalf. And I hope Allah forgives their sins and our sins, and grants them the highest place in Jannah. But it needs to be a reminder. You are alive right now. You are young right now. You are healthy right now. Take advantage of it.

May Allah allow us to be among those who truly benefit from all of these opportunities, and truly take heed. It may very well be that you've heard this hadith before — but the point is to remind you, and to remind myself.

May Allah bless you and your family. May Allah cause faith to be beloved to us. May He beautify it in our hearts and make us hate disbelief, disobedience, and sin. And make us among the righteous. May Allah make the best of our deeds the last of them, and the best of our days the day when we will meet Him. Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the torment of the Fire. And our last supplication is: all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.