The short answer
Time spent on permissible things is not a sin in itself, but time is a blessing we will be asked about: the Prophet ﷺ said health and free time are two blessings many people lose, and Allah swears by time that mankind is in loss except those who believe, do good and advise each other. Rest and halal fun are fine; the danger is spending time on haram, or letting life slip away with nothing to show for it.
Allah swears by time itself: "By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience" 1. Every passing hour is either invested or lost.
The Prophet ﷺ said: "There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time" 2. Most people only notice them when they are gone, during exams, illness or old age.
We will be asked about our time. In a narration graded sahih by al-Albani, the Prophet ﷺ said a person's feet will not move on the Day of Judgment until he is asked "about his life and what he did with it", as well as his knowledge, wealth and body 3. Allah also asks the people of the Fire: "did We not grant you life enough for whoever would remember therein to remember?" 4
Does this mean every minute must be study or worship? No. Islam values rest; the Prophet ﷺ told a Companion who overworked himself in worship that his body had rights over him 5. Sleep, sport, time with family and halal entertainment in moderation can all be done with good intentions. The problem is time lost in what does not concern you: "among the excellence of a person's Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him" 6.
A useful test for any habit, from gaming to scrolling: is it helping my faith, my health, my relationships or my goals, or is it just eating my days? Allah reminds us we were not created without purpose 7.
Try an honest screen-time check this week, and swap one wasted hour a day for something you will be glad to be asked about.
By time, mankind is in loss except those who believe, do good and advise truth and patience.
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 are deceived into losing.
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.
Everyone will be asked about their life, knowledge, wealth and body.
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 .
Did We not give you a life long enough for whoever would remember?
وَهُمۡ يَصۡطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَآ أَخۡرِجۡنَا نَعۡمَلۡ صَٰلِحًا غَيۡرَ ٱلَّذِي كُنَّا نَعۡمَلُۚ أَوَلَمۡ نُعَمِّرۡكُم مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجَآءَكُمُ ٱلنَّذِيرُۖ فَذُوقُواْ فَمَا لِلظَّٰلِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ ٣٧
And they will cry out therein, "Our Lord, remove us; we will do righteousness - other than what we were doing!" But did We not grant you life enough for whoever would remember therein to remember, and the warner had come to you? So taste [the punishment], for there is not for the wrongdoers any helper
Your body has a right over you.
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to me, "O `Abdullah! Have I not been informed that you fast during the day and offer prayers all the night." `Abdullah replied, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Don't do that; fast for few days and then give it up for few days, offer prayers and also sleep at night, as your body has a right on you, and your wife has a right on you, and your guest has a right on you. And it is sufficient for you to fast three days in a month, as the reward of a good deed is multiplied ten times, so it will be like fasting throughout the year." I insisted (on fasting) and so I was given a hard instruction. I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have power." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Fast like the fasting of the Prophet David (ﷺ) and do not fast more than that." I said, "How was the fasting of the Prophet of Allah, David (ﷺ)?" He said, "Half of the year," (i.e. he used to fast on every alternate day). Afterwards when `Abdullah became old, he used to say, "It would have been better for me if I had accepted the permission of the Prophet (which he gave me i.e. to fast only three days a month)
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ مُقَاتِلٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ ". فَقُلْتُ بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ " فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ، صُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ، وَقُمْ وَنَمْ، فَإِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ بِحَسْبِكَ أَنْ تَصُومَ كُلَّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ، فَإِنَّ لَكَ بِكُلِّ حَسَنَةٍ عَشْرَ أَمْثَالِهَا، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ صِيَامُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ ". فَشَدَّدْتُ، فَشُدِّدَ عَلَىَّ، قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً. قَالَ " فَصُمْ صِيَامَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ وَلاَ تَزِدْ عَلَيْهِ ". قُلْتُ وَمَا كَانَ صِيَامُ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ قَالَ " نِصْفَ الدَّهْرِ ". فَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ بَعْدَ مَا كَبِرَ يَا لَيْتَنِي قَبِلْتُ رُخْصَةَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Leaving what does not concern you is part of the excellence of Islam.
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 .
Did you think We created you without purpose?
أَفَحَسِبۡتُمۡ أَنَّمَا خَلَقۡنَٰكُمۡ عَبَثࣰ ا وَأَنَّكُمۡ إِلَيۡنَا لَا تُرۡجَعُونَ ١١٥
Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to Us you would not be returned
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