By Kabir Alabi Garba

In the Name of the Almighty, the Beneficent, the Merciful

“O you who believe, be mindful of Allah, and let every soul look to what it has sent forward for tomorrow. And be mindful of Allah; indeed, Allah is fully aware of what you do.” Qur’an 59:18

Brethren, we have entered Rabi‘u al-Thaani, the fourth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The Islamic calendar is not merely a system for numbering months. It reminds us that our lives are moving. One month follows another. One Friday follows another. One Ramadan follows another. One year replaces another. And, eventually, this worldly life will be replaced by the eternal life of the Hereafter.

Allah (SWT) reminds humanity in Qur’an 9V36: “Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred.”

The four sacred months are Dhul-Qa‘dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. Rabi‘u al-Thaani is not one of them. This distinction is important.

Islam teaches us not to invent religious practices that Allah and His Messenger (SAW) did not prescribe.
But the fact that Rabi‘u al-Thaani has no special ritual attached to it does not mean that it has no spiritual lesson.

Indeed, every month of the calendar teaches us something. And Rabi‘u al-Thaani can teach us one of the greatest lessons of all: The value of time. Allah (SWT) swears by time in one of the shortest and most powerful chapters of the Qur’an: “By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss, except those who believe, do righteous deeds, encourage one another to truth, and encourage one another to patience.” (Qur’an 103:1-3).

The message is instructive! Allah does not swear by our wealth. He does not swear by our houses. He does not swear by our possessions. He swears by time. Because time is life. When your wealth decreases, you may earn more. When your possessions are lost, you may replace them. But when one hour of your life disappears, it can never be regained.

The Prophet (SAW) said: “There are two blessings concerning which many people are deceived: health and free time.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6412).

Let us ponder deeply on this hadith. The Prophet describes free time as a blessing. But it can also become a source of loss. A person may have hours available but use them on things that bring no benefit. He may spend hours scrolling, arguing, gossiping or pursuing distractions, while the Qur’an remains unread and the prayer remains neglected. Another person may have very little time but fill that little time with remembrance, charity, service and good character. The difference is not always the amount of time. It is what we do with it.

As Muslims, we should beware of the deception of procrastination. One of the great deceptions of life is the word: Later. I will repent later. I will pray properly later. I will read Qur’an later. I will reconcile with my brother later. I will visit my parents later. I will give charity later. I will change my life later. But who has guaranteed us later?

In Qur’an 31:34, Allah says: “No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die.” Also, in Qur’an 23:99–100, the Almighty says: “When death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord, send me back so that I may do righteousness in what I left behind.’ Never! It is only a word he says.”

There will come a moment when a person understands the value of time perfectly. But by then, time will have become irrelevant to him. He will no longer be able to pray. He will no longer be able to give charity. He will no longer be able to repair a broken relationship. He will no longer be able to add a single deed to his record. That opportunity belongs to us now.

Therefore, let us use this month as an opportunity for muhāsabah — honest self-examination. Ask yourself: How is my relationship with Allah? How are my five daily prayers? What is my relationship with the Qur’an? How do I treat my parents? How do I treat my spouse? How do I treat my children? How do I behave when I am angry? How honest am I in business? How trustworthy am I with people’s property? What happens when nobody is watching? What sins have I become comfortable with? What good deeds have I postponed? These questions are not intended to make us despair. They are intended to make us return. In Qur’an 39:53, Allah (SWT) says: “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, He is the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

What a magnificent verse! Allah does not tell the sinner: “You have gone too far.” He says: “Do not despair of My mercy.” The door of repentance is open. So, if you have neglected Allah, return. If you have committed a sin, repent. If you have wronged someone, make amends. If you have abandoned a good deed, begin again. Do not allow Shaytan to turn your sin into despair.

We should remember that small deeds, done consistently, attract heavy reward. Sometimes we want dramatic change. We want to become completely different overnight. We make enormous promises to ourselves, and then after a few days, we become discouraged.

But the Sunnah teaches us something different. ‘Aishah (PBUH) narrated that the Prophet was asked which deeds were most beloved to Allah. He replied: “Those deeds which are done consistently, even if they are few.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6465).

This is a profound principle. Do not underestimate small deeds. Read a page of Qur’an every day. Give a small amount of charity regularly. Make a few minutes for dhikr. Pray the Sunnah prayers you can maintain. Visit your parents regularly. Help someone regularly. Control your tongue every day. Forgive someone. Give up one recurring sin. Small steps, maintained over time, can transform a person’s life. The Prophet taught us that what Allah loves is not merely intensity but steadfastness.

Again, one of our resolutions in Rabi‘u al-Thaani should be to restore the Qur’an to the center of our lives. Allah says: “Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most upright.” (Qur’an 17:9).

It should be emphasized that the Qur’an is not merely a book to be recited during Ramadan. Rather, it is guidance for every month. Guidance for every home. Guidance for every business. Guidance for every relationship. Guidance for every difficulty. Guidance for every generation. Allah says: “This is a blessed Book which We have revealed, so follow it and be mindful of Allah, so that you may receive mercy.” (Qur’an 6:155)

Let us therefore ask ourselves: Do I merely possess the Qur’an, or do I live by the Qur’an? Do I read it only with my tongue, or does it reach my heart? Does the Qur’an change the way I speak? Does it change the way I earn? Does it change the way I treat people?

Moreover, our worship must produce character. Allah says about prayer:
“Indeed, prayer restrains from immorality and wrongdoing.” (Qur’an 29:45) If prayer is present in our lives, but dishonesty is also present, we need to examine ourselves. If we fast, but continue to abuse people with our tongues, we need to examine ourselves. If we give charity, but remain arrogant, we need to examine ourselves. If we attend the mosque but mistreat our families, we need to examine ourselves.

Islam is not merely a collection of rituals. Islam transforms the human being. Allah says: “Indeed, Allah commands justice, excellence and generosity toward relatives, and He forbids immorality, wrongdoing and oppression.” (Qur’an 16:90). Imagine the impact if these principles governed our homes, our businesses, our institutions and our communities. Imagine a Muslim who cannot be bribed because he fears Allah. A Muslim who cannot cheat because he remembers accountability. A Muslim who cannot abuse another person because he remembers that Allah sees. A Muslim who keeps a promise even when nobody can force him to do so. That is taqw.

Brothers and sisters, do not allow Rabi‘u al-Thaani to pass as merely another square on the calendar. Let it become a checkpoint. If your prayer is weak, strengthen it. If your Qur’an is neglected, return to it. If your heart carries hatred, work toward forgiveness. If your wealth has rights attached to it, fulfil them. If you have wronged someone, seek their forgiveness. If you have been blessed, show gratitude. If you have been tested, show patience. Allah says: “Indeed, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.” (Qur’an 13:11). The first place reform begins is within.”