Class 2
PROCRASTINATION & TIME KILLERS
The believer is not deceived about the value of time. He knows that life is short, that death is certain, and that every day that passes can never return. And yet, despite this knowledge, many do not reach their full potential, this is Shaitaan using one of his tricks – The Time Killers.
Time killers are those habits, behaviours, and patterns that consume a person’s life without bringing him closer to Allah or benefiting him in his worldly affairs. They do not always appear sinful. Often, they appear ordinary, acceptable, and even necessary.
But Alhamdulillah Islam never speaks about human weakness in isolation. Whenever Allah speaks about the struggle of the human being, He also names the enemy. This is important, because confusion about the enemy leads to confusion about the problem.
Allah says clearly: “Indeed, Shayṭān is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy.” (Surah Fāṭir 35:6)
An enemy does not attack randomly. He studies. He waits. He chooses the strategy most likely to succeed. And one of his most commonly used weapons are getting people engaged in Time killers.
Strategy of Shaytaan
Before we get into time killers lets study a little about the strategy of our clear enemy.
To achieve his goal of dragging mankind with him into Hell he does whatever it takes. His path with the son of Ādam is one of calculated stages, beginning with the most destructive objective: casting mankind into shirk and kufr by means such as invoking the dead, seeking aid from other than Allah, and practicing magic. This is because shirk is the greatest of all sins; whoever meets Allah upon it will never be forgiven nor removed from the Hellfire. When Shayṭān succeeds in this, he is fully satisfied.
If he fails to lead the servant into shirk, he then beautifies bid‘ah—innovations in the religion which have no foundation in the Qur’ān or Sunnah. Sufyān ath-Thawrī said, “Bid‘ah is more beloved to Shayṭān than sin, for one may repent from sin, but not from bid‘ah.” The innovator imagines his action to be worship and therefore does not repent, as Allah says, “Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in respect to deeds? Those whose effort is lost in worldly life while they think they are doing good” (Soorat al-Kahf 18:104).
If Shayṭān is unable to trap the believer through innovation, he calls him to major sins, foremost among them abandoning the prayer—especially if the person is followed by others. If the believer remains steadfast, Shayṭān then invites him to minor sins, whose danger lies in their accumulation. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ warned against this, saying: “Beware of the insignificant sins… Verily, the person who commits these sins will be seized by them and destroyed” (Musnad Aḥmad).
If this plot fails, Shayṭān distracts the servant with permissible matters that carry no reward, or makes him delay and procrastinate in doing good deeds. Or keeps him occupied with lesser virtuous deeds instead of what is more beloved to Allah, causing him to miss greater reward. Should the believer still remain firm, Shayṭān attempts to corrupt his worship through whispers and doubts, as the Prophet ﷺ said: “When the call to prayer is pronounced, the Shaytan runs away breaking wind loudly, so that he will not hear the adhaan. When the call to prayer ends, he comes back, but when the iqaamah starts, he runs away. And when the prayer begins, he comes back until he whispers into the heart of the person, and says to him, ‘Remember such and such, remember such and such - things that he did not remember before the prayer until he does not know how many raka’ahs he has prayed.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhāri).
If all of this fails, Shayṭān turns to harming the servant through persecution, imprisonment, or slander, seeking to weaken his resolve—just as many scholars of the Sunnah have been tested for their steadfastness upon the truth.
Thus, the enmity of Shayṭān toward the son of Ādam is constant and unceasing. When he is unable to lead the servant into clear falsehood, he turns to more subtle weapons—procrastination, delay, and wasting time—causing good deeds to be postponed and opportunities for righteousness to slip away. How many acts of obedience are lost not due to rejection, but due to “later” and “soon”, until the heart becomes hardened and death arrives unexpectedly. It is therefore obligatory upon the believer to be vigilant against these traps, to value time as a trust, and to hasten toward obedience and productivity for this life and the next. Shayṭān’s plots are weak against those who are sincere, mindful, and swift in responding to the truth.
What Are Time Killers?
