Shaikhul Hadith, Moulana Muhammad Saleem Dhorat Sahib حفظه الله mentions,
“My dear brothers! Those who valued time and saved themselves from futile activities were able to do a lot for their Hereafter, and left behind a vast legacy for the Muslim nation. When we look at their living legacy and contributions, it is not difficult for us to estimate the intense vigilance with which they spent their time.
Yahya ibn Maeen رحمه الله was a distinguished Muhaddith. He wrote one million Ahadith of Rasululluh صلى الله عليه وسلم with his own hands.
Allamah Ibn Jarir at-Tabari رحمه الله is well known to us. Three hundred and fifty eight thousand pages of Islamic sciences flowed from his pen.
Allamah Nawawi رحمه الله is the commentator of Sahih Muslim and the author of Riyad us Saliheen. He lived only to the age of 45. Despite this, when his written works are calculated, they work out to four notebooks being written daily.
Allamah Sayyid Mahmad Alusi Baghdadi رحمه الله is the author of Tafsir Ruhul Ma’ani. He used to conduct 24 lessons in a day. And he used to teach 13 lessons in a day when he was occupied with his tafsir and the issuing of fatawa. When he completed his work at night, he would write his tafsir and hand over whatever he had written to his scribes. It is said that he used to write so much at night, that it used to take ten hours for several scribes to transcribe it.
As per the bequest of Allamah Ibnul Jauzi رحمه الله, when he passed away, only the
shavings of his reed-pens which were used for writing Ahadith were used to light the fire to heat
the water for his ghusl. After heating the water, there were shavings which were still left over.
From this we can gauge that if so much shavings were collected only for the writing of Ahadith, how many more reed pens must have been used for writing the other sciences!
The famous Muhaddith, Ibn Asakir رحمه الله, wrote Tarikh Dimishq which is in 80 volumes. Despite his academic occupations, he used to pay full attention to worship. Out of the month of Ramadan, he used to complete one recitation of the Qur’an every week; and in Ramadan he used to complete one recitation daily.
These are the achievements of our pious forbears. They valued the precious moments of life by virtue of which they left behind a treasure for the Muslim nation which it will take benefit from until the day of Resurrection, and which will – Insha Allah – be continually added to their scale of deeds.
My dear brothers! Study history and you will learn that an important feature behind the progress of the successful personalities of this world is their valuing of time and using it in the correct manner.”
(Sound Admonitions v.1 pg.131)