I am vendor of my soul

“Your time should not be without any structure, such that you occupy yourself arbitrarily with whatever comes along.  Rather, you must take account of yourself and order your worship during the day and the night, assigning to each period of time an activity that must not be neglected nor replaced by another activity.  By this ordering of time, the blessing in time will show itself.  A person who leaves himself without a plan as animals do, not knowing what he is to do at any given moment, will spend most of his time fruitlessly.

Your time is your life, and your life is your capital: by it you make your trade, and by it you will reach the eternal bounties in the proximity of Allah.  Every single breath of yours is a priceless jewel, because it is irreplaceable; once it is gone, there is no return for it.  So do not be like fools who rejoice each day as their wealth increases while their lives decrease.  What good is there in wealth that increases while one’s lifespan decreases?

Do not rejoice except in an increase of knowledge or an increase of good works.  Truly they are your two friends who will accompany you in your grave, when your spouse, your wealth, your children, and your friends will remain behind.”

-Al Ghazzali 

-Bidayat al Hadayat

The Path of Worshipful Servants

 ".....You must realise, Oh my brethren (may God favour you and me with His Good Pleasure), that worshipful service [ibada] is the fruit of knowledge ['ilm], the benefit of life ['umr], the income of strong servants, the stock in trade of the saints [awliyah], the path of the truly devout, the allotted portion of the mighty, the goal of those endowed with aspiration, the emblem of the noble, the vocation of real men and the choice of those with faculties of vision. It is the way of good fortune and the path [minhaj] of the Garden of Paradise. God has told us; "And I am your Lord, So Worship Me" (21:92).  He has also said" "Behold: this is a reward for you. And I am your Lord, so worship Me" (76:22)

The path of worshipful service is indeed a rugged path and a hard road, fraught with many obstacles, serious hardships, remote distances, enormous difficulties, frequent hindrances and impediments. It is beset with deadly perils and interruptions. This is exactly how it needs to be, since it is the path of the Garden of Paradise and this represents a confirmation of the saying of The Prophet (peace be upon him),  "The Garden of Paradise is indeed surrounded by things that are repugnant [makarih], while the Fire of Hell is surrounded by objects of lustful desire [shahawat]". He (peace be upon him) also said, "The Garden of Paradise is indeed a rugged ground on a hill, while the Fire of Hell is indeed a smooth ground in a sequestered courtyard."

Then in addition to al of that, the servant [of the Lord] is weak, the time is difficult and religious commitment is subject retrogression....."

~Al Ghazali - The Path Of The Righteous Servants - To the Garden of the Lord of the Worlds
Translated by Muhtar Holland