Now that we understand a little about Shaitaan and his tricks let us try and understand what Time killers are and how it is used to against us.
Time Killers are anything that repeatedly consumes large portions of a person’s life without benefit for their Dīn or their Dun̄yā, and without necessity.
They may be actions that are:
permissible in origin but excessive
harmless in appearance but destructive in repetition
comfortable, familiar, and difficult to abandon
The Salaf used to fear wasted time more than they feared poverty, because wealth can be replaced, but time cannot.
A person may lose money and recover. He may lose status and regain it. But a moment of life that passes is gone forever.
Procrastination
The First and Greatest Time Killer
Among the most dangerous time killers is procrastination - a weapon of Shaitaan. Procrastination is delaying what should be done now, without a valid excuse, while assuming there will be time later.
Allah describes the human soul: “Indeed, the soul is ever inclined toward evil, except those upon whom my Lord has mercy.” (Surah Yūsuf 12:53)
Shayṭān says: “Later.”
He says: “When things settle.”
He says: “You still have time.”
Allah exposes this deception: “Shayṭān promises them and arouses desire in them, but Shayṭān does not promise them except delusion.” (Surah An-Nisā’ 4:120)
Procrastination preserves the feeling of righteousness while delaying or sometimes even destroying righteous action. A person feels safe because he has not refused obedience — he has only delayed it.
This is why the Prophet ﷺ said: “Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by trials…” (Sahih Muslim)
Why We Procrastinate — Even When We Care
Most people who procrastinate are not careless or insincere. They care deeply. They intend to do good. They want to improve. And yet, they delay, because doing what is right often requires effort, discomfort, and consistency.
The nafs prefers what is easy and immediate. Growth, discipline, and consistency feel heavy to it. Procrastination becomes a way to avoid that heaviness without openly rejecting goodness.
In everyday life, this looks ordinary. A person delays prayer because they want to finish what they are doing. They delay important work because it feels mentally demanding. They delay self-improvement because it feels overwhelming.
These do not feel sinful. They feel reasonable. This is exactly why procrastination survives — it allows a person to remain comfortable while convincing themselves they still care.
But over time, repeated delay hardens the heart. Missed opportunities become normal. Guilt loses its sharpness. Responsiveness to reminders weakens. And a life slowly reshapes itself.
How Delay Gradually Shapes a Life
Shayṭān does not usually attack faith directly. He attacks momentum.
He does not tell a believer to abandon prayer. He encourages them to pray later. He does not tell a person to stop improving. He tells them to wait until circumstances are better.
Delay is one of Shayṭān’s most effective tools because it preserves good intention while eliminating good action. Procrastination does not destroy faith in one moment. It reshapes a life through repetition. A person continues to believe they are sincere, so they do not feel the urgency to repent or correct themselves.
Repeated delay trains the heart to tolerate inconsistency. Guilt becomes familiar. Missed opportunities become normal. Over time, responsiveness to reminders weakens.
Allah warns against this quiet loss when He says: “Let not your wealth and your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that — then those are the losers.” (Surah Al-Munāfiqūn 63:9)
Breaking Procrastination
Modern Research + What Islam Already Taught
Immediate Relief vs Long-Term Benefit
Psychologists explain that the brain prefers immediate reward over delayed benefit. Checking the phone, chatting, or engaging in entertainment gives quick relief. Hard work, discipline, and worship often give delayed reward.
Islam addresses this imbalance directly by training the believer to prioritise the Ākhirah over the immediate comfort of the Dunyā.
Allah says: “But you prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is better and more lasting.” (Surah Al-A‘lā 87:16–17)
The Power of Small Starts
Modern research consistently shows that people are more likely to begin a task when it is broken into small, manageable steps. Large, undefined goals overwhelm the mind and trigger avoidance.
Islam never demanded dramatic beginnings. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are consistent, even if they are small.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
This is not merely spiritual advice — it is practical instruction. Small actions lower resistance. Consistency builds momentum. Over time, what was once difficult becomes natural.
