The short answer
Islam treats time as a trust you will be asked about, so start by seeing it that way. Then build habits: leave what does not concern you, fill small gaps with dhikr, protect your prayer times, and aim for small, consistent improvements rather than dramatic resolutions.
Allah swears by time itself: "By time, indeed, mankind is in loss", except those who believe, do good and advise each other to truth and patience 1. Time is the one thing you cannot earn back.
The Prophet ﷺ said, "There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time" 2. Endless scrolling is often exactly that: free time slipping away without our noticing. On the Day of Judgment, each of us will be asked about our life and what we did with it 3. That is not meant to make you anxious; it is meant to make your hours feel valuable.
The Quran describes the successful believers as those who are focused in prayer and who "turn away from ill speech" and idle talk 4. The Prophet ﷺ put it in one line: "among the excellence of a person's Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him" 5. Before opening an app, ask: does this concern me? Will it benefit me?
You do not need to go from six hours to zero overnight. "The most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even if it were little" 6. Cut down gradually and keep the change.
Replace, do not just remove. The moments you used to fill with scrolling can be filled with words that are "very easy for the tongue to say, but they are very heavy in the balance": Subhan Allahi wa bihamdihi, Subhan Allahil Azim 7.
Practical steps: keep your phone out of the bedroom, turn off non-essential notifications, set app limits, delete the app that drains you most, put your phone away at every adhan, and tell a friend your goal. Each small win is worship when you do it for Allah.
By time, mankind is in loss except those who believe, do good and advise one another.
وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ ١ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لَفِي خُسۡرٍ ٢ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ ٣
1 By time 2 Indeed, mankind is in loss 3 Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience
Health and free time are two blessings many people lose.
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time
حَدَّثَنَا الْمَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ـ هُوَ ابْنُ أَبِي هِنْدٍ ـ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " نِعْمَتَانِ مَغْبُونٌ فِيهِمَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، الصِّحَّةُ وَالْفَرَاغُ ". قَالَ عَبَّاسٌ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا صَفْوَانُ بْنُ عِيسَى، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِثْلَهُ.
Each person will be asked about his life and what he did with it.
Abu Barzah Al-Aslami narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:"The feet of the slave of Allah shall not move [on the Day of Judgement] until he is asked about five things: about his life and what he did with it, about his knowledge and what he did with it, about his wealth and how he earned it and where he spent it on, about his body and for what did he wear it out." [He said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. Sa'eed bin Abdullah bin Juraij (a narrator in the chain) [is from Al-Basrah], and he is the freed slave of Abu Barzah AlAslami, and Abu Barzah AlAslami's name is Nadlah bin 'Ubaid
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَخْبَرَنَا الأَسْوَدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بَرْزَةَ الأَسْلَمِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ تَزُولُ قَدَمَا عَبْدٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يُسْأَلَ عَنْ عُمْرِهِ فِيمَا أَفْنَاهُ وَعَنْ عِلْمِهِ فِيمَا فَعَلَ وَعَنْ مَالِهِ مِنْ أَيْنَ اكْتَسَبَهُ وَفِيمَا أَنْفَقَهُ وَعَنْ جِسْمِهِ فِيمَا أَبْلاَهُ " . قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَسَعِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ جُرَيْجٍ هُوَ بَصْرِيٌّ وَهُوَ مَوْلَى أَبِي بَرْزَةَ وَأَبُو بَرْزَةَ اسْمُهُ نَضْلَةُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ .
Successful believers are humble in prayer and turn away from ill and idle speech.
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ١ ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ فِي صَلَاتِهِمۡ خَٰشِعُونَ ٢ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَنِ ٱللَّغۡوِ مُعۡرِضُونَ ٣
1 Certainly will the believers have succeeded 2 They who are during their prayer humbly submissive 3 And they who turn away from ill speech
Part of the excellence of one's Islam is leaving what does not concern him.
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:"Indeed among the excellence of a person's Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ نَصْرٍ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ، وَغَيْرُ، وَاحِدٍ، قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُسْهِرٍ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَمَاعَةَ، عَنِ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ، عَنْ قُرَّةَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلاَمِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لاَ يَعْنِيهِ " . قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
The most beloved deeds to Allah are the regular ones, even if small.
Narrated `Aisha:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even if it were little
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " سَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا، وَاعْلَمُوا أَنْ لَنْ يُدْخِلَ أَحَدَكُمْ عَمَلُهُ الْجَنَّةَ، وَأَنَّ أَحَبَّ الأَعْمَالِ أَدْوَمُهَا إِلَى اللَّهِ، وَإِنْ قَلَّ "
Two phrases light on the tongue and heavy on the scale.
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There are two expressions which are very easy for the tongue to say, but they are very heavy in the balance and are very dear to The Beneficent (Allah), and they are, 'Subhan Allah Al- `Azim and 'Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi
حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " كَلِمَتَانِ خَفِيفَتَانِ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ، ثَقِيلَتَانِ فِي الْمِيزَانِ، حَبِيبَتَانِ إِلَى الرَّحْمَنِ، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ ".
This answer was compiled with the help of AI, using only the verified texts shown here. Every reference links to its source. If you find a mistake, please report it. Updated 2026-09-24