Free time between belief and non-belief
As debatable as it may seem, one of the hallmarks of faith (iman) is to always have a sufficient amount of internal and external free time. This is so because the faith of Islam is synonymous with freedom.
A believer is what he is for the reason that he is free and thinks and behaves freely. He is firmly grounded in the realm of the truth, dedicating all his resources to its cause. Thus free, he levitates above the vagaries of the stifling matter and the traps of its evanescent time.
On the other hand, caged in matter and its inhibiting time, a non-believer turns disoriented and lost. Feeling that everything wholesome keeps fading away from him and that everything harmful keeps closing in on him, a non-believer is locked in a never-ending cycle of negativity and pessimism. Under such conditions, time in general and free time in particular present themselves as the most precious resources, yet they are the quickest to dwindle.
The above is indicated in the Qur’anic chapter al-‘Asr (Time), wherein Allah relates the success of the believers and the loss of the rest of mankind to the notion of time. That means that the believers in the end succeed because they succeed in managing and making best use of their time, whereas non-believers in the end lose because they fail to follow suit.
One of the reasons why non-believers become enslaved by the transience and unrelenting demands of time is that, on account of their non-belief, Allah gives them “ma’ishatan dhankan (Ta Ha 124), meaning “a depressed and woeful life, and a life of hardship and narrowness.” Such is the reality of a life where time easily transforms from an ally to an enemy.
Due to this, the Prophet implored Allah not to let this world become the main concern for him and the Muslims, nor the limit of their knowledge (narrated by al-Tirmidhi).
What is implied here is that this world and everything it can offer are so small that it is not worth the exertion. This world’s much is the Hereafter’s little, and its complete knowledge is the latter’s rudiments. Lastly, this world’s all time is nothing compared to the Hereafter’s eternity. That said, there is certainly no better deal than recognizing and maximizing the limited free time a person is afforded in this world to secure infinity in the next life.
The Qur’anic concepts of “sharh” and “dhaqa/dhayyiq”
The terms used in the Qur’an to describe these realities are “sharh” (expanding the breast) and “dhaqa/dhayyiq” (to straiten/be straitened). A believer’s breast is expanded in order to absorb free time, which in turn will lead to more piety and more quality deeds.
On the contrary, a non-believer’s breast is rendered closed off so that neither free time nor faith can find its way into it, i.e., into the heart contained inside the breast. A non-believer thus becomes preoccupied with his own self and his own problems, leaving no time for others or more important matters. Indeed, a misguided one cannot guide others, a burdened one cannot elevate the burdens of others, and an unilluminated one cannot illuminate the path for others.
The Qur’an says, for example,
“So whoever Allah wants to guide, He expands his breast to (contain) Islam; and whoever He wants to misguide, He makes his breast tight and constricted as though he were climbing into the sky. Thus, does Allah place defilement upon those who do not believe” (al-An’am 125).
Towards the same end were the acts of opening the chest of the Prophet and washing his heart with Zamzam water, after which the heart was filled with wisdom, faith, and knowledge. These acts happened twice in the life of the Prophet, first when he was a small boy and second when he was about to be taken on the miraculous isra’ and mi’raj journeys (narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslims).
The Prophet’s heart and chest were purified so that he could easily resist Satan’s deceptions, the imperfections of this world, and any distractions that could disturb his focus, dedication, and (free) time.
Finally, there is a chapter in the Qur’an called “al-Sharh” (the Opening Forth). In it, Allah highlights that He expanded for the Prophet his breast, He removed from him his burden, which had weighed upon his back, and that He exalted his fame.
Then, after being taught that a life lived in the shadow of faith is designed in such a way that with every hardship there will be relief (yet two reliefs), the Prophet was instructed to strive hard whenever he becomes free (after he gets free time following his everyday tasks and obligations), directing all his attention and longing to his Lord (al-Sharh 1-8).
In this chapter, the believers too are reminded that the Islamic faith has relieved them of all psychological burdens, liberating them and expanding their breasts (their attitudes and perspectives). They are also motivated by the fact that a spiritual-cum-righteous life is full of enthusiasm and positivity.
There is absolutely nothing that should be fretted over. Their spiritual freedom within the framework of servitude to the Creator should be appreciated by harnessing as much free time as possible in order to exert utmost diligence in the pursuit of worshipping none other than Almighty Allah.
In the same way that all freedom should be at the service of the lone master, all time, likewise, should be dedicated exclusively to its Creator. It is only then that both freedom and time will start to make sense and command worth. It is only then, furthermore, that free time will start to function as a portal to higher dimensions with higher orders of things and experiences.
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