Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim
1. Introduction
Friends beloved by Allah, knowledge is light, while ignorance is thick darkness. Yet on the journey to attain that light, our greatest enemy is often not the long distance or the thick books. The greatest enemy resides within our own chests: laziness and the feeling that we have no time. Neurobiologically, laziness is the comfort zone trap when the brain refuses to expend energy for hard thinking. But spiritually, laziness is a shackle placed by Shaitan to keep us walking in darkness. Let us reflect on how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught us to firmly combat this mental disease through his supplication:
وَالْكَسَلِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعَجْزِ
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from weakness and laziness.( HR : Al- Baihaqi , Al- Hakim)
Allah SWT also reminds us about the importance of valuing time, so that we do not become servants who lose out by constantly postponing opportunities to learn:
إنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
“By time, indeed mankind is in loss.” (QS. Al-‘Aṣr: 1-2)
2. Lessons and Message
Picture a scene from the past. The great scholar Ibn ‘Aqīl spent decades writing Al-Funūn until it reached 800 volumes. Do you know what he did to save time for studying? He deliberately chose to eat bread dipped in water rather than dry bread that required chewing. He said with tears in his eyes, “I cannot bear to waste time reading just to chew a piece of bread.” And us today? We often weep pitifully, not because we’ve lost time for studying, but because our internet data ran out while mindlessly scrolling social media without direction. We claim to “have no time” to read one page of knowledge, yet we have hours to watch other people’s lives. Truly, this is a time poverty we create ourselves. Seeking knowledge is like planting a super date palm. It requires time, perseverance, and the willingness to nurture its roots in the dark soil before it rises to the sky and bears sweet fruit. If every time laziness comes we stop watering it, the tree will die before it can ever give shade. Laziness is a parasite. If you nurture it, it will choke the best potential Allah has entrusted within you.
There’s a humorous story about someone who always made excuses: “I really want to attend study circles and read books, but my time is spent on domestic matters and family.” Yet strangely, when neighbors were arguing, he could stand at the fence for a full two hours playing “amateur analyst” without feeling tired or short on time! This proves one thing: Time does exist; what’s missing is the will. We are often “very busy” only when invited to look at books or texts of knowledge. The moment our phone buzzes, suddenly we have unlimited free time.
3. Conclusion and Closing
In conclusion, the internal barriers of laziness and feeling short on time are illusions created by weak life priorities. The 24 hours that the great scholars of the past had are exactly the same 24 hours we have today. The difference is that they blessed their time with earnestness, while we melt ours away with procrastination.
Brothers and sisters, let us fight this laziness. Force ourselves! If today we cannot bear the weariness of studying, then tomorrow we must be ready to bear the pain of ignorance :
وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
“...and say, ‘My Lord, increase me in knowledge.’” (QS. Ṭā-Hā: 114)
May Allah SWT cleanse our souls from the shackles of laziness and bless every second of time we have to draw closer to Him through the path of knowledge
والله أعلم بالصواب
الحمد لله رب العالمين
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmaullahi Wabarakatuh.
ِAbu Sultan Al-Qadrie
