What can you do in a minute...

What Can You Do in One Minute?
Praise be to Allah.

Time is of the essence, it is too precious to be wasted or neglected.
The wise person is the one who pays attention to his/her time and does
not treat it as a vessel to be filled with cheap things and vain talk.

Instead, he/she limits it to worthy efforts and righteous deeds that
please Allah and benefit other people. Every minute of a person's
life carries the potential to raise his/her own status and to make
his/her people happier, little by little.

If you are keen to attain the highest position, and bring the most
happiness to your people, then forget about relaxing and keep away
from empty amusement.

In one minute you can do a lot of good and earn much reward. In just
one minute, by giving in charity, studying, memorizing, or striving to
do good deeds, you can make sure that this minute of your life is not
wasted. One minute may be recorded in your book of good deeds if you
know how to make the most of it and take care of it:

Strive to make the most of each minute

If you forget it, you forget the most important thing, the truth.
There follows a list of things that can be done in one minute, by the
permission of Allah:

1. In one minute you can recite Soorat al-Faatihah 3 times, reciting
rapidly and silently. Some scholars said that the reward for reading
al-Faatihah is more than 600 hasanahs, so if you read it 3 times you
will, by the permission of Allaah, gain more than 1800 hasanahs - all
of that in one minute.

2. In one minute you can recite Soorat al-Ikhlaas (Qul Huwa Allaahu
Ahad) 20 times, reciting rapidly and silently. Reciting it once is
equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan. If you read it 20 times it is
equivalent to reading the Qur'aan 7 times. If you read it 20 times in
one minute each day, you will have read it 600 times in one month, and
7200 times in one year, which will be equal in reward to reading the
Qur'aan 2400 times.

3. You can read one page of the Book of Allaah in one minute.

4. You can memorize a short aayah of the Book of Allaah in one minute.

5. In one minute you can say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa
shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in
qadeer (There is no god except Allaah alone with no partner; to Him be
dominion and praise, and He is Able to do all things) - 20 times. The
reward for saying this is like freeing 8 slaves for the sake of Allaah
from among the sons of Ismaa'eel.

6. In one minute you can say Subhaan Allaahi wa bi hamdihi (Glory and
praise be to Allaah) 100 times. Whoever says that in one day will be
forgiven for his sins even if they are like the foam of the sea.

7. In one minute you can say Subhaan Allaahi wa bi hamdihi Subhaan
Allaah il-'Azeem (Glory and praise be to Allaah, glory be to Allaah
the Almighty) 50 times. These are two phrases which are light on the
lips, heavy in the balance and beloved to the Most Merciful, as was
narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.

8. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When
I say 'Subhaan Allaah, wa'l-hamdu Lillah, wa laa ilaah ill-Allaah, wa
Allaahu akbar (Glory be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no
god except Allaah, and Allaah is Most Great)', this is more beloved to
me than all that the sun rises upon." (Narrated by Muslim). In one
minute, you can say all of these words more than 18 times. These words
are the most beloved words to Allaah, the best of words, and they
weigh heavily in the balance of good deeds, as was narrated in the
saheeh ahaadeeth.

9. In one minute you can say, Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billaah
(there is no strength and no power except with Allaah) more than 40
times. This is one of the treasures of Paradise, as was narrated by
al-Bukhaari and Muslim. They are a means of putting up with
difficulties and of aiming to achieve great things.

10. In one minute you can say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah approximately 50
times. This is the greatest word, for it is the word of Tawheed, the
good word, the word that stands firm. If these are the last words of a
person, he will enter Paradise, and there are other reports which
indicate how great these words are.

11. In one minute you can say Subhaan Allaah wa bi hamdih, 'adada
khalqihi, wa ridaa nafsihi, wazinata 'arshihi, wa midaada kalimaatihi
(Glory and praise be to Allaah, as much as the number of His creation,
as much as pleases Him, as much as the weight of His Throne and as
much as the ink of His words) more than 15 times. This words bring
many more times the reward for other forms of tasbeeh and dhikr, as
was reported in saheeh ahaadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him).

12. In one minute you can seek the forgiveness of Allaah more than 100
times by saying "Astaghfir-Allaah (I seek the forgiveness of Allaah).
The virtues of seeking forgiveness are no secret, for it is the means
of attaining forgiveness and entering Paradise, and it is the means of
being granted a good life, increasing one's strength, warding off
disasters, making things easier, bringing rain and increasing one's
wealth and children.

13. You can say a few brief and concise words in one minute, and
Allaah may bring about some good through them that you could never
imagine.

14. In one minute you can send blessings on the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) 50 times by saying Sall-Allaahu
'alayhi wa sallam (May Allaah bless him and grant him peace). In
return Allaah will send blessings upon you 500 hundred times because
one blessing brings ten like it.

15. In one minute you can motivate your heart to give thanks to
Allaah, to love Him, to fear Him, to put hope in Him, to long for Him,
and thus travel through the stages of 'uboodiyyah (total enslavement
to Allaah). You could do this when you are lying on your bed or
walking in the street.

16. In one minute you can read more than two pages of a useful book
that is easy to understand.

17. In one minute you can uphold the ties of kinship by calling a
relative on the phone.

18. You can raise your hands and recite any du'aa' you wish from the
books of du'aa', in one minute.

19. You can say salaams to and shake hands with a number of people in
one minute.

20. You can forbid an evil action in one minute.

21. You can enjoin something good in one minute.

22. You can offer sincere advice to a brother/sister in one minute.

23. You can console someone who is depressed in one minute.

24. You can remove something harmful from the road in one minute.

25. Making the most of one minute motivates you to make the most of
other periods that would otherwise be wasted.

Al-Shaafi'i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: When people go to
sleep, I let my tears flow, and I recite a verse of the most eloquent
poetry. Is it not a waste that nights go by and I do not increase in knowledge, yet this time is counted as part of my life?

Finally, the more sincere you are towards Allaah and the more aware
you are of Him, the greater will be your reward and the more your
hasanaat will increase.

Note that most of these actions will not cost you anything; they do
not require tahaarah (purity) and they will not tire you out or take
much effort. On the contrary, you can do them whilst you are walking,
or in your car, or lying down, or standing, or sitting, or waiting for
somebody.

These actions are also among the greatest means of attaining
happiness, expanding the chest (i.e., bringing relief and joy) and
removing stress and anxiety. May Allaah help us and you to do that
which He loves and which pleases Him. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad.