In our offices and workplaces we can hardly find time to do acts of worship and righteous deeds. What can we do in the short time that we can find in our day? How can we make use of it?
Praise be to Allah.
Time is of the essence, it is too precious to be wasted or neglected. The wise person is the one who pays attention to his time and does not treat it as a vessel to be filled with cheap things and vain talk. Instead, he limits it to worthy efforts and righteous deeds that please Allah and benefit other people. Every minute of a person’s life carries the potential to raise his own status and to make his people happier, little by little.
If you are keen to attain the highest position, and bring the most happiness to your people, then forget about relaxing and keep away from empty amusement.
In one minute you can do a lot of good and earn much reward. In just one minute, by giving in charity, studying, memorizing, or striving to do good deeds, you can make sure that this minute of your life is not wasted. One minute may be recorded in your book of good deeds if you know how to make the most of it and take care of it:
Strive to make the most of each minute
If you forget it, you forget the most important thing, the truth.
Below follows a list of things that can be done in one minute, by the permission of Allah:
1 – Surah Fatihah
In one minute you can recite Soorat al-Faatihah 3 times, reciting rapidly and silently. Some scholars said that the reward for reading al-Faatihah is more than 600 hasanahs, so if you read it 3 times you will, by the permission of Allah, gain more than 1800 hasanahs – all of that in one minute.
2 – Surah Ikhlas
In one minute you can recite Soorat al-Ikhlaas (Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad) 20 times, reciting rapidly and silently. Reciting it once is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan. If you read it 20 times it is equivalent to reading the Qur’aan 7 times. If you read it 20 times in one minute each day, you will have read it 600 times in one month, and 7200 times in one year, which will be equal in reward to reading the Qur’aan 2400 times.
3 – Read 1 Page
You can read one page of the Book of Allah in one minute.
4 – Short Ayah
You can memorize a short aayah of the Book of Allah in one minute.
5 – Shahadah
In one minute you can say Laa ilaaha ill-Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god except Allah alone with no partner; to Him be dominion and praise, and He is Able to do all things) – 20 times. The reward for saying this is like freeing 8 slaves for the sake of Allah from among the sons of Ismaa’eel.
6 – Subhan Allah
In one minute you can say Subhaan Allahi wa bi hamdihi (Glory and praise be to Allah) 100 times. Whoever says that in one day will be forgiven for his sins even if they are like the foam of the sea.
7 – Light on Tongue
In one minute you can say Subhaan Allahi wa bi hamdihi Subhaan Allah il-‘Azeem (Glory and praise be to Allah, glory be to Allah the Almighty) 50 times. These are two phrases which are light on the lips, heavy in the balance and beloved to the Most Merciful, as was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
8 – More Beloved
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“When I say ‘Subhaan Allah, wa’l-hamdu Lillah, wa laa ilaah ill-Allah, wa Allahu akbar (Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god except Allah, and Allah is Most Great)’, this is more beloved to me than all that the sun rises upon.”
(Narrated by Muslim). In one minute, you can say all of these words more than 18 times. These words are the most beloved words to Allah, the best of words, and they weigh heavily in the balance of good deeds, as was narrated in the saheeh ahaadeeth.
9 – Treasures of Paradise
In one minute you can say, Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (there is no strength and no power except with Allah) more than 40 times. This is one of the treasures of Paradise, as was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. They are a means of putting up with difficulties and of aiming to achieve great things.
10 – Greatest Word
In one minute you can say Laa ilaaha ill-Allah approximately 50 times. This is the greatest word, for it is the word of Tawheed, the good word, the word that stands firm. If these are the last words of a person, he will enter Paradise, and there are other reports which indicate how great these words are.
11 – Multiplication of Reward
In one minute you can say Subhaan Allah wa bi hamdih, ‘adada khalqihi, wa ridaa nafsihi, wazinata ‘arshihi, wa midaada kalimaatihi (Glory and praise be to Allah, as much as the number of His creation, as much as pleases Him, as much as the weight of His Throne and as much as the ink of His words) more than 15 times. This words bring many more times the reward for other forms of tasbeeh and dhikr, as was reported in saheeh ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
12 – Seek Forgiveness
In one minute you can seek the forgiveness of Allah more than 100 times by saying “Astaghfir-Allah (I seek the forgiveness of Allah). The virtues of seeking forgiveness are no secret, for it is the means of attaining forgiveness and entering Paradise, and it is the means of being granted a good life, increasing one’s strength, warding off disasters, making things easier, bringing rain and increasing one’s wealth and children.
13 – Kind Words
You can say a few brief and concise words in one minute, and Allah may bring about some good through them that you could never imagine.
14 – Blessings on the Prophet ﷺ
In one minute you can send blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) 50 times by saying Sall-Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (May Allah bless him and grant him peace). In return Allah will send blessings upon you 500 hundred times because one blessing brings ten like it.
15 – Actions of the Heart
In one minute you can motivate your heart to give thanks to Allah, to love Him, to fear Him, to put hope in Him, to long for Him, and thus travel through the stages of ‘uboodiyyah (total enslavement to Allah). You could do this when you are lying on your bed or walking in the street.
16 – Useful Book
In one minute you can read more than two pages of a useful book that is easy to understand.
17 – Kinship
In one minute you can uphold the ties of kinship by calling a relative on the phone.
18 – Dua
You can raise your hands and recite any du’aa’ you wish from the books of du’aa’, in one minute.
19 – Salam
You can say salaams to and shake hands with a number of people in one minute.
20 – Forbid
You can forbid an evil action in one minute.
21 – Enjoin
You can enjoin something good in one minute.
22 – Advice
You can offer sincere advice to a brother in one minute.
23 – Console
You can console someone who is depressed in one minute.
24 – Remove Harm
You can remove something harmful from the road in one minute.
Making the most of one minute motivates you to make the most of other periods that would otherwise be wasted.
Al-Shaafa’i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
When people go to sleep, I let my tears flow, and I recite a verse of the most eloquent poetry
Is it not a waste that nights go by and I do not increase in knowledge, yet this time is counted as part of my life?
Finally, the more sincere you are towards Allah and the more aware you are of Him, the greater will be your reward and the more your hasanaat will increase.
Note that most of these actions will not cost you anything; they do not require tahaarah (purity) and they will not tire you out or take much effort. On the contrary, you can do them whilst you are walking, or in your car, or lying down, or standing, or sitting, or waiting for somebody.
These actions are also among the greatest means of attaining happiness, expanding the chest (i.e., bringing relief and joy) and removing stress and anxiety. May Allah help us and you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Abridged from the pamphlet, “The Best Way to Make the Most of a Minute” by Dr Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Hamad Via Islamqa.info