Ya Sahib al-Sittin

Ya Sahib al-Sittin (Oh One Reaching Sixty) is an Islamic moral and spiritual treatise written by the Saudi author Ali ibn Sa'id ibn Husayn ibn Dajam in Jumada al-Ula 1425 AH (July 2004 CE) in Abha Ya Sahib al-Sittin. The book serves as an ethical and religious exhortation directed at Muslims who have reached or exceeded sixty years of age, counseling them on preparing for the Hereafter while maintaining balance in worldly life Ya Sahib al-Sittin.

Background and Purpose

The treatise was composed in response to requests from acquaintances, designed as a companion and complement to an earlier epistle by the author entitled Ya Ibn al-Arba'in (Oh Son of Forty) Ya Sahib al-Sittin+1. The author clarifies at the outset that the treatise does not call for despair, pessimism, or the complete renunciation of worldly life, but rather urges increased devotion toward the afterlife as physical vigor declines and one approaches the natural conclusion of life Ya Sahib al-Sittin.

Structure and Content

The book is structured into several thematic chapters containing scriptural proofs, scholarly commentaries, historical reports, and poetry:

• The Significance of Sixty Years: The work opens by examining why sixty years is marked in Islamic tradition as the onset of elderhood (shaykhukha) and the stage of life wherein God leaves no excuse (i'dhar) for neglecting repentance and obedience, citing the hadith reported by Abu Hurayrah: أعذر الله إلى امرئ أخر أجله حتى بلغه ستين سنة ("God leaves no excuse for a person whose lifespan He delays until he reaches sixty years of age") Ya Sahib al-Sittin+1.
• The Sixty in the Quran and Sunnah: The author examines Quranic exegesis surrounding the verse: أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُمْ مَا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَنْ تَذَكَّرَ وَجَاءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ ("Did We not grant you life enough so that whoever would remember could remember, and there came unto you the warner?") [Fatir: 37], citing classical authorities such as Ibn Abbas, al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, and al-Qurtubi who held that the lifespan mentioned refers to sixty years Ya Sahib al-Sittin+1.
• Sayings of the Righteous: The book compiles reflections and anecdotes regarding reaching sixty from figures such as Isa (Jesus), Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, Tawbah ibn al-Simmah, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, Jabir ibn Zayd, and al-Fudayl ibn Iyad Ya Sahib al-Sittin+2.
• Perceptions Among Other Nations: It details historical attitudes and social care toward elders in other societies, citing reports recorded by Ibn Battuta about monasteries in Constantinople and societal traditions in China Ya Sahib al-Sittin+1.
• Gray Hair (al-Shayb) and Aging: The author reviews prophetic traditions and legal rulings on gray hair, the prohibition of plucking it or dyeing it black, the recommendation to dye it with henna or katam, and its metaphorical role as a visual reminder of mortality Ya Sahib al-Sittin+1.
• The Sixty in Literature and Poetry: The work includes poetic verses on the milestone of turning sixty, attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ibn Khafajah, and others Ya Sahib al-Sittin.
• Notables Who Died in Their Sixties: The treatise mentions prominent early figures who died at around sixty years of age, including Umar ibn al-Khattab, Khalid ibn al-Walid, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, al-Awza'i, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, and Ibn al-Qayyim Ya Sahib al-Sittin+1.
• Pitfalls to Avoid: The author enumerates eight specific warnings for those entering elderhood: excessive jesting and frivolous talk, giving reckless or false testimony, excessive vanity or pretending to be youthful (al-tasabi), indulgence in worldly lusts, keeping corrupt company, unnecessary or immoral travel, excessive anxiety over sustenance and stinginess, and embarking on burdensome financial ventures that drain remaining years Ya Sahib al-Sittin+3.

Practical Advice and Conclusion

The work concludes with a series of spiritual and practical recommendations for the elderly:

1. Frequently making supplications reported from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ regarding old age and a good ending Ya Sahib al-Sittin+1.
2. Increasing in remembrance (dhikr) and seeking forgiveness (istighfar) Ya Sahib al-Sittin.
3. Seeking religious knowledge, noting that learning has no age limit Ya Sahib al-Sittin+1.
4. Focusing heart and mind on the Hereafter Ya Sahib al-Sittin.
5. Writing a legally sound Islamic will (wasiyyah) without committing injustice (mudarrah) to heirs Ya Sahib al-Sittin+1.
6. Maintaining ties of kinship (silat al-arham) Ya Sahib al-Sittin.
7. Seeking pardon and resolving grievances from anyone one may have wronged Ya Sahib al-Sittin.
8. Ensuring lawful earnings, food, and drink Ya Sahib al-Sittin.
9. Establishing a structured daily routine of worship, including early congregational prayers, voluntary fasting, reciting the Quran, attending study circles, and securing continuous charity (sadaqah jariyah) to outlive oneself Ya Sahib al-Sittin+2.