Part 12

"Take advantage of your youth before you become old and from your body's health before you become sick and the days you are alive before death The time of the one who lives is not secure So take advantage of your free time At nights you may be busy with some affairs And put forth (good deeds), for every person puts forth Over some of what he has already put forth (from deeds)."

[173] Ibraaheem bin 'Umar Al-Barmakee informed us: Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah bin Khalf narrated to us, saying Ibn Dhuraih narrated to us: Hanaad bin as-Surree narrated to us: Wakee' narrated to us from AlA'mash that he said: I heard them mentioning from Shuraih that he once saw some of his neighbors wandering about aimlessly, so he said to them:

"What is the matter with you?" They replied: "We have free time today." So he said: "Is this what the one with free time was ordered to do?"

[174] Abul-Hasan Ahmad bin Al-Husayn bin 'Abdillaah At-Tameemee informed us, saying: Muhammad bin 'Abdir-Rahmaan Adh-Dhahabee informed us: Muhammad bin Haaroon Al-Hadramee narrated to us: Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Anas narrated to us: 'Abdul-Wahhaab bin Naafi' narrated to us: Al-Fadl bin Ibraaheem narrated to us from Mu'aawiyah bin Qurrah that Anas bin Maalik said: The Messenger of Allaah said:

"The person with the worst reckoning on the Day of Judgement is the one with sufficient means, the one with free time." 76

[175] Abul-Qaasim 'Abdur-Rahmaan bin 'Ubaydillaah Al-Harbee informed us: Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Salmaan An-Najaad narrated to us: Ja'far As-Saa'igh narrated to us: 'Affaan narrated to us: 'Awn bin Mu'amar narrated to us from Al-Jild bin Ayoob that Mu'aawiyah bin Qurrah said:

"The person who will receive the most reckoning on the Day of Judgement is the healthy one, the one with lots of free time."

[176] Al-Hasan bin Abee Bakr informed us: 'Uthmaan bin Ahmad AdDaqaaq informed us: Heedhaam bin Qutaybah Al-Marwazee narrated to us: Muhammad bin Kulaib narrated to us: Ismaa'eel bin 'Ayaash narrated to us: Mut'im bin Al-Miqdaam

76 Its chain of narration is very weak. Its defect lies in 'Abdul-Wahhaab bin Naafi', who is Al-`Aamiree Al-Matoo'ee. Ad-Daaraqutnee said: "He is very weak." I wasn't able to find a biography for Al-Fadl bin Ibraaheem. Al-Jild bin Ayoob would use it as a supplemental narration from Mu'aawiyah bin Qurrah as occurs in the following narration (i.e. no. 175). However, he made it a statement of Mu'aawiyah, and this is what is closer to the truth, even if the Jild mentioned in this narration is rejected, as stated by AdDaaraqutnee.

54 said: Abud-Dardaa wrote to Salmaan:

"From Abud-Dardaa to Salmaan: O my brother, take advantage of your health and your free time before some affliction befalls you which none of the people will be able to remove from you."

[177] Al-Husayn bin 'Umar bin Burhaan Al-Ghazaal informed us: AbulHusayn 'Abdul-Baaqee bin Qaani bin Marzooq, the Judge, narrated to us, through dictation: Bishr bin Moosaa narrated to us: 'Abdullaah bin Saalih narrated to us, saying: Yahyaa bin Hameed narrated to us, saying: AlAwzaa'ee wrote to one of his brothers:

"To proceed: You are surrounded from all sides (by the Devil) and he is constantly whispering to you every day. So be fearful of Allaah and of standing in front of Him."

[178] Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Rizq informed us, saying: Ja'far bin Muhammad bin Nusayr Al-Khaldee reported to us: Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah Al-Hadramee narrated to us: 'Abdullaah bin Khubaiq narrated to us: Ishaaq bin 'Abdil-'Azeez narrated to us that 'Ataa bin Muslim said: I was with Sufyaan Ath-Thawree in Al-Masjid AlHaraam, when he said:

"O 'Ataa, we are sitting while the day is busy doing its affairs." I said: "I am in a good state, if Allaah wills." He said: "Yes, but it is about hastening to take advantage (of one's time)." Then he told me: "0 'Ataa, verily when the believer is in his final place of standing, he will see with his eyes what Allaah has prepared for him in Paradise, but yet (in spite of this), he will wish that he was never created due to the state of fright he will be in."

[179] Abu 'Abdillaah Al-Husayn bin Al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin AlQaasim AlMakhzoomee informed us, saying: Muhammad bin 'Amr ArRazaaz reported to us: Hanbal bin Ishaaq, the cousin of Ahmad bin Hanbal, narrated to us: Abul-Waleed Khalf bin Al-Waleed narrated to us, saying: The cousin of Abu Bakr An-Nahshalee narrated to me, saying: Ibn AsSamaak entered into the presence of Abu Bakr AnNahshalee while he was in the marketplace praying with head motions, so he (Ibn AsSamaak) said: ' SubhanAllaah over such a state of being!' So he (i.e. Abu Bakr) said:

"O Ibn As-Samaak, I am taking advantage of (my time before) the closing of my book (of deeds)." 77

[180] Abul-Qaasim 'Ubaydullaah bin Muhammad bin 'Ubaydillaah AnNajaar informed us, saying: Muhammad bin 'Ubaydillaah bin Al-Fadl AI-Kayaal narrated to us: Muhammad bin Al-Haytham Al-Muqree narrated to us, saying: Abu Sa'eed AlJasaas said: Ibn 'Abdil-Mu'min narrated to us in Egypt: 'Abdaan bin 'Uthmaan narrated to us, saying: I heard Ibn Al-Mubaarak say:

"Take advantage of performing two prayer units (rak'ah) to draw closer to Allaah when you are in a relaxed state and not preoccupied. And when you feel like uttering words of falsehood, replace that instead with tasbeeh (i.e. saying SubhaanAllaah)."

77 Translator's Note: What is meant by the closing of his book of deeds was the near approach to his death, and Allaah knows best.

55 Mansoor bin Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah Al-Azdee recited the following poem from himself to us in Herat:

"Do not look down upon a helping hour In which you can extend your hand towards obedience For the living person is subject to death and hopes are a deception And the matter is always (changing) from one hour to another hour."

[182] Abul-Husayn 'Alee bin Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah Al-Mu'adal informed us, saying: Al-Husayn bin Safwaan reported to us: 'Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abee Ad-Dunyaa narrated to us, saying: Abu 'Abdillaah Ahmad bin Ayoob recited to me:

"Take advantage of your free time by exceeding in prayer For perhaps your death will befall you all of a sudden How many a healthy person have you seen not having any illness Yet his healthy soul has departed (in death) unexpectedly."

[183] Abul-Waleed Sulaymaan bin Khalf bin Sa'ad Al-Andalusee recited to me the following poetic verses from himself:

"If I knew with certain knowledge That my whole life was like an hour Then why wouldn't I be stingy with it And devote all of it to righteousness and obedience."

[184] 'Alee bin Ahmad Ar-Razaaz narrated to us, saying: I heard Ja'far (bin Nusayr) Al-Khaldee say: I heard Al-Junayd say: I heard As-Sarree As-Saqatee say:

"Every day that has passed by, you will not find anymore So if you are upon one (now, i.e. another day), then treat it greatly."

[185] I read in a copy of a book that was mentioned to us by Abu Sa'eed Muhammad bin Moosaa As-Sayrafee that he heard from Abul-'Abbaas Muhammad bin Ya'qoob Al-Asam, and he mentioned it: Then Al-'Ateeqee informed me, saying: 'Uthmaan bin Muhammad Al-Makhramee reported to us, saying: Al-Asam informed that Al- 'Abbaas bin Muhammad AdDawree narrated to them: 'Alee bin Al-Husayn bin Shaqeeq narrated to us, saying: 'Abdullaah bin Al-Mubaarak reported to us that Sa'eed bin Saalim said:

"Rawh bin Zinbaa' came upon a home between Makkah and Madeenah on a summer day and brought his food home with him. At that point a shepherd was descending from a hill, so he said to him: 'O shepherd, come here to eat.' The man replied: 'I'm fasting.' Rawh said: 'Are you fasting in this intense heat?' So the shepherd said: 'Should I then let (all) my days go in vain?' So Rawh recited the the following poetic verses:

'You have been stingy with your days, O shepherd Whereas Rawh bin Zinbaa' is generous with his.'"

[186] Al-Hasan bin Abee Bakr informed us, saying: Abu Ja'far 'Abdullaah bin Ismaa'eel bin Ibraaheem Al-Haashimee reported to us: 'Abdullaah bin Muhammad bin

"A group of people invited a man to come eat with them on a scorching hot day with intense heat, but he said: 'I'm fasting.' So they said: '(You are fasting) on a day like this?!' He said: 'Should I then take all of my days for granted?'"

[187] 'Alee bin Muhammad bin Al-Mu'adal informed us, saying: Al-Husayn bin Safwaan informed us: Abu Bakr bin Abee Ad-Dunyaa narrated to us, saying: One of the scholars narrated to me, saying:

"Some people once invited a man to eat food with them, so he said to them: 'I'm fasting.' They said: 'Break it and fast tomorrow.' So he replied: 'And who can guarantee me tomorrow?'"

[188] Abul-Fat'h Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Abil-Fawaaris, the Haafidh, informed us: 'Alee bin 'Abdillaah bin Al-Mugheerah narrated to us: Ahmad bin Sa'eed AdDimashqee narrated to us, saying: 'Abdullaah bin Al-Mu'taz said:

"Seize the available opportunity, and do not anticipate tomorrow. For who can guarantee that tomorrow will occur?"

[189] Abul-Qaasim Al-Azharee informed us, saying: Sahl bin Ahmad AdDeebaajee informed us: Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Al-Ash'ath AlKoofee narrated to us in Egypt: Moosaa bin Ismaa'eel bin Moosaa bin Ja'far bin Muhammad narrated to us, saying: My father narrated to me from his father from his grandfather, Ja'far bin Muhammad, from his father from his grandfather, 'Alee bin Al-Husayn from his father that 'Alee used to say:

"Give every day its due worth of (good) deeds, you will be rightly guided."

[190] Al-Hasan bin Abee Bakr informed us, saying: Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Maalik Al-Iskaafee informed us: Abul-Ahwas Muhammad bin AlHaytham, the Judge, narrated to us: Muhammad bin Katheer narrated to us from Mukhlid bin Husayn that Hishaam said: Hafsah bint Sireen would say:

"O gathering of youth! Perform (righteous) deeds, for indeed the time for performing actions is during the age of adolescence."

[191] 'Alee bin Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah Al-Muqree Al-Hidhaa informed us, saying: Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah bin Muhammad bin Ismaa'eel Al-Bazaaz informed me: Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Haaroon, the scholar of Fiqh, narrated to us, saying: Ibraaheem bin 'Abdillaah bin Al-Junayd narrated to us, saying: Muhammad bin AlHusayn narrated to me: 'Ubaydullaah bin Muhammad bin Hafs Al-Qurshee narrated to us from his father, saying: One wise man once wrote to one of his brothers who was young:

57 proof for this is that the elders are few." 78

[192] Ibraaheem said: Ahmad bin 'Abdillaah bin Yoonus narrated to us, saying: I heard Abu Bakr bin 'Ayaash mention from Ajlah, saying: Ad-Dahaak bin Mazaahim said:

"Perform (good) deeds before you are unable to perform deeds, for I would like to perform deeds today, but I am not able to."

[193] Abu 'Abdillaah Al-Husayn bin Al-Hasan bin Ahmad bin Muhammad AlJawaaleeqee informed us: Ja'far Al-Khaldee narrated to us: Ahmad, i.e. Ibn Muhammad bin Masrooq, narrated to us: Muhammad bin Al-Husayn narrated to us: Muhammad bin Ashkaab As-Safaar narrated to us, saying: A man from his family, i.e. the family of Dawood At-Taa'ee, narrated to me, saying: "I said to him (i.e. to Dawood At-Taa'ee): 'O Abu Sulaymaan! You are aware of the family ties between us and you, so advise us.' So his eyes filled with tears. Then he said:

'O my brother, verily, the night and the day are stages that the people pass through - stage by stage - until this takes them to the end of their journey. So if you are able to put forth a provision during every day's stage, then do so, for indeed, the end of the journey is as near as it can get, and the affair (i.e. Day of Judgement) is quicker than that. So take provisions for your journey. And take yourself to account, for indeed (on that Day), you will not be able judge in your affair. So it is as if your affair has come upon you all of a sudden. And I don't know anyone that is more heedless of this than me.' Then he got up and left me."