Making time work for you (Lesson from Surah Al Kahf).

Why do I take the time to read Surah Al Kahf from the Quran every Friday?

1.  THE BLUEPRINT:  I read the Quran because it is the Holy Book of God. When I was younger I was exposed to Christian religious work that said the Bible was the blueprint for living.  I also believe the Quran is a blueprint for living so I recommend both. 

These books bestow self-improvement, enlightenment and knowledge, and we can spend a lifetime learning to understand the depth of knowledge here.

2. TIMELY LESSON:  Why Surah Al Kahf and why every Friday? This book  is supposed to be read every Friday so I follow that advice.  The benefits of doing so are that you see something new every week.  

3. THE BENEFITS OF FAITH: Faith is cumulative so the more you read, the more dimensions will be revealed to you.  If you follow the advice of reading this chapter every week,  in one year you will have read this chapter over 50 times and in 10 years, 500 times.  Each step of faith leads higher and higher. 

4. TIMELY ASSISTANCE:  The Quran teaches us not to fret if others are not as receptive as us. Do not fret means do not worry.  This chapter shows that Allah can work wonders beyond our understanding. 

5. CAN YOU SEE TIME STRAIGHT?: The other interesting lesson in this chapter is that our idea of time may be defective.  

6. THE PASSAGE OF TIME:  How many times have you rejected a person because you thought they were too old or too young for you? 

7. TIMELESS TIME:  One of the great things I experienced when I studied English at school was that we were to find the oldest people in the area we lived and interview them.  I managed to find people in their 90s and 100s who were very intelligent, knowledgeable and a joy to be with.  Their liveliness was so refreshing that if I shut my eyes and just listened, I thought they could even be around the same age as me.

8. TINY TIME:  Likewise now as a teacher I am sometimes so amazed at the depth of intelligence, wisdom and knowledge some of the very young children display in class. 

9. DOES IT MATTER?: Don’t be fooled by time.  If you see a prejudice arising, think deeply and say to yourself – does the difference of time matter here? 

10. GENERAL TIME: Society in an attempt to operate as a society set society norms regarding age that are just generalisations. There are exceptions to every rule. 

11. TIMELY DIMENSIONS:  My law teacher taught me that when we are prejudiced we miss out so much on life. So please be guided by the Quran and realise that time does not always work in seconds, minutes, hours, months and years -  at least not how society has taught it to us.  Of course, the time values indicated by society do have some validity but not in all areas, so it is up to you to be discerning and really think whether it matters in the situation you are facing.

12. PERSONAL TIME: Time is related to our own personal experiences and how we perceive it can be a very individual thing.