Assalamu Alaikum, my dear friend,

It was during one of my morning gym routines—somewhere between reps and deep breaths—that a hadith began echoing in my heart. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

"There are two blessings that many people waste: health and free time."
(Sahih al-Bukhari)

SubhanAllah. It struck me, not just for its truth, but for its timelessness. The Prophet ﷺ could have mentioned so many things—wealth, youth, relationships—but he specifically chose time and health. And here we are, 1400 years later, with every modern comfort at our fingertips, yet still wasting those same two gifts.

I started thinking deeply about why. Why these two? And what’s the connection between them?

Let’s start with time. Time is the one blessing that’s been distributed with absolute fairness. No matter your race, religion, income, or where you live—every human being gets 24 hours in a day. No more, no less. From prophets to presidents, from scholars to students—we’ve all had the exact same daily allowance.

Health, on the other hand, is not as equally distributed. Some have more, some less. But the reality is, most of us have enough. Enough strength, enough energy, enough capability to use our time meaningfully. When we’re in good health, we’re able to move, think, speak, serve, reflect, and grow.

But here’s where it gets profound:

When you waste your time, you often waste your health too.

Think about it. Scrolling endlessly on social media may seem like a “time issue,” but it also chips away at your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Sleep suffers. Posture deteriorates. Focus fragments. Emotions get hijacked.

And all the while, both blessings—time and health—are slipping away.

That’s when I realized: the Prophet ﷺ wasn’t just pointing to two separate blessings. He was warning us about their interconnectedness.

Time allows us to use our health. Health allows us to make the most of our time. Wasting one often leads to wasting the other.

Think of someone in perfect health but stuck in endless distractions—what good is that health if their time is drained away? Or someone who has all the time in the world while recovering from an illness—but can’t do much with it because their energy is low, their body is weak, or their mind is clouded.

One depends on the other. They feed each other. And when we protect both, we’re far more likely to live a life of purpose and presence.

Now, I’m not writing this to guilt anyone. Rather, this is a reflection I needed for myself—and maybe it’s one you need too. We live in a world where wasting time is easier than ever. But so is making a change.

So I leave you with this thought:

What’s one small thing you can do today that honors both your time and your health—whether physical, mental, or spiritual?

Maybe it’s taking a short walk instead of a scroll. Maybe it’s going to sleep 30 minutes earlier. Maybe it’s listening to Quran instead of YouTube noise.

Whatever it is, let it be a step towards gratefulness in action.

Because if these are the two most wasted blessings, then cherishing them might just be two of the most powerful paths to barakah—in both worlds.

May Allah subuhanawut’ala make us people who value what matters most, before it’s gone.

With love and gratitude,
Rushdhi

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