Reports of the pious predecessors performing extraordinarily large amounts of worship, such as praying 500, 600, or even 1000 rakʿas in a day, become far more understandable when two key factors are kept in mind: disciplined use of time, and the divine blessing of baraka.

1. Disciplined use of time and extraordinary time-management

Many people underestimate how much can be accomplished with focused attention and conscious use of time. Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ Abū Ghudda compiled an entire work, Qīmat al-Zamān ʿinda al-ʿUlamāʾ, documenting how scholars and righteous individuals of the past were intensely protective of their time and filled every moment with meaningful action. Those who prayed such large numbers of rakʿas, performed immense acts of worship, or authored hundreds of works within relatively short lifespans were precisely the people who lived with this kind of intentionality.

Rather than wasting time, which has sadly become second nature in our era, many of them would minimize even necessities like food and sleep to maximize the time they could devote to worship and beneficial pursuits.

Imam Ḥammād b. Salamah, a prolific muḥaddith, was described by his student Imam ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Mahdī as someone who, were he told he would die tomorrow, would not be able to increase his good deeds at all, because he was already using his time to its fullest.^[1] When one reflects on this mindset, performing such amounts of worship becomes far easier to conceptualize. Even in our own lives, we experience moments, such as right before an exam, when we push ourselves and accomplish far more than we thought possible. These individuals lived their entire lives with that level of focus and discipline.

2. The spiritual dimension: baraka in time

Alongside disciplined effort, there is undoubtedly a spiritual element. Just as Allah ﷻ created time, He created our experience/perception of time, and He may expand it for whom He wills.

Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī al-Thānwī addressed this very point by citing Mawlānā Qāsim al-Nānotwī’s insight that time has both a ṭūl (linear movement) and an ʿarḍ (lateral extension). The ṭūl of time refers to its outward, measurable flow, meaning the hours, minutes, and days that everyone experiences. The ʿarḍ of time, however, is not visible to ordinary perception. It is within this expanded experience of time that the great scholars and saints were able to accomplish such immense acts.^[2] This is essentially the baraka that Allah ﷻ places in a person's time.

When disciplined use of time is combined with divine baraka, the achievements of our predecessors become easier to comprehend. Even in our own era, we meet righteous individuals who are so deliberate with their time that Allah ﷻ places tremendous baraka in their hours, enabling them to achieve remarkable amounts of worship, study, and service.

May Allah ﷻ grant us the ability to value our time, use our moments in ways that please Him, and bless our time with baraka. Āmīn.

And Allah knows best.

Mawlana Muhammad Bilal Khizar
Student, Darul Iftaa Chicago

Reviewed and approved

Mufti Abrar Mirza
Head Mufti, Darul Iftaa Chicago