I was born in the year 1980 and 1400 was the year in the Islamic calendar. It is easier to know my age in the Islamic calendar as “00” would be the year that I was born. It is now 1444 so that would make me 44 years of age. However, in the gregorian calendar 2022, It would make me 42 instead of 44 as the lunar calendar is shorter than the solunar calendar. Regardless, I am in my 40s.
There are so many things that are said about the number 40. In Islam, it is a very significant number. 40 days and even 40 years were mentioned in the al-Quran. Our prophet Muhammad ﷺ became a prophet, A messenger of Allah ﷻ at the age of 40. We will see that the age of 40 is an age of maturity and the middle age of someone’s life. Contrary to that, we hear the phrase, “Life begins at 40” in the secular world. Maybe some of us have heard of the joke, “recycled teenager” for someone who reached the age of 40.
In the al-Quran, Allah ﷻ mentioned about what should a 40-year-old person do:
سُوۡرَةُ الاٴحقاف
أَعُوْذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيم
وَوَصَّيۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٲلِدَيۡهِ إِحۡسَـٰنًاۖ حَمَلَتۡهُ أُمُّهُ ۥ كُرۡهً۬ا وَوَضَعَتۡهُ كُرۡهً۬اۖ وَحَمۡلُهُ ۥ وَفِصَـٰلُهُ ۥ ثَلَـٰثُونَ شَہۡرًاۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ ۥ وَبَلَغَ أَرۡبَعِينَ سَنَةً۬ قَالَ رَبِّ أَوۡزِعۡنِىٓ أَنۡ أَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٲلِدَىَّ وَأَنۡ أَعۡمَلَ صَـٰلِحً۬ا تَرۡضَٮٰهُ وَأَصۡلِحۡ لِى فِى ذُرِّيَّتِىٓۖ إِنِّى تُبۡتُ إِلَيۡكَ وَإِنِّى مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ (١٥)
“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship And she brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty months, till when he attains full strength and reaches forty years, he says: “My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my off-spring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims (submitting to Your Will).” (15)”
Surah Al-Ahqaf, the 15th ayah.
Maturity should not just kick in at the age of 40. It should be the peak of someone’s faith at the age of 40. Perhaps, this is the age, one should be very serious about his afterlife. We had our fun and joy when we were younger. It will never be enough until you realise that it is too late. If one were to start learning about his religion earlier, maybe at the age of 30, he would have enough momentum to give his everything in submission to his creator.
Looking at life from the perspective of a 40-year-old man would definitely be different from those who are in the 20s. Being realistic, a 40-year-old man would know that the youthfulness would have faded and the capabilities and strength would not be the same as the younger self. Perhaps, priorities will change too. Families are closer than friends, health seems to be more important as compared to wealth and the circle of people around him will be smaller but are made of those who are of qualities of the same direction and mission in life. This will be the phase where one would practice what he had been preparing for; the real life begins.
A 40-year-old man would not look cool hanging out with youths in pubs and clubs. He could pass off as a father and a kid, especially if he is balding. Some would start to have grey hair and it would make them easily mistaken for some uncle in their 50s. All these great reminders should ditter one from sinning and it should actually make them closer to the remembrance of death instead. Not to continue with the legacy and reliving the past where a youth would live his life to the fullest like “there is no tomorrow”.
We should all be concerned if we could not recognise the letters of the Arabic words and could not read the Al-Quran. We should be ashamed of ourselves if a child would know his Creator better than any of us. Take the opportunity that we are given today to study the religion and prepare for the hereafter. We should not wait until we turn 60, and that is if we actually make it. A 60-year-old would have a hard time letting go of having fun and joy. It will be even tougher to learn the religion at such an old age. The old grouchy self would perhaps give up on the religion and would surrender to the devil نعوذ بالله من ذلك.
May Allah ﷻ make us wiser as we age, more knowledgeable as we get older and eventually make us have a good death in obedience and faithfulness towards Allah ﷻ by following the teachings of our beloved prophet Muhammad ﷺ.