Setting Priorities

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Abdullah ibn Rawaha, Allah be pleased with him, was a great Companion who the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, chose to be one of the leaders in the Battle of Mut'ah against the Romans--if Zayd ibn Harith and Jaafar ibn Abdul Muttalib (Allah be pleased with them both) fell in the battle, he would take take over as the commander of the Muslim army.

The army happened to leave on Friday and Abdullah decided to first pray Jum'ah prayer at the Prophet's masjid with the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and then leave. He would have no problem catching up with the army.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw him after Jum'ah prayer and asked him what had prevented him from leaving with the army.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Do you know how far ahead your companions have gone?

Abdullah replied, "Yes, they are ahead of me by half a day."

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I swear by the Being Who controls my life, they have excelled you in virtues by a measure that is greater than the distance between the east and the west."

Abdullah was martyred at this battle after Zayd and Jaafar.

Even though Abdullah was a great companion and he is in Paradise, he had shortchanged himself in virtues by not leaving with the army when he was supposed to. He did not set his priority right. Even though, praying in Prophet's masjid and with the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, had tremendous virtue but being with the army was more virtuous. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught us the importance of setting our priorities, because if our actions are not in the right order, even between virtuous acts, your loss can be great, and in Abdullah's case, his loss was by the measure of the distance between the east and the west.

How can you catch up with such huge loss? Our basket is always full. There is so much to do in a day. It is easy, in the onrush of life, to become a reactor – to respond to everything that comes up, the moment it comes up, and give it your undivided attention until the next thing comes up. The feeling of loss of control over what you do and when is enough to drive you over the edge, and if that doesn’t get you, the wreckage of unfinished projects you leave in your wake will surely catch up with you.

So, setting priorities is crucial. It is a means to get you ahead. Not setting priorities will put you behind. How do you set your priorities? When you understand and realize why you are here and where you are going to end up (Hell or Paradise--what level?), then you will automatically know your priorities. You will not delay to act upon the ones that will bring you the most benefit to you in the next life. You will choose to do those tasks that bring you closer to Allah and leave those that can lead you astray and disobedience. You will not procrastinate, you will not give yourselves excuses, you will not put them off even if they are unpleasant.

Notice Abdullah did not choose to finish reading the news or watching a movie or ball game or saying good bye to his friends first. He chose to pray Jum'ah prayer in the Prophet's masjid (which by itself a great worship), but his choice caused him to lose tremendous virtues by a measure greater than between the east and the west. Imagine our loss when we put the commands of Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the back burner and everything else in the forefront. So, for example, when the time of prayer comes, leave everything and go and pray...don't put if off because you think there is plenty of time before the next prayer time comes.

May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam