Surah al-Asr

Dr. Israr Ahmed

Translated by Yousuf Raza

Disclaimer: This is merely the first draft of the translation. If there are any ambiguities or mistakes
please point them out and email at usufraz@gnail.com

Four introductory points

1. One of the shortest Surahs of the Qur’an comprising only 3 ayaat; no surah contains less than
three. Coincidentally there are three Surahs of the Qur’an that comprise three ayaat. The first of
these ayaat is actually one word.

2. One of the earliest to be revealed. The first ayah from Surah Hud reads;

‫ت ِمْن َلُدْن َحِكيٍم َخِبيٍر‬

ْ ‫صَل‬ ْ ‫ب أ ُْحِكَم‬
ّ ُ‫ت آَياُتُه ُثّم ف‬ ٌ ‫الر ِكَتا‬
011.001 Alif, Lam, Rar. (This is) a Book, with verses basic or fundamental (of established
meaning), further explained in detail,- from One Who is Wise and Well-acquainted (with all
things).

Implying that short and comprehensive declarations are revealed first and then the elaborations
for the very same are detailed in subsequent longer Surahs.

3. One of the miraculous features of the Qur’an is how amazingly complex and intricate realities
and philosophies of life are succinctly expressed in the simplest terms. And this Surah is a
brilliant example of that.

4. It is the most comprehensive surah of the Qur’an. The subject of the Qur’an is guidance; what is
the straight path? Surah al-Asr is like the seed which carries the Pure Tree of Al-Qur’an in it.

a. Which is understood from the narration that:

(Tabarani; Mu’jam al-awsat and Baihaqi;Sha’ub al-Iman)

 “Whenever two of the companions of the Messenger Ē met, they wouldn’t separated except that
one would recite Surah al-Asr to the other, then they would say salam to each other.”

This gives us an idea of how attached the sahaba were to this surah.

b. Ibn Kathir recorded in his tafsir that Imam Shafi’ee said:

“If people were to ponder over just this surah it would suffice them”

c. Mufti Muhammad Abduh mentions in his tafsir of Juzz ‘Amma that Imam Shafi’ee said:

“If nothing were revealed in the Qur’an except it (Surah al-Asr) it was sufficient for
mankind”

Just like Surah al-Ikhlas holds the most important position in terms of tawheed this surah in my
view is the most comprehensive surah as far as guidance is concerned.

Overview
A close look at the Surah reveals that even though it comprises three ayaat they are in reality just one
simple statement.

1. The first ayah comprises an oath; and we all know that an oath is incomplete if we’re not told
why and for what it’s being taken.

2. The second ayah is the core of the subject matter of this surah. It identifies the human tragedy;
that every single being is in a state of loss.

3. The third ayah mentions the exception; and again that cannot be a complete sentence in itself
unless you know what it is an exception to.

4. So the simple statement, roughly translated, basically reads thus:

“Time bears witness, that without a doubt, every single human being is most certainly in a state
of loss, except those who believe and act righteously and mutually exhort one another to the
truth and mutually exhort one another to patience.”
If we ponder over this one statement, or rather engrave it on our hearts and etch it out on our minds
and think over it a little we will realize four realities.

1. The Height of Emphasis

The reality pronounced in this surah is emphasized to the greatest degree possible in the language.
Following are some of the points of emphasis:

ْ ‫َواْلَع‬
o ‫صِر‬
o ‫إِّن الْنَساَن َلِفي ُخْسٍر‬
َ ‫ص ْوا ِباْلَحّق َوَتَوا‬
‫ص ْوا‬ َ ‫ت َوَتَوا‬ ّ ‫ِإل الِّذيَن آَمُنوا َوَعِمُلوا ال‬
ِ ‫صالَِحا‬
‫صْبِر‬
ّ ‫ِبال‬

i. The Surah begins with an oath and we all know that an oath is used to emphasize
something important. Even though we attest that the Qur’an is the word of Allah and
everything in it is of the utmost importance but still certain points requiring extra
emphasis are preceded by a relevant oath.

ii. The second ayah begins with a word that even beginner level students of Arabic would
identify as that which implies emphasis, “Inna”! It is usually translated to mean
“Certainly”, “Most definitely”, “Without a doubt”.

iii. Then the “la” in “la-fee khusr” is also used to accentuate the effect of “Inna” in a
sentence.

iv. There are others but just to keep things simple we won’t get into those. Suffice to say
that grammarians recognize that every possible way to emphasize the importance of
this statement has been employed.

2. The Qur’anic Standard of Success and Failure

The second reality that even slight reflection over this statement reveals is the standard of success
and failure. Everyone living in this world is struggling and striving towards some standard of success
that he or she has in their mind. A quick look around and we would notice that it’s usually wealth,
social status, fame, property etc. These are the standards based in which we classify people as
successful or failures. But in stark contrast to our worldly standard this surah tells us that success is
not based in any of these parameters but rather success is defined according to four parameters;
Iman (Faith), ‘Aml Salih (Righteous deeds), Tawasee bil Haq (Mutual exhortation towards truth) and
Tawasee bis Sabr (Mutual exhortation towards patience).

So if someone doesn’t have two square meals a day, no clothes to adequately cover himself, no roof
over their head but still he’s blessed with these four, according to the Qur’an, he is successful. On
the contrary if someone has the kingdom of Namrud or Pharoah, or the wealth of Qarun, or even
everything else the world has to offer, but he is deprived of the light of Iman, the wealth of ‘Amali
Salih and the power of tawasee bil haq and tawasee bis Sabr, then that person is an absolute failure
and a loser.

Knowing this reality is perhaps not as hard as living by it. A human being cannot live in this world
without being influences by his surroundings. When a brand new model of a Ferrari speeds past you,
you cannot help but gawk at it with yearning and when you pass by a mansion you cannot control
but turn around and appreciate the architecture. It’s a weakness of our human state that we cannot
possibly live in this world without being bedazzled by its glamour and glitter. Therefore it is
imperative that after accepting this Qur’anic standard of success and failure we return to it again
and again, remind ourselves of it time and time again and drill it in our minds as frequently as
possible. This is manifested in the lives of the Sahaba Ė and we understand as to why they used to
recite this surah to each other whenever they met.

3. These are the minimum requirements for salvation!

The third important reality that exhibits itself by a mere superficial perusal of this surah is that we’re
not talking about the highest stations of success but rather the very lowest level. These are the bare
essentials for salvation from the state of loss humanity is generally engrossed in. Anything less than
these and there is no salvation! