Time and its importance in Islam and management

Introduction:

Management scholars attribute the emergence of management science to the principles laid down by Frederick Taylor, nicknamed the father of scientific management, who laid down its principles in 1911 in a book he published in this field entitled “Principles of Scientific Management” ; and also to Henri Fayol, the founder of the science of public and industrial management, who laid down its principles in his first book published in 1916 entitled “Public and Industrial Management .” Management scholars confirm that the prevailing administrative principles to this day were defined by these two books. These scholars – especially the Muslims among them – have forgotten that our Islamic heritage is rich with noble and useful principles and foundations that can be established in the field of management science. Perhaps we will hint in the discussions of this chapter at some of those texts derived from the Book of God Almighty, the Sunnah of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the sayings of the righteous predecessors.

Likewise, “the concept of time management has become so closely associated with administrative work that its application is viewed through a narrow lens” . In reality, Islam has emphasized the management of personal time in addition to work time. It has shown concern for the Muslim’s time in general, urging him to seize it and not waste it, as it is something for which a person will be questioned on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The feet of a servant will not move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about four things: his life, how he spent it; his youth, how he used it; his wealth, from where he acquired it and how he spent it; and his knowledge, what he did with it”. From this hadith, we observe that Islam considers time an indivisible whole, and it requires the Muslim to seize his life in general and his youth in particular, as it is a period full of activity, work, and productivity. From this perspective comes the saying.

The Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, guided and directed the Muslim to seize the opportunities of life in his saying: “Take advantage of five things before five others: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you become busy, and your life before your death” 

A Muslim’s time is a trust given to him, and he is required not to neglect or waste it. This is especially important if that time is related to a right of God or one of His creation, as God Almighty says: {Indeed, God commands you to render trusts to their rightful owners} .

Time is one of the most important elements of production, and because of its immense importance, God Almighty has shown us that He is the One who has determined time, as in His saying: {And God determines the night and the day} . Just as He has determined time, He has also determined the fulfillment of obligations within it. “Thus, Islam has organized the life of the Muslim and his time; it has organized his sleep and waking, his performance of rituals, and his going out into the arena of life, so that all his work becomes an act of worship to God Almighty, based on all rituals and on the constant remembrance of God. Thus, time in the life of the Muslim has become an extended act of worship. As for time in Western civilization and the materialistic theory of management and so on, it does not go beyond the scope of their common saying: Time is money”. If we compare this statement with the saying of Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may God have mercy on him: “I knew people who were more miserly with their time than with their dirhams and dinars” we conclude that time, in the estimation of the Muslim, is more precious than money. That is because he realizes that money can be replaced, but time is fleeting; once it is gone, it cannot be replaced.

This chapter is divided into the following sections:

First: Time and defining its concept.

Second: The importance of time in the Holy Quran.

Third: The importance of time in the purified Sunnah.