I The following is a series explaining the famous five before five Hadith. The lessons are excerpts of what Yasir Birjas, a da'ee in North America, mentioned in his lecture. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was blessed with concise speech. The words he spoke were few, but the meanings were great. The speech might be succinct, but the benefits and the blessings that can be derived from them are innumerable. One such is the Hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to a man: “Take advantage of five before five: Your youth before your old age; your health before your illness; your wealth before your times of poverty; your spare time before you get busy; and your life before your death.” (Hakim, 4/306, and Musnad Ahmad – authentic) The Arabic word Ightanam (“take advantage”) is used to indicate any good that can be obtained without much effort. It also comes from the root that signifies sheep – Ghanam. This is because the nature of sheep is such that they can easily be caught when they go astray. This is why the war booty left on the battlefield after the defeated army flees is called Ghaneemah. It is easy to take it without much effort. Ghaneemah, Ightanam, and Ghanam are all from the same root letters. It is as if the Prophet (peace be upon him) is pointing out that these five matters are very easy to obtain. They are easy to prey on and catch, and very simple to benefit from. That is because they are treasures that everyone possess, but few appreciate. 1. Youth before your old age The Prophet (peace be upon him) used the word Shabbab or Shab for youth. And he used the word Haram for old age, which may even mean senility. In this age, the person does not have the physical or mental faculties that he had while he was young. Youthfulness is the time when a person is energetic. He lays out the foundation for his future and plans for his life. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to take advantage of this time before the time comes when you do not have that enthusiasm, when you do not have that zeal, or that outlook. The enthusiasm and energy that you have been blessed with will never again return to you (in this worldly life). Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to seize the moment and take advantage of it. A person should exercise this energy for the sake of Allah by procuring knowledge of Allah, obtaining Halaal sustenance, and worshipping Allah through acts that he might not be able to do later on in life. Youth here does not mean the Western concept of youth and that youthfulness finishes when someone is 18 or 19 years old. In the Islamic Shariah, our life has been divided into a number of sectors or stages. Shabbab or Shab, according to the strongest opinion, means before reaching the age of 40. This is because at 40 one is at the prime of life, when mental and physical capabilities have reached a peak, and after that they start to go down. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah will give shade to seven, on the Day when there would be no shade but His. ” One of the seven types of people the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned was the youth who grew up in the worship of Allah. Remember, youthfulness is up to the age of 40. So this young person was raised – or has raised himself – to be busy in the worship of Allah. Likewise, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said in an authentic Hadith that Allah is pleased with and amazed at the youth who does not have evil inclinations. This means he does not do evil. Allah loves such a youth who is straight in the worship of Allah and does not turn to the paths of Shaitan. Allah loves this person and is amazed at him because in general it is the youth, due to their virility and strong desires, who swerve away from the path of the worship of Allah.
