Islam constantly asks us to act without delay. Although we are taught that Allah's Angels work without delay, Satan constantly causes us to put off completing tasks on time. As a community, we always attempt to postpone things by arguing that we should wait and see what happens; nevertheless, in the end, we discover that everything fell apart and that our delays had no positive consequences.
According to the Quran:
Paying Debts and Fulfilling Contracts:
Verse: "O you who have believed, fulfill [all] contracts." (Quran 5:1)
This passage highlights how crucial it is to swiftly and faithfully carry out commitments and contracts.
Timely Performance of Salah (Prayers):
Verse: "Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times." (Quran 4:103)
This scripture emphasizes how crucial it is to offer prayers at the appointed times.
Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness:
Verse: "And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed." (Quran 24:31)
In order to succeed, this verse exhorts believers to immediately confess their sins and ask for forgiveness.
Fulfilling Trusts and Promises:
Verse: "Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due..." (Quran 4:58)
The verse highlights how crucial it is to quickly fulfill trusts and give them back to their appropriate owners.
Charity and Good Deeds:
Verse: "And spend [in the way of Allah] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, 'My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous.'" (Quran 63:10)
The verse emphasizes how important it is to promptly fulfill trusts and return them to the rightful owners.
Acting Upon Guidance:
Verse: "Say, 'O my people, work according to your position; indeed, I am working. And you are going to know who will have succession in the home. Indeed, the wrongdoers will not succeed.'" (Quran 6:135)
This text exhorts one to respond right away after being given direction and correction.
Swift Justice:
Verse: "Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded." (Quran 16:90)
The swift establishment of justice and moral behavior is emphasized in this poem.
Responding to Allah’s Call:
Verse: "O you who have believed, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered." (Quran 8:24)
This passage exhorts believers to act quickly in response to Allah's and His Messenger's demand for that which gives spiritual life and energy.
Preparations for the Hereafter:
Verse: "O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow – and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do." (Quran 59:18)
This passage exhorts believers to consider their actions carefully and to get ready for the Hereafter as soon as possible.
Avoiding Procrastination:
Verse: "Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned?" (Quran 23:115)
This verse reminds believers to be mindful of their mission and their final return to Allah, as well as to avoid squandering time.
These Quranic verses emphasize the significance of acting promptly and avoiding needless delays in a variety of spheres of life, ranging from meeting commitments and carrying out religious tasks to carrying out good deeds and turning to God for forgiveness.
According to Hadiths:
The following hadiths, together with their citations, stress the importance of not postponing particular actions:
Performing Good Deeds Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Hasten to do good deeds before there come seven afflictions." Then (in rapid succession) he mentioned: poverty, wealth, illness, old age, sudden death, the Dajjal (Antichrist), and the Hour (Day of Judgment).
Reference: Sahih al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2306.
Performing Salah (Prayer) on Time:
Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: I asked The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), "Which deed is the dearest to Allah?" He replied, "To offer the prayers at their early stated fixed times."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 527.
Paying Debts Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "The delay in the repayment of debt by a rich man is injustice."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2287.
Repenting Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Allah accepts the repentance of His slave as long as the death rattle has not reached his throat."
Reference: Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3537.
Burial Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Hasten the funeral rites."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1315.
Distributing Charity Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity."
Reference: Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 589.
Seeking Knowledge Without Delay:
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim."
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 224.
Fulfilling Promises Without Delay:
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "The signs of a hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie; whenever he promises, he always breaks it; if you trust him, he proves to be dishonest."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 33.
Responding to Invitations Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "The rights of a Muslim upon the Muslims are six," and one of them is, "When he invites you, respond to his invitation."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2162.
Forgiving Others Without Delay:
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "The best deed in the sight of Allah is to forgive and forget."
Reference: Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 5377.
Settling Disputes Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Reconciliation between people is a charitable act."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2692.
Performing Hajj Without Delay:
Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Hasten to perform Hajj (pilgrimage) for none of you knows what will happen to him."
Reference: Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 1836.
Seeking Treatment Without Delay:
Narrated Usama ibn Shuraik: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Seek treatment, O servants of Allah, for Allah does not create any disease but He also creates with it the cure."
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3436.
Reconciling With Relatives Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "It is not permissible for a man to forsake his brother for more than three days."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2560.
Acting Upon Good Intentions Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Dharr: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Do not belittle any good deed, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2626.
