Thus, when a person enjoys both leisure and good health, he is greatly short-changed, for many of our hours pass with no benefit while we are still sound, safe, and at ease—yet they slip away nonetheless. We do not recognize this loss in the life of this world; it only becomes clear when death arrives or on the Day of Resurrection. Allah the Exalted alludes to this in His words: “Until, when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord, send me back, so that I may do righteousness regarding what I neglected.’” (al-Muʾminūn 23:100). And He says in Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn: “Before death comes to one of you and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short term, I would give charity and be among the righteous.’” (al-Munāfiqūn 63:10). He, exalted is He, also says: “But Allah will never grant respite to a soul when its appointed term has come; Allah is fully aware of what you do.” (al-Munāfiqūn 63:11).

In truth, a great deal of our time is squandered to no avail. We neither benefit from it ourselves nor benefit any of Allah’s servants, and we will regret this only when death is at hand. Then a person will wish to be granted even a single minute so that he might set things right, but that wish will not be fulfilled.

Furthermore, these two blessings—health and free time—may be lost even before death. A person may fall ill and be unable to perform the obligations Allah has placed on him; illness may constrict his breast, sap his strength, and weary him. Or he may become absorbed in earning a livelihood for himself and his family, causing him to miss many acts of worship.

For that reason, an intelligent believer seizes the opportunity of health and leisure to obey Allah as much as he can. If he is able to read the Quran, let him recite it abundantly; if he cannot read, let him engage frequently in the remembrance of Allah; and if he is unable even to do that