Something I learned recently is The Baraka of Time. Lately I’d been feeling like there was not enough time in a day for me to get things done. It seems like time was merely slipping away like the granular speckles of coarse sand slipping through one’s fingers.⁣⁣

Until recently, I was sitting in a halaqa & the topic the ustadha was discussing was “Unlocking The Baraka of Time.” She starts with Surah Asr [103:1-3] where Allah says:

“By the ˹passage of ˺ time! Surely humanity is in ˹grave˺ loss, except those who have faith, do good, and urge each other to the truth, and urge each other to perseverance.”⁣⁣

SubhanAllah as she recited, I had a lightbulb moment - Time belongs to Allah!!! He ﷻ is telling us we’re in great loss with time, except those with faith, who do & encourage others to good. I thought to myself, how many times do I recite this Surah in my salah (prayer) & I never even stopped to reflect on it to have this realization? I recite this Surah in every other salah - how mechanical has my salah become?⁣⁣

When Allah tells has told us through the prophet ﷺ

“ ˹This is˺ a blessed Book which We have revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ so they might deeply reflect (do tadabbur) upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.” [38:29]. ⁣⁣

May Allah forgive me for all the times I’ve offered salah absent-minded & I pray may Allah grant me khushu (concentration & attentive humility) in my salah, Amin.

Ustadha goes on to talk about developing the habit of asking Allah for the baraka of time & especially in the month of Ramadan when everything is maximized including time when Allah tells us “The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months.” [97:3] - Another reference of time & it’s baraka.⁣⁣

So a new habit I’m practicing now is to ask Allah for the baraka of time. When I wake up in the morning, when I get to work, before I start anything, I say quietly: Ya Fattah (The Opener) grant me the baraka of Your time, & grant me blessed openings to the doors of time, mercy, sustenance, beneficial knowledge & understanding. I pray may Allah keep me firm on this habit - Amin ya Rabb

With Love, Ibtisam