Fulfilling Obligations Without Delay:
Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "If anyone has an obligation towards his brother, let him discharge it today, before a day comes when there will be neither dinar nor dirham."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2449.
Breaking the Fast Without Delay:
Narrated Sahl ibn Sa'd: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "The people will continue to prosper as long as they hasten to break the fast."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1957.
Seeking Forgiveness Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace you by those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would pardon them."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2749.
Marrying Daughters Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "If someone with whose religion and character you are satisfied asks your daughter in marriage, accede to his request. If you do not do so, there will be corruption and great evil on earth."
Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1084.
Settling Business Transactions Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Whoever takes the rights of a Muslim by taking a false oath, Allah will make Hellfire necessary for him and will forbid Paradise for him."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Hadith 137.
Dealing Justly Without Delay:
Narrated An-Nu`man ibn Bashir: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Be afraid of Allah, and be just to your children."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2587.
Visiting the Sick Without Delay:
Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "If a Muslim visits his sick Muslim brother in the morning, seventy thousand angels will pray for him till the evening. If he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels will pray for him till the morning."
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 1442.
Returning Borrowed Items Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his reputation or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the Day of Judgment."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2449.
Performing Ghusl Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "It is a duty of every Muslim to take a bath once in seven days, washing his head and body."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 898.
Responding to the Call to Prayer Without Delay:
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "When you hear the call to prayer, say what the muezzin says."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 611.
Delaying Debt Collection From the Needy:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Whoever gives respite to someone in difficulty or forgives him, Allah will shade him on the Day of Resurrection."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Hadith 3006.
Providing for Family Without Delay:
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "It is enough sin for a person to neglect his dependents."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Hadith 996.
Responding to Sickness Without Delay:
Narrated Usama ibn Shuraik: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Seek medical treatment, for Allah does not send down a disease without sending down a cure for it."
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3436.
Removing Harmful Things from the Road Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Faith has over seventy branches, and removing a harmful thing from the road is one of the branches of faith."
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Hadith 35.
Helping the Needy Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Feed the hungry, visit the sick, and free the captives."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5373.
Seeking Protection from Hell Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Protect yourselves from the Hellfire, even by giving half a date in charity."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1417.
Returning Lost Items Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "He who finds a lost article is to make it known publicly for one year."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2426.
Giving the Salam (Greeting) Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "The one who is riding should greet the one who is walking, and the one who is walking should greet the one who is sitting, and the small group should greet the larger group."
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6234.
Performing the Obligatory Acts Without Delay:
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, "Allah says: 'The most beloved things with which My servant comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him.'"
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6502.
The aforementioned hadiths underscore the significance of prompt and immediate activities in diverse spheres of life, hence strengthening the importance of punctuality and accountability in Islam.
Here is a list of some activities why and where we should not delay:
Performing Salah (Prayer) on Time: One of the main duties in Islam is to offer the five daily prayers at the designated times.
Repentance (Tawbah): It is the duty of Muslims to immediately ask Allah for forgiveness if they err.
Paying Debts: It's critical to pay off debts as quickly as possible and without undue delay.
Burial of the Deceased: Islam stresses burying the dead as soon as possible.
Giving Charity (Sadaqah): It is advised to donate to charities as soon as possible, particularly if there is an urgent need.
Performing Hajj: When a Muslim is financially and physically capable of performing the Hajj, they should do so right away.
Getting Married When You Find the Right Partner: Islam advises getting married as soon as a suitable match is discovered in order to prevent immorality and temptation.
Returning Amanah (Trusts) and Deposits: It is important to return trusts and things entrusted to be kept safe in a timely and obedient manner.
Reacting to Invitations: In order to promote goodwill and a sense of community, it is important to accept invitations as soon as possible, particularly those for meals.
Resolving Conflicts and Seeking Amity: In order to preserve peace and avoid protracted hostility, it is advised that opposing parties seek reconciliation as soon as possible.
In conclusion, as Muslims, the cause of all of our issues and hardships is our delaying. As a community, we lack the knowledge on how to approach or reach out to others for assistance when needed. When considering the construction of a Mosque (Masjid), everyone of us must wait to earn sufficient money before determining whether or not we have enough to build the mosque; instead, we ought to have worked together to finish it as a community. The same is true for having top-notch colleges, hospitals, schools, transportation infrastructure, finances for natural disaster relief, etc. Consequently, we should act promptly and not delay by waiting on others while seeking Allah's blessings.
