Take advantage of five before five

Everything was once nothing, then came existence, which will be followed by nothingness; this cycle is true for everything, and we are a part of that everything.

Everything was, is and will be created by Allah عزوجل, and all of it, other than us and the jinn, serve us in our servitude to Him عزوجل. Everything given to us by Him عزوجل is for us to use and this is a Divine blessing upon us. There shall, however, come a time when He عزوجل will ask us how we utilised His عزوجل blessings. This includes not just the food we eat and the water we drink, it includes the very air we breathe, the senses we use, the everyday phenomena, that which is observable and not, and anything that is connected to our lives and progress. About this, the blessed Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم is narrated to have said:

اغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قَبْلَ خَمْسٍ شَبَابَكَ قَبْلَ هَرَمِكَ وَصِحَّتَكَ قَبْلَ سَقَمِكَ وَغِنَاكَ قَبْلَ فَقْرِكَ وَفَرَاغَكَ قَبْلَ شُغُلِكَ وَحَيَاتَكَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِكَ

Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness, your riches before your poverty, your free time before your work, and your life before your death. — al-Bayhaqi #9767

We should be reminded then that there is no time too soon to turn ourselves towards Allah عزوجل. He is the dominus and we are His عزوجل dominion, and everything that comes from Him عزوجل shall one day return to Him عزوجل. Our youth, health, wealth, is all from Him عزوجل for us to employ where we choose, but are all as finite as we are, so we must never take either of them for granted.

We may think that time is on our side, but we must remember that time controls us, and it controlled by Him عزوجل. We must use whatever moments we have and invest in our ʾākhirah – hereafter – and not rely on youth. Youth, like time is ephemeral and we evanescent; neither can ever be relived, revived or recalled.

And Allah عزوجل and His صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم Messenger know best.