Every Day is a New Page
In the Quran, Surah Ibrahim verse 5, Allah SWT affirms that all days belong to Him: “Wa dzakkirhum bi ayyaamillahi,” which means, “And remind them of the days of Allah.”
Even if the meaning refers to His blessings or the events that occur within them, the use of the word ‘ayyam’ (days) at least makes us understand that all days are under the power of Allah. Furthermore, the grammatical structure is mudhaf-mudhafilaihi, implying a direct attribution to Allah, ‘ayyamullahi’, illustrating its sanctity. Therefore, truly unfortunate is the human who stains its purity.
“Biyadihil mulk”—in His hands lies all sovereignty. In His hands lie all days. Among those days, Allah has appointed a leader, known as “sayyidul ayyam.” The day referred to is Friday.
Consequently, Allah revealed Surah al-Jumu’ah (Friday) as evidence of His greatness. On Fridays, there are guidelines for Muslims to increase acts of worship, including reading Surah al-Kahfi and sending blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad SAW.
In essence, every day can be likened to a blank white page that has yet to be filled. It is up to us, as humans, to fill it. Imam Hasan al-Bashri recounted that with every change of day, there is a call, yet we often fail to hear it:
“O humanity, I am a new day; I record all your deeds, and I shall not return until the Day of Resurrection.”
This demonstrates that a single day is like one page of our lifespan. Each person fills it with their respective actions. If the deeds are good, goodness is recorded: “Famayya’mal mitsqaala dzarratin khairayyarah.”
Conversely, if they are bad, badness is recorded: “Wamayya’mal mitsqaala dzarratin syarrayyarah,” as stated by Allah in Surah al-Zalzalah verses 7-8. Eventually, on the Day of Judgment, these pages will be gathered into the book of deeds.
Therefore, Allah Ta’ala commands us to constantly perform good deeds. In Surah at-Taubah verse 105, He says, “Wa quli’maluu fasayarallahu ’amalakum wa rasuuluh,” meaning, “Say, [O Muhammad], ‘Work, and Allah will see your work, and His Messenger’.”