It is generally said: Time is money. And is rightly said so because every second that we lose results into a loss that can never be made good. Losing time due to laziness or thinking to pend a thing to be done later is costly - procrastinating. Before we move to the explanation why procrastination is satanic, first let us see what procrastination really means:
Procrastination is the act of delaying something that must be done, often because it is unpleasant or boring. It is a self-defeating behavior pattern that can be seen as serving a psychological purpose, especially for people with perfectionist tendencies, by protecting the individual against fear of failure, judgment by others, and self-condemnation.
We often experience delaying offering Salat / prayer in time or delaying doing something good for a later timeframe while we jump to do an evil thing right away for it provides pleasure. That is satanic for it is the endeavour of the Shaytan (Satan) to lure its target individuals into pleasurable acts by taking them away from doing the good. Let us dwell upon it in some detail:
The concepts of procrastination, delay, and laziness are discussed indirectly in the Quran and Sunnah (the teachings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him). Procrastination, in the Islamic perspective, can be seen as a harmful behavior that leads to neglecting responsibilities and duties, both spiritual and worldly.
Etymologically, “procrastination” is derived from the Latin verb procrastinare — to put off until tomorrow. But it's more than just voluntarily delaying. Procrastination is also derived from the ancient Greek word akrasia — doing something against our better judgment.
Procrastination in the Quran:
While the Quran does not mention procrastination directly, it strongly emphasizes the importance of time and immediate action in several verses. Here are some key themes from the Quran that can be applied to procrastination:
- Time is a Trust:
- Surah Al-Asr (103:1-3) speaks about the value of time and how humans are in a state of loss unless they engage in righteous deeds:
- "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."
- This highlights the importance of utilizing time for good deeds, as procrastination would lead to missing out on beneficial actions.
- Urgency in Worship and Action:
- Surah Al-Baqarah (2:2-3) emphasizes that faith and action are essential. Inaction or delay in performing good deeds, like prayer, charity, or repentance, is discouraged.
- "This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah, who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend from what We have provided for them."
- The call to immediate action in doing good is implicit in the idea of establishing prayer and giving charity.
- Procrastination in Repentance:
- In Surah Az-Zumar (39:53), Allah assures His mercy and forgiveness but advises people not to procrastinate in seeking repentance:
- "Say, 'O My servants who have harmed yourselves by your own hands, do not despair of Allah's mercy. Allah forgives all sins; He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.'"
- The verse encourages believers to turn to Allah immediately without delaying repentance.
- Procrastination and Laziness
- Procrastination stems from laziness for being lazy one tends to procrastinate good acts and then finds himself repenting when much water has flown under the bridge.
- Procrastination and laziness are also from the bad habits of the hypocrites (Munafiqs). Quran mentions about Munafiqs: When they stand for Salah (Prayer), they stand with laziness.(Sura 4, Verse 142).
- There is also an attack in Quran on groups who claimed to be Muslims but were going against the orders of the Prophet. They were mentioned that they don't come for Salah but with laziness. (Sura 9, Verse 54).
The Role of Satan in Procrastination:
Shaytan uses the trick of deception to get people to procrastinate, especially when it comes to righteousness and repentance. The common phrase “I'll repent when I get older,” is a classic example of deceptive procrastination. We fool ourselves into thinking we have plenty of time to do something in the future.
Procrastination is the evil twin of productivity, tricking us into thinking that we've all the time in the world to complete a task, when in reality this couldn't be further from the truth. The thought of doing the task follows you everywhere, causing anxiety, sleepless nights and zero satisfaction.
The Sunnah and Quran both describe how Satan entices people to delay or abandon their tasks, particularly acts of worship, by exploiting human weaknesses like laziness, distraction, and forgetfulness.
- Satan's Influence on Delay:
- In the Sunnah, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) warned against procrastination, especially in matters of worship. Satan often whispers in the hearts of believers to delay good deeds.
- Hadith from Sahih Muslim: The Prophet said, “If any one of you gets up for prayer and he is in the process of doing so, then Satan comes to him and disturbs him and whispers to him until he forgets what he intended to do. Therefore, one should not leave off prayer but should offer it immediately.”
- Satan’s Whisper to Delay Repentance:
- Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim both contain narrations where Satan tries to convince people to delay repentance and good deeds, making them feel as though they have too much time.
- Satan convinces people to think, "There is no rush, you can do it later." This mindset encourages people to neglect their duties until it becomes too late.