This is how prayer itself was legislated — repeated daily, fixed in time, and broken into manageable units.
Action Before Motivation
Another observation from behavioural science is that motivation often follows action, not the other way around. Waiting to “feel ready” increases procrastination. Beginning, even without motivation, often generates the energy to continue.
Islam does not link obedience to emotional readiness. Prayer is not delayed until a person feels inspired. It is performed when its time enters. This teaches a foundational principle: obedience precedes emotion. Discipline shapes desire, not the other way around.
Accountability Changes Behaviour
Studies show that people are more consistent when they feel accountable.
Islam grounds accountability in the strongest reality possible: standing before Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The feet of the son of Adam will not move on the Day of Judgment until he is questioned about his life and how he spent it…” (Tirmidhi, Hasan Sahih)
This awareness transforms behaviour. A believer does not merely ask, “Do I feel like doing this?” He asks, “What will I answer Allah?”
Islamically
Islam does not fight procrastination with motivation or emotional pressure. It breaks procrastination through structure, timing, and consistency.
This is why the most important acts of worship are tied to time, not mood. Prayer is not delayed until a person feels ready. It is anchored to specific moments in the day. When the time enters, negotiation ends.
Consistency dismantles procrastination because it removes decision-making. The nafs thrives on negotiation. Structure starves it.
Islam also breaks procrastination by starting small.
Most importantly, A Muslim knows he/she is being watched, every action is written, we know that we have to stand in front of our Lord and answer. That is a time that we cannot play around, we cannot delay, we cannot make excuse, each body part will tell its own story.
And last but not least, as Muslims we are warned about being questioned but also given hope in the Mercy of Allah that He is the Most Merciful the Ever Forgiving. So Islam combines accountability with mercy.
OTHER TIME KILLERS
Time Wasting: When Life Is Spent Without Intention
Another major time killer is time wasting. Time wasting is not always sin. Often, it is permissible actions done without limit, purpose, or awareness, until they consume the heart and the hours.
Free time is not empty time. It is opportunity. In real life, time wasting appears as:
excessive phone use
endless entertainment
long conversations without benefit
constant consumption of information without action
None of these are necessarily haram individually. But when they dominate a person’s life, they lead to loss.
Allah warns: “Let not your wealth and your children distract you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that — then those are the losers.” (Surah Al-Munāfiqūn 63:9)
Distraction is dangerous because it feels justified. A person remains busy, but the heart becomes heedless.
Excessive Speech & Unnecessary Socialisation
Among the time killers warned against by Islam are excessive speech and unnecessary socialisation. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
The Salaf used to count unnecessary speech as a loss, because every word consumes time and every moment will be accounted for.
Excessive talking, unnecessary meetings, and constant social engagement quietly drain time and energy. Not every conversation is harmful, but not every conversation is necessary.
In daily life, this looks like hours lost to gossip, venting, or repetitive discussions that change nothing. Shayṭān uses this to scatter focus and delay meaningful action.
Non Beneficial Information/Knowledge
Another modern time killer is information overload. People consume lectures, posts, podcasts, and advice endlessly, yet apply very little. Knowledge increases, but transformation does not.
Islam values knowledge deeply — but only knowledge that leads to action.
The Prophet ﷺ sought refuge from knowledge that does not benefit. This teaches us that unacted-upon information can itself become a distraction, creating the illusion of progress while preventing real change.
Nowadays, many people are seeking knowledge just so they can argue and debate or worse to refute other scholars, this is not a sign of beneficial knowledge. Knowledge makes a person humble and makes them implement it not argue with arrogance.
Read about Signs of beneficial Knowledge : https://learn-islam.org/class-4-signs-of-beneficial-nonbeneficial-knowledge
Free course on Seeking Knowledge : https://learn-islam.org/seeking-knowledge
The Effects of Time Killers on the Heart and Mind
Time killers do not only affect productivity. They affect the heart. A life spent in distraction produces restlessness, anxiety, dissatisfaction, and heaviness in worship.
