for the grave. Such heedlessness! Just ponder over how fleeting this world is. Perhaps tonight is the last night of our lives. The angel of death can arrive in the next moment, and we will not witness the sunrise tomorrow.

Even if we were to live for a hundred years, we must still die one day and leave this world. We must leave everything here and descend into our graves, where we will face the consequences of our actions.

Life is decreasing every day

The sensible person is the one who removes the cloth of heedlessness and busies himself in preparation for the grave and Hereafter. When Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. MasꜤūd رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ would sit with people, he used to say:

O people! With the passing of the day and night, your lifespans are also decreasing. Your actions are being preserved. Death will come suddenly, so the one who sows righteous deeds will harvest it quickly with passion, and the one who sows evil will harvest it with regret. Each person will reap what he sows.^[1]

Each day calls out

Imam ibn Abī al-Dunyā رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes: “Every day calls out, ‘(O people!) I am a new day, and I am a witness over you. O son of Adam! I will not return. Therefore, perform goods deeds today!’ Likewise, every night calls out, ‘O son of Adam! Perform good deeds tonight! I will never return.’”^[2]

The day and night are treasures