Time: Divine Concept

universal timing varies from serial timing

 Time in its divine concept is sign of One Who is always present—Omnipresence being the marked feature—Samad in Quranic idiom, as laid down in the Holy Verse:

Allah, the Eternal, Absolute (112:2) 

Time in its divine concept is an organic whole, without past, present or future, which is a feature of serial timing needed for our material needs. Divine timing is free of such bindings; it is a measure of Universal Governance, the setting of Cosmic Pattern. Omnipresence has an element of Pre-existence---Presence before anything else existed. Call it the Universal Truth, the Ultimate Reality, the Infinite. A ‘Hadith’ (edict) of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) relates not to abuse Time, as it is related to divinity:

Yuzeni ibn Adam Yusubu Al-Dahar Ana Al-Dahr…Says Allah, you trouble me, if you abuse time; I am the time 

Allama Iqbal’s concept of time sprang from his religious belief. He put this edict in a couplet of rare beauty:

Zindagi az Dahar va Dahar az Zindagi Ast

La sabut-ul-Dahr Farman Nabi (A.S) Ast

In translated form it may be put as:

Life springs from time and time from life

Don’t abuse time, so said the Prophet (A.S)

Once life is related to time, it denotes Creativity, hence related to Creator. Time thus is an attribute of the Creator, Who is ever and always involved in His artful endeavour of Creation, as also for sustenance of whatever He Creates, as long as He wishes it to sustain. The artful endeavour is laid down in yet another Holy Verse, which explains the phenomenon: 

‘’All that are in the heavens and earth entreat Him. Every day He exerciseth (universal) power’’ (55:29)

It is the exercise of His Power, which governs the universe, it works with timely precision