What Can You Do In Ten Minutes? by Abdul Malik al-Qasim

My noble brother and sister,

I selected the time span of ten minutes (for performing particular righteous actions listed in this book) due to ease of application, so that one starts with them until he or she engages in good all the time, by Allah's grace.

In these actions there is conformity with the saying of the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, "The most beloved action to Allah is the most continuous, even if little." [Muslim]

Imam an-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, said in relation to this hadeeth, "In it (the above hadeeth) is an exhortation to perform deeds regularly and continuously, and [an explanation] that a small deed done regularly is better than a great one that is interrupted. It is because by continuously doing a little of such actions as, [one’s] obedience, remembrance, awareness of Allah, sincerity and dedication to the Creator, subhanahu wa ta`ala, the outcome accumulates and it is multiplied exceeding what is greater but interrupted."

The Messenger, sallalahu `alayhi wa sallam, spoke the truth. My dear brother or sister, I will give you an example of the blessing of utilizing ten minutes in righteousness. Glorifying Allah subanahu wa ta`ala by saying "Subhan Allah" a hundred times daily means that one will do so 36,500 times in a year. So take account of your soul, my brother or sister. You can only glorify Allah this much in a year if you are regular in performing tasbeeh and if you make good use of your time.

Similarly, if one reads the Qur'an for ten minutes regularly, one can finish reading it in full every two months. Is this how you do it? Ask yourself, do you complete recitation of the full Qur'an outside of Ramadan? And do not limit, my dear brother or sister, these special ten minutes, devoted to obedience, to be performed only once a day. Perhaps you will find the time after the morning prayer, or after the sunrise, or after the noon prayer, or before sleep.

Likewise, if one manages to memorize only a single verse from the Book of Allah, `azza wa jall, every day, he or she will complete memorization the complete Qur'an in only eight years.

Most of the actions mentioned are performed with the tongue, so one is able to gain rewards at all times and in all situations. So whoever wants to strive in obedience to Allah, doors of good are open and one can make one's days and indeed all of one's life like the ten minutes.

Abu Bakar, radhiallahu anhu, related that a person said: "O Messenger of Allah, which people are the best?" He said, "Whose life is long and his actions good." He said, "And what people are the worst?" He said, "Whose life is long and his actions bad." [Muslim]

This is an opportunity for you, dear brother or sister. Ten minutes in which one can taste the sweetness of regularity of performing righteous actions and which can be a step towards managing one's time, until all of one's life becomes beneficial.

Ten minutes that are in agreement with the saying of Allah `azza wa jall, "And I have not created the Jinn or humans except to worship Me." [adh-Dhaariyaat (51):56]

Ibn ul-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "In conclusion, the servant, when he turns away from Allah and becomes preoccupied with sins (in this world), he loses days of his true life (in the hereafter). He will see the consequence of losing them the Day he says, "He will say, 'Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life [i.e. true, everlasting life in the Hereafter].'" [al-Fajr (89):24]”

Some actions that can be done in ten minutes:

1. The forenoon prayer
2. Recitation of the Quran
3. Salawat on the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam
4. Praying Salat al-Janazah
5. Remembrance of Allah, `azza wa jall
6. Saying SubhanAllah, alhamdulillah and Laa ilaha ill Allah
7. Teaching children
8. Supplication
9. Taking account of oneself
10. Reading
11. Removal of others’ difficulties and fulfillment of their needs
12. Preserving ties of kinship
13. Listening to da`wah tapes
14. Visiting believers for Allah’s sake
15. Remembering Allah after the obligatory prayers
16. Making peace between people
17. Advising
18. Phoning relatives
19. Writing one’s will
20. Giving charity
21. Reading traditions of the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam
22. Contemplating
23. Mailing da`wah information
24. Feeding the poor
25. Praying Salat al-Istikharah
26. Taking care of orphans
27. Serving one’s family
28. Seeking knowledge
29. Spreading Islamic knowledge
30. Calling to Allah
31. Giving Sadaqa jariyyah (charity that carries perpetual award)
32. Guiding and nurturing one’s children
33. Repeating after the mu’adhdhin
34. Performing the night prayer