The Five Before Five Hadith: Prophetic Advice That Will Change Your Life

The Five Before Five Hadith: Prophetic Advice That Will Change Your Life

If you’re a Muslim looking for tips to make the most out of your time, make Islam your ultimate source for learning about productivity.

By following the example of Prophet Muhammad SAW and his sahabas RA, you will find all the productivity tips you need to change your life. And this five before five hadith is one of them.

The five before five hadith is so simple, yet so transformational in the way you live your life. It highlights five key stages of your life to take advantage of before five other events take those away.

What is the five before five hadith?

In a hadith narrated by Abdullah Ibn Abbas RA and reported by Al Hakim, Muhammad SAW gave advice to a man which was to ‘Take benefit of five before five: Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied, and your life before your death.’ (1) (2) (3) (five before five hadith)

Through this prophetic advice given through the ‘five before five hadith’, we have been told exactly what stages of life to take advantage of so we can thrive as Muslims.

So, what exactly do you need to do in each of these stages in the five before five hadith? And is it too late if you’ve missed some of them?

Youth before old age

Muhammad SAW said that there will be seven groups of people who will be given a special shade under Allah’s throne on Judgement Day. (5)

One of the people who will be shaded under the throne of Allah SWT on the day when there will be no shade will be the youth who grew up worshipping Allah SWT, and dedicated their time to Him. (2,3, 5)

The culture of YOLO – you only live once – is an illusion. You don’t need to ‘try everything.’ Because, you don’t only live once. You have the life after death which is everlasting and eternal.

Set up good life-long habits whilst you are young so they are easy to maintain later on. Stay away from bad places, bad behaviours and negative influences and move towards the good influences (like friends who will push you to be a better Muslim), good places (the Mosque) and good behaviours (worshipping Allah SWT, visiting family, taking care of your body).

While you have the energy, do the most you can to strive in the path of Allah SWT.

Use this time wisely to work hard on your religion, dreams and goals.

Here are some examples of habits related to the five before five hadith to cultivate now that will help you make the most of your youth (that will also benefit you later on in life):

Engaging in worship – perfecting your Salah, creating a routine of Adhkar/ Dhikr, reading and memorising the Qu’ran, learning more about Islam, giving to charity, volunteering in charity events, doing voluntary fasts, taking care of your parents, having a halal income

Being socially aware – learning about the world, helping your neighbours and local community, charity work

Taking care of yourself – physical health, mental health, studying hard, working on your dreams/ goals (halal), building your wealth for the sake of Allah

Taking care of others – spending time with your family, spending time with your spouse, visiting relatives

And remember, Islamically, youth is considered anyone up to the age of around 40. (5)

So, just because you’re not in your twenties anymore, it doesn’t mean you can’t make the most out of this time.

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Health before sickness

Muhammad SAW highlights how important your health is when he said: ‘whoever among you wakes up secure in his property, healthy in his body and he has food for the day, it is as if he were given the entire world.’ (6)

Having good health is truly a form of wealth. Whilst you have good health, work on bettering and maintaining it. Take care of your health, both physical and mental, so that you can make the most of this time to be a better Muslim.

Build habits while you are young/ healthy so that it becomes your usual routine. For example, wake up before Fajr and pray Tahajjud. You could sit and make Adhkar and read the Qu’ran. Be consistent with this and turn it into a routine.

When you’re healthy, waking up in the middle of the night to splash yourself with cold water and have less sleep may be hard but it won’t be as hard as when you’re sick.

Be consistent with your routines and have good habits while you have good health because Muhammad SAW said that if you become ill later on and can no longer carry on following this routine you will get the same reward as if you were still doing those habits because it was part of your normal routine. (2, 3)

Just because you are fine now doesn’t mean you’ll stay the same way forever.

Some people are born without sight, hearing or limbs. Some people develop life-threatening diseases that changes the way they live later on. Other people’s lives transform in a single instant – a car crash, a fall or simply waking up one day and feeling that something isn’t right. Or it could be as simple as reaching an elderly age and being frustrated that you’ve become dependent on others to do things.

While it may not be you now, it could very well be you at some point or another.

Some habits to work on while you have good health (inspired by the five before five hadith):

Build routines – have a good morning routine (wake up early and pray Tahajjud and Fajr, read Qu’ran and do Adhkar), have a good prayer routine (be timely with your prayers, do all your sunnah prayers, read long Surahs and take your time), do voluntary fasts, visit the sick and needy, volunteer, create a Qu’ran reading routine (same time every day will make you more consistent) etc.

Maintain your good health – have a nutritional diet, exercise, take care of your mental health

Help others – help the elderly, be proactive and don’t become lazy and sluggish

Be grateful for your good health and thank Allah every day and often

Wealth before poverty

Similarly to health, when you have an abundance of wealth and it is constantly increasing, you might forget about the possibility that it could all end.

But that money you have isn’t yours. It is Allah’s property that He (SWT) has entrusted you with and he is testing you with how you use it. Therefore, you are accountable over how this money is spent and are responsible for it.

It is fine to enjoy your money however, it is more important to be mindful. Enjoy and spend on your family and close ones but don’t be over the top.

In one night out, the meal for the entire family could be up to £100, if not more. Consider this, only £30 could feed a family for a whole month in other countries.

