Lessons from Nahjul Balagha: Drop your bad habits and stop the procrastination
“If you could see that (which) has been seen by those of you who have died, you would be puzzled and troubled. Then you would have listened and obeyed; but what they have seen is yet curtained off from you. Shortly, the curtain would be thrown off. You have been shown, provided you see and you have been made to listen provided you listen, and you have been guided if you accept guidance. I spoke unto you with truth. You have been called aloud by (instructive) examples and warned through items full of warnings. After the heavenly messengers (angels), only man can convey message from Allah. (So what I am conveying is from Allah).”[viii]
Make every day a day to improve yourself in one manner or another, no matter how small you think it is. “Work for this life as though you are going to live forever. Work for the Next life as though you will die tomorrow.”[ix] Time does not stop for anyone- if you have a bad habit then make sure you start acting from NOW to promise yourself you will take actions to stop it. You don’t know what is going to be your last day on this earth, so try not to put things off, which you can do right now when you have the chance. Build relations with your family, do things to progress your faith before it is too late and (make…if you haven’t already…then) tick off your bucket list! “He whom death overtakes early calls for more time, and he whose death is deferred continues to put forth excuses with further procrastination.”[x] As a student I am the first to hold my hands up to procrastinating for revising or writing up notes etc. but “Beware of procrastination for verily it is the sea in which losers drown.”[xi]