- Satan and Laziness:
- Satan also encourages laziness and reluctance to act. In Surah An-Nisa (4:120), Allah mentions how Satan leads people away from beneficial actions and urges them toward laziness and delay:
- “Satan promises them and arouses desire in them. But Satan does not promise them except delusion.”
- This is related to how procrastination often comes from feeling distracted by worldly desires or feeling overwhelmed by tasks.
- Satanic Target Audience:
- The Evil always target the young people for the reason that their desires, specially the sexual desires, are at their peak and enticing them and luring them into acts of wickedness and lewdness is easy.
- As hypothesized and consistent with previous studies, procrastination was highest in the youngest cohort (14–29 years). We have not found a consistent sex effect, however, only in the youngest (and most strongly procrastinating group) from 14–29 years, men procrastinated more than women.
- So youngsters are to be more on the lookout for any whispering them that take them away from their prayers / salat and tempt them to do evil.
Procrastination in Present times
I recently came a refference by someone who quoting "Sayf Productivity Network" explained procrastination as is applicable to our present times, specially attributed to the youth. Herein under is how it is explained:
- One of the most destructive traits that seem to have gained stronger momentum in recent times, especially with the advent of the Internet and other distractions, is procrastination.
- Many books have been written to tackle this enemy of productivity, and of all the solutions proffered in these books, you will not find any as effective as the solution provided in the Quran.
- One thing you need to understand as a Muslim is that procrastination is not just a trait but rather a punishment from Allah.
- Remember, your time is a ni'mah (favor) from Allah. The moment you waste it on frivolities, you lose the blessing in that time, and you tend to procrastinate.
- Another reason procrastination may be a punishment is that you delay acts of worship, specially salah.
- The acts of worship are best performed quickly and at their earliest times.
- Many Muslims today are fond of waiting to hear the Iqamah before they hasten to join Salah.
- Some will continue to scroll on their phones and will not put it down until the Imam makes Takbeer for the position of Ruku'.
- What makes you expect a productive day when you miss the Takbeeratul Ihram of the Imam, the blessings of standing with the angels on the first row, and even the recitation of Fatiha, which is considered one of the most important pillars of your prayer?
- You will not find any Muslim who hastens to do good deeds, establishes his prayer correctly, and at the earliest times (with the exception of Isha) except that they live a very productive life free of unnecessary procrastination.
- Second caliph Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, used to say, "Whoever misses his Salah finds it easier to miss other things."
- If you do not mend your relationship with Allah, you will continue to find procrastination as a companion, and your affairs will become scattered before your eyes.
- Stop wasting time reading self-help books over and over; take charge of your life and fix your relationship with Allah today.
Practical Advice from Sunnah to Overcome Procrastination:
- Take Action Quickly:
- The best way to fight procrastination is to take immediate steps to do the thing one is postponing. So every time one is tempted to procrastinate, one must do whatever it takes to do just the opposite. It may be hard in the beginning, but by repeating it over and over, one learns to break the habit.
- The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) encouraged believers to act without delay when it comes to both religious and worldly responsibilities. He said, “Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by one of seven disasters…” (Tirmidhi)
- Seeking Allah’s Help:
- The Prophet (PBUH) taught the importance of seeking Allah’s help to overcome laziness and procrastination, asking for His assistance to do good deeds in a timely manner.
- Hadith in Sahih Muslim: “O Allah, I seek refuge with You from anxiety and sorrow, from weakness and laziness…”
- Set Realistic Goals and Avoid Delaying Worship:
- One advice given by the Prophet (PBUH) is to be consistent in actions rather than procrastinating. Even if the actions are small, consistency leads to greater reward.
- Hadith from Sahih Bukhari: “The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are consistent, even if they are small.”
Thus it can be seen that it is always whispering of the Satan that makes us delay good acts and entice us to evil is certainly procrastination and a true believer should immediately attend to his prayer / salat or the good act he was intending to do to be done immediately. And if one has fallen to Satanic whispering and done something evil or haram, one should immediately repent his act and seek forgiveness from Allah, for who knows one will be alive the very next second. If someone dies without repenting one's bad deeds, it will definitely go in favour of Satan and the loser will be us. So let us always defeat evil by not delaying our prayers, good deeds and repentance.
You may now like to view a small video on Tips to Overcome Procrastination - Islamic Approach to Productivity by Mohammed Faris, founder of The Productive Muslim Company @The Productive Muslim Company, and host Dr. Safiyyah Ally to learn how to overcome that desire to put things off for another day.:
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
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