In Surah Baqarah, Allah SWT says in verse 261: ‘The example of those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah is that of a grain that sprouts into seven ears, each bearing one hundred grains. And Allah multiplies ˹the reward even more˺ to whoever He wills. For Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.’ (10)

See how Allah SWT is Al Kareem الْكَرِيمُ (The Most Generous, The Most Esteemed)? (11)

Spending your wealth for the sake of Allah will bring you even more rewards than if you were to spend it on yourself.

Saying that, the reward from giving charity doesn’t depend on how much you give but the level of sincerity. So, even if you don’t think you can give as much money as others don’t worry! Be sincere that you are giving the money away for the sake of Allah and you will be rewarded well for it. (7)

Charity also acts as a shield from the punishment on the Day of Judgement, as well as the fire. (7)

As a result, don’t be precious over your money as it wasn’t yours to begin with. Allah SWT also doesn’t need your worship or charity, you need Him. Use the opportunities He has given you to be a better Muslim.

How to use your wealth in Islam (inspired by the ‘five before five hadith’:

Fulfill your Zakat obligations and give to charity regularly (be sincere when you give it, don’t show off about how much money you are giving. This is between you and Allah)

Save well and have an emergency fund

Have a halal income and invest in Shariah-compliant companies

Help close ones as well as others financially if you have the means to

Free time before preoccupation

You know what I’m going to talk about, right?

Scrolling on your phone, social media, technology, video-streaming apps, online games etc.

All these things are unhelpful not only to your spirituality but even in the dunya itself!

Sure, you can use these things for enjoyment. But, if ten minutes become thirty, thirty minutes becomes an hour, and an hour becomes hours, you really need to re-evaluate what you are doing with your precious time.

You should be controlling technology, not the other way round. How is this tech making you scroll for hours when YOU said 15 minutes?

This is time that you will NEVER get back again, so use it wisely!

Instead, use you free time to learn important Duas, engage in morning and evening Adhkar, do Dhikr, read the Qu’ran, do voluntary fasts, memorise a section of the Quran, learn about Prophet Muhammad SAW’s life.

You could also learn to paint, watch documentaries on topics that interest you, study a new language, exercise, listen to a podcast, help your Mum with the cooking, check up on your Nan, do some self-care, go for a walk and enjoy some fresh air etc.

There’s literally SO MUCH to be done apart from scrolling all day.

The whole world is out there waiting for you! Go out and live your own life. Don’t live it through someone else’s social media feed.

Put time in for worship but also spend time on yourself and others. This is one of the duties Allah SWT has bestowed upon you.

The Prophet SAW said there are two blessings that Allah SWT has given us that we waste. These are time and health. (2,3,8)

Furthermore, one of the questions you will be asked on the day of Judgement will be how you spent your time. (2, 3)

So if you have to, set timers on your social media apps, delete them completely or keep your phone away during certain times of the day. Take your time back and stop procrastinating.

Unlike health and wealth and even youth (which lasts a number of years), time is something that cannot be earned back. It goes away, every day, every minute, every second.

Another great gift that Allah SWT has give us is that if we pass the test of taking advantage of free time to do good deeds and get into good routines, Allah SWT rewards us for the intention to do these things when we don’t have free time. This is because if we had the free time, we would’ve continued doing those good deeds that we typically did. (8)

Useful things to do in your free time (inspired by the ‘five before five hadith’):

Engage in sincere worship

Make time for others and yourself

Make good, God-conscious friends

Take care of your health

Build Islamic knowledge as well your knowledge about the world

Limit procrastination and get disciplined with your time (through identifying bad habits and eliminating them, creating schedules, time blocking etc.)

Life before death

If you think you have left all the stages above and you have wasted all your chances of being productive at these peak times, think again, as you still have your life before death!

Even if you feel like you’ve done a lot of wrong things in life, don’t feel discouraged and give up. No matter how many obstacles you have faced in life always return to Allah, repent and try your best to be better. If you give up and turn away from Islam, that’s when you truly have failed.

Feeling regret shows that you have realised your wrongdoing, it’s a sign that you’re getting closer to Allah SWT. (4)

Be hopeful in the mercy of Allah and believe that He loves you and will forgive you if you sincerely repent for your bad deeds.

Don’t let the days go by without trying to make something of them.

Seize your days and be the best Muslim you can possibly be, no matter your past, before it is all over.

How to take advantage of your life before death (inspired by the ‘five before five hadith’:

All of the points mentioned above however, if there are certain things you can no longer do due to being older, having poor health, having less wealth, and not as much free time be sincere and do what you can. Repent to Allah SWT constantly, be sincere in all your efforts and have conviction in His mercy.

Now that you know of the important stages of life mentioned in the five before five hadith, sit down and plan.

How can you fit more time in for Ibadah? How can you use your energy in your youth to worship Allah better? How can you work on your health? How can you use your free time for the sake of Allah? How can you work on your life overall to be a better Muslim?

Plan and implement these good actions and Insha Allah your efforts will be fruitful and pleasing to Al-’Alee الْعَلِيُّ, The Most High, The Exalted.

SOURCES (The Five Before Five Hadith: Prophetic Advice That Will Change Your Life)

The Five Before Five Hadith: Prophetic Advice That Will Change Your Life

The Five Before Five Hadith: Prophetic Advice That Will Change Your Life