It's About Time

From Heartbreaks to Black Holes: Musings on Time

Hi!

This time, I want to talk about time, guys. Yes, it’s about time. What exactly is time? According to the dictionary, time is the entire sequence of moments that have passed, the present, and the future. To me, time is the most mysterious thing that God has created—it’s the only scientific concept humans can’t study directly. We can’t observe time through a microscope or telescope, right? We only feel it through changes.

For example, when you first start dating, everything feels fresh, and your partner often says, “Aww, so sweet.” After a few years together, they might say, “You’ve changed.” Isn’t that true? Haha. Time is a natural tool that changes human nature. And don’t forget, people also say, “time heals everything.” So no matter how many heartbreaks you experience, time will heal you.

Speaking of time, one masterpiece that comes to mind is Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. This isn’t just a space movie—every plot point is connected to, and about, time. From travelling near the speed of light, to black holes, to gravitational time dilation, Nolan brilliantly shows how flexible and mysterious time can be.

There’s also that German scientist famous for his theories of special and general relativity, about how matter and light moving at extreme speeds affect space and time. Well, my physics is terrible, so I won’t explain it in detail—I’d probably get it wrong. But basically, if we travel close to the speed of light, our time slows down. Every object with mass curves the space-time around it, known as the geodetic effect. In Interstellar, when they land on a planet with enormous mass near a black hole, they spend only a few hours there, which equals years on Earth. Nolan shows this visually and emotionally—it’s a cinematic lesson in relativity.

But here’s something interesting—Einstein wasn’t the first to explore the relativity of time. In the 9th century, the Islamic scholar Al-Kindi had already conceptualised ideas related to time’s relativity. His thoughts are reflected in the Qur’an:

“He arranges the matter from the heavens to the earth; then it ascends to Him in a day the measure of which is a thousand years of what you count.” – QS Al-Sajdah [32:5]

“The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.” – QS Al-Maarij [70:4]

It’s clear from these verses that time is relative. Nolan’s Interstellar dramatises this same idea—time can feel differently depending on conditions.

So anyway, maybe time can bend or slow, but it cannot be reversed. Yes, remember—it can’t be turned back. Always do things that make you happy, as often as possible. Spend time with family, hang out with friends, don’t forget them when you’re successful. My advice? Don’t obsess over work. We’re given eight hours to work, so be efficient—finish everything in that time. Don’t linger in the office; life’s too short to be burdened by work we do every day. Sure, one-third of our lives is spent at work, but please! Life is far too great to waste like that! No one is really “busy” in life; it’s about priorities. Manage your time wisely. Don’t live just to work—enjoy life. Explore new places, watch exciting films (maybe Interstellar again, lol!), meet new friends, join unique communities, deepen hobbies, and do lots of other things.

Finally, make your time beneficial for others. Always think positively and spread positivity.