Dear beloved Isoccer,

We have lost touch, I’m afraid. The years have passed, the world of work has engulfed me, and I can merely reminisce of those blessed days when I was part of the universe of university. For truly, though the prospect of no longer being a student, of no more coursework and no more exams may seem appealing, realise that these tests are negligible compared to those that await you when you cross that inevitable bridge and adulthood is thrust upon you.

Your time left as a student is now limited – a year or two I believe – and so I would like to share a story with you that I once heard. A teacher bought an empty vase to his class and placed it on his desk. He filled it with ping pong balls, and then asked his students, “Is it full?” They all replied, “Yes”. He then took a bag of marbles and emptied it into the vase. He smiled and asked the students, “Is it full?” They smiled back and replied “Yes”. He then took a bag of sand, poured the sand into the vase, and said, “Now it is full.”

Likewise with time. Most students fill their vase only with ping pong balls. Isoc’ers add the marbles. Unfortunately, most of us stop there. We are so convinced that there cannot be any space left that we don’t add the grains of sand – those small, isolated acts which we often give least priority to and hence often never actually happen – like helping a friend who is having trouble on your course, or helping your mother with the housework, or visiting a relative that is ill.

My dear Isoccer, I would like you to pay close attention to the following verse of our noble Qu’ran. Let the words permeate your mind and sink into your heart.

Say: “Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works. They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight.” [18: 103-105]

My dear Isoccer, it is impossible for us to predict the worth of our actions. However there is an indicator which can help us to determine which of our actions Allah chose to accept.

I have a question for you: What is barakah?

- Blessing, you said?

- Yes, but what is blessing?

It is where water collects – what leads to the continuation of goodness. Your actions that have the most barakah are those which lead you to more good. And remember that there is no time limit for when the benefit will be reaped. Perhaps it may not come until the Hereafter.

My dear Isoccer – allow me to return to the allegory I described to you earlier – maybe one of those ping pong balls is made of glass, maybe one of the marbles is made of lead. Only Allah knows the weight of each of our actions.

Maintain the company of those who inspire you to be active. Realise that these holidays may be the last “long holidays” you are blessed with, and that you cannot afford to waste a single minute. The clock is ticking my dear Isoccer, so start acting.

Jabir ibn Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) relates that, “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was never asked anything whatsoever to which he said no.” [Bukhari and Muslim]