Allah says: “Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.”(Surah Ar-Ra‘d 13:28)
This is why many people feel exhausted without effort, anxious without cause, and empty despite comfort. Their bodies may rest, but their hearts do not.
Allah warns: “And do not be like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves.” (Surah Al-Ḥashr 59:19)
On Mental and Emotional Well-Being
Time wasting does not only affect productivity or spirituality. Over time, it begins to affect the state of the mind and heart.
Many people today describe feeling constantly tired, mentally foggy, restless, anxious, or dissatisfied — even when their lives appear comfortable. Islam helps us understand why.
When time is spent without intention, the heart loses its sense of direction. And when direction is lost, restlessness takes its place. Allah says: “Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (Surah Ar-Ra‘d 13:28)
Notice that Allah links rest to remembrance — not merely calmness, but inner settling. When large portions of time are filled with distraction, noise, or meaningless activity, this remembrance quietly disappears. The result is not peace, but agitation.
In real life, this looks like a mind that is constantly occupied but rarely satisfied. A person scrolls, watches, chats, and consumes content for hours, yet feels emptier afterward. The activity was meant to relax them, but instead it left them mentally scattered.
Over time, this creates:
chronic dissatisfaction
self-criticism without change
a sense of “I’m always behind”
The Prophet ﷺ warned us about heedlessness when he said: “The world is cursed, and everything in it is cursed, except the remembrance of Allah and what is connected to it.” (Tirmidhi, Hasan Sahih)
This does not mean the world is evil. It means that a life filled without remembrance — without purpose — leaves the heart unsettled.
Mental Overload Without Meaning
Modern time wasting often involves overstimulation rather than idleness.
Constant notifications, endless content, and rapid switching between tasks overload the mind while giving it nothing to anchor to. Islam encourages depth, not constant surface-level engagement.
When time is filled with shallow consumption, the mind becomes noisy but unfocused. People struggle to concentrate in prayer, sit with their thoughts, or remain present in conversations.
This is why many people feel anxious when they are finally still. Stillness exposes the emptiness created by constant distraction.
Islam teaches us that stillness is not something to fear — but it becomes uncomfortable when we have trained ourselves to avoid it.
Loss of Purpose and Emotional Flatness
One of the most damaging effects of time wasting is the gradual loss of purpose.
When days are filled with meaningless things and actions, people begin to feel disconnected from their own lives. They move through routines mechanically. Motivation drops. Joy feels muted.
Allah warns us against living in this state: “And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves.” (Surah Al-Ḥashr 59:19)
Forgetting Allah does not always mean disbelief. It often means living without awareness, intention, or direction. And when that happens, a person slowly loses touch with their own inner self.
This is why Islam insists on intentional use of time — not to burden us, but to protect our mental and emotional well-being.
Looking Ahead
This class was about recognising the killers of time — procrastination, distraction, heedlessness, and habits that consume life without benefit.
In the next class, we will turn to protection. We will study how the Prophet ﷺ structured his day, how he guarded his time, and how the Sunnah creates discipline, balance, and barakah.
TIPS FOR THE TEST
Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
Remember the tricks and how they effect us. More importantly try to implement what you read.
ASSIGNMENT
There will be an Assignment Question asked in the Test. Marks will be given based on the following: -
I. Invite atleast 10 people to the course (can invite via WhatsApp, Facebook, Email, telegram or word of mouth) 4 Marks. (check the note below for exceptions)
Note:
Those who have already invited whether on Whatsapp, Email or FB, do not need to invite again.
It does not matter, whether people join or not, our job is to invite.
II. Reflect on yourself and make changes in your actions/attitude to make better use of Time by using any of the tips given this course. 5 Marks.
III. Talk to 3 people (friends or family) about any three topics from the course - (5 Marks)
IV. Pray for the Ummah, pray for the ease of all the poor & oppressed Muslims and Maghfirah of the Muslims who passed away. Pray that Allah make us all strong in imaan and give us the hidayah to work for the aakhirah and to help each other. - 1 Mark
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