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Chapter X: Actions after Division of Times

to enter paradise without rendering any account, let him spend his whole time in religious actions. If any man wishes to make his scale heavy with good deeds, let him spend most part of his time in doing good deeds. God says: You have got great occupations in day time. So remember your Lord at night and be engaged with undivided mind towards Him. God says: Remember your Lord morning and evening and make prostration to Him in a poTtion of the night and glorify Him long at night. God says:
Glorify your Lord before sun-rise and before sun-set and glorify Him after prostration at night . God says: Praise your Lord when you stand up and read hisTasbih at the setting of the star at night.
God says: Waking at night is the firmest foot step and fruitful in invocation. God says: Glorify Him in some portions of night and some portions of day, so that you may find consolation. God says: Establish prayer at two ends of the day and a portion of night. Surely good deeds remove evils.

God says: Or that man who expresses obedience by prostrating during the whole night and saying prayer who fears the next world and hopes for the mercy of his Lord. Say: Are those who are wise equal to the ignorant? God says: Their sides turn over their beds and they call their Lord in hope and fear.
God says: They sleep very little at night and seek forgiveness at the latter part of night. God says: Don't drive away those who call their Lord for His pleasure at dawn and at dusk.

The above verses make it clear to you that the easy way of getting God is to engage yourself in thoughts of God and to do all actio'ns regularly after division of time. For this reason, the Prophet said: Those who look at the sun, moon and shade to remember God are dear to God. God says: The sun and the moon go on according to a measure. God says: Have you not looked towards your Lord how He extends the shade? If He wished. He would have made it stationary and made the sun proof therein.
Then I draw it easily towards Myself. God says: It is He who made the stars for you, that they may show paths in the darkness of seas and lands. So think that movements are not only for the worldly actions but also to ascertain the measure of time by their help and to do business of the next world by dividing time. The following verse is its proof: He created the day and night alternately for one who wishes to remember Him or wishes to express gratefulness. This means that what the day makes

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towards loss is compensated by the night. There is no other thing between Zikr and gratefulness. God says: I have created day and night as two signs. I make the sign of day clear by removing the sign of night, so that the people may see clearly, so that you may seek grace from your Lord and may count year.

NUMBER OF DIVISIONS OF TIME

Source: Imam Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Islamic Sciences)
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