Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim
1. Introduction
Friends beloved by Allah,
In navigating life, the greatest external obstacle is often not that we have no time, but that we get trapped in a whirlpool of unproductive activities. Scientifically—especially in strategic management—there is a famous framework called the Eisenhower Matrix: a method that separates what is urgent, what is important, and what is merely a worthless interruption with no long-term value. Our failure to set priorities drains our energy on trivial things, so the space for seeking knowledge and self-improvement gets pushed aside. Islam trains us to be visionary individuals. The solution to having our time consumed is the courage to filter activities, to put the brakes on what is futile, and to put first what brings benefit in this world and the next.
Allah Subḥānahu wa Ta‘ālā describes the trait of successful servants—those able to guard themselves from what is useless:
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ ٱللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ
“And those who turn away from ill speech and vain deeds.” (QS. Al-Mu’minūn: 3)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also stressed that a sign of a person’s excellence in Islam is his ability to sort his life’s priorities:
مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلَامِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ
“Part of the excellence of a person’s Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him.” (HR. Tirmidhi)
2. Lessons and Message
Let us reflect on a story that may be close to home. Picture a mother or a father slumped wearily in the corner of their modest house after a long day of work amid a difficult recovery period following a heavy life trial. Beside them, their child approaches with a book, eyes shining, pleading, “Dad, Mom, teach me this chapter for just a moment…” But because the phone in the parent’s hand is buzzing with notifications from a busy group chat or endless entertainment videos, the parent snaps gently, “Later, Dad’s busy, Mom’s tired.” The child lowers his head, closes the book quietly, and walks away with slumped shoulders. How tragic it is when we sacrifice our generation’s future and the right to knowledge, just to satisfy our gaze on virtual things that add nothing to the scale of our deeds before Allah.
Friends, imagine an empty glass jar. On your table, you have a few large rocks, a bag of small pebbles, and a glass of fine sand. If you pour the fine sand and small pebbles in first until the jar is full, then when you try to put in the big rocks, they will never fit. The jar is already packed. But imagine reversing the pattern. Put the big rocks in first. Then pour in the pebbles—they will slip into the gaps between the rocks. Finally, pour the sand, and it will fill the remaining empty spaces. That jar is our lifespan. The big rocks are our priorities: worship, seeking knowledge, and family trusts. The pebbles and sand are entertainment, idle chatter, and other less important activities. If we do not put the “big rock” of knowledge into our life’s schedule first, then the rest of our life will be swallowed by the “sand” of futility.
There was a young man who complained to his teacher, “Ustadz, I’m puzzled by myself. Every time I open a book or textbook, after just two lines my eyes get heavy—I’m as sleepy as if I hadn’t slept for three days. But strangely, if I open social media to watch gossip or funny videos, I can stay up until 2 a.m. without blinking! Why is that, Ustadz?” The ustadz smiled wryly and replied, “O young man, that’s a sign the devil is working professionally with your eyes. When you open a book of knowledge, the devil massages your eyelids to make you sleep because he’s afraid you’ll become smart. But when you open your phone to watch futile things, the devil props your eyes open so you keep staring, helping him collect sins!” The joke carries deep wisdom: we must realize when we are being deceived by laziness, then firmly take control of our own priorities.
3. Conclusion and Closing
Brothers and sisters, the external obstacle of time and commitments being consumed can actually be overcome if we have the courage to sort and choose. Starting today, let us audit our daily activities. Cut back the time wasted on less important things, limit the duration of unproductive phone use, and give prime space to study circles and books. Setting priorities does not mean we cannot rest; it means ensuring that every second of our life runs on a track pleasing to Allah. Let us clean the jar of our lives of the sand of futility, so the light of knowledge can reign within it
والله أعلم بالصواب
الحمد لله رب العالمين
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmaullahi Wabarakatuh.
ِAbu Sultan Al-Qadrie
