One Minute

 

What can you do in One Minute?

by Sheikh Mohammad S. Al-Monajjid

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  In one minute you can do a lot of
good and earn much reward. In just one minute, by giving in charity, studying,
memorizing, or striving to do good deeds, you can make sure that this minute
of your life is not wasted.  One minute may be recorded in your book
of good deeds if you know how to make the most of it and take care of it: 

  Strive to make the most of each
minute

 If you forget it, you forget the
most important thing, the truth.

  There follows a list of things that
can be done in one minute, by the permission of Allaah:

1.     In one minute
you can recite Soorat al-Faatihah 3 times, reciting rapidly and silently.
Some scholars said that the reward for reading al-Faatihah is more than
600 hasanahs, so if you read it 3 times you will, by the permission of
Allaah, gain more than 1800 hasanahs – all of that in one minute.

 2.     In one
minute you can recite Soorat al-Ikhlaas (Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad) 20 times,
reciting rapidly and silently. Reciting it once is equivalent to one-third
of the Qur’aan. If you read it 20 times it is equivalent to reading the
Qur’aan 7 times. If you read it 20 times in one minute each day, you will
have read it 600 times in one month, and 7200 times in one year, which
will be equal in reward to reading the  Qur’aan 2400 times.

 3.     You can
read one page of the Book of Allaah in one minute.

 4.     You can
memorize a short aayah of the Book of Allaah in one minute.

 5.     In one
minute you can say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk
wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer (There is no god except
Allaah alone with no partner; to Him be dominion and praise, and He is
Able to do all things) – 20 times. The reward for saying this is like freeing
8 slaves for the sake of Allaah from among the sons of Ismaa’eel.

 6.     In one
minute you can say Subhaan Allaahi wa bi hamdihi (Glory and praise be to
Allaah) 100 times. Whoever says that in one day will be forgiven for his
sins even if they are like the foam of the sea.

 7.     In one
minute you can say Subhaan Allaahi wa bi hamdihi Subhaan Allaah il-‘Azeem
(Glory and praise be to Allaah, glory be to Allaah the Almighty) 50 times.
These are two phrases which are light on the lips, heavy in the balance
and beloved to the Most Merciful, as was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.

 8.     The Prophet 
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When I say ‘Subhaan
Allaah, wa’l-hamdu Lillah, wa laa ilaah ill-Allaah, wa Allaahu akbar (Glory
be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god except Allaah, and Allaah
is Most Great)’, this is more beloved to me than all that the sun rises
upon.” (Narrated by Muslim). In one minute, you can say all of these words
more than 18 times. These words are the most beloved words to Allaah, the
best of words, and they weigh heavily in the balance of good deeds, as
was narrated in the saheeh ahaadeeth.

 9.     In one
minute you can say, Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah (there is no
strength and no power except with Allaah) more than 40 times. This is one
of the treasures of Paradise, as was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
They are a means of putting up with difficulties and of aiming to achieve
great things.

 10. In one minute you can say Laa
ilaaha ill-Allaah approximately 50 times. This is the greatest word, for
it is the word of Tawheed, the good word, the word that stands firm. If
these are the last words of a person, he will enter Paradise, and there
are other reports which indicate how great these words are.

 11. In one minute you can say Subhaan
Allaah wa bi hamdih, ‘adada khalqihi, wa ridaa nafsihi, wazinata ‘arshihi,
wa midaada kalimaatihi (Glory and praise be to Allaah, as much as the number
of His creation, as much as pleases Him, as much as the weight of His Throne
and as much as the ink of His words) more than 15 times. This words bring
many more times the reward for other forms of tasbeeh and dhikr, as was
reported in saheeh ahaadeeth from the Prophet  (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him).

 12. In one minute you can seek the
forgiveness of Allaah more than 100 times by saying “Astaghfir-Allaah (I
seek the forgiveness of Allaah). The virtues of seeking forgiveness are
no secret, for it is the means of attaining forgiveness and entering Paradise,
and it is the means of being granted a good life, increasing one’s strength,
warding off disasters, making things easier, bringing rain and increasing
one’s wealth and children.

 13. You can say a few brief and concise
words in one minute, and Allaah may bring about some good through them
that you could never imagine.

 14. In one minute you can send blessings
on the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 50 times
by saying Sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (May Allaah bless him and grant
him peace). In return Allaah will send blessings upon you 500 hundred times
because one blessing brings ten like it.

 15. In one minute you can motivate
your heart to give thanks to Allaah, to love Him, to fear Him, to put hope
in Him, to long for Him, and thus travel through the stages of ‘uboodiyyah
(total enslavement to Allaah). You could do this when you are lying on
your bed or walking in the street.

 16. In one minute you can read more
than two pages of a useful book that is easy to understand.

 17. In one minute you can uphold
the ties of kinship by calling a relative on the phone.

 18. You can raise your hands and
recite any du’aa’ you wish from the books of du’aa’, in one minute.

 19. You can say salaams to and shake
hands with a number of people in one minute.

 20. You can forbid an evil action
in one minute.

 21. You can enjoin something good
in one minute.

 22. You can offer sincere advice
to a brother in one minute.

 23. You can console someone who is
depressed in one minute.

 24. You can remove something harmful
from the road in one minute.

 25. Making the most of one minute
motivates you to make the most of  other periods that would otherwise
be wasted.

  Al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy
on him) said:

  When people go to sleep, I let my
tears flow, and I recite a verse of the  most eloquent poetry

 Is it not a waste that nights go
by and I do not increase in knowledge, yet  this time is counted as
part of my life?

  Finally, the more sincere you are
towards Allaah and the more aware you  are of Him, the greater will
be your reward and the more your hasanaat will  increase.

 Note that most of these actions will
not cost you anything; they do not  require tahaarah (purity) and
they will not tire you out or take much effort.  On the contrary,
you can do them whilst you are walking, or in your car, or  lying
down, or standing, or sitting, or waiting for somebody.

 These actions are also among the
greatest means of attaining happiness,  expanding the chest (i.e.,
bringing relief and joy) and removing stress and  anxiety. May Allaah
help us and you to do that which He loves and which  pleases Him.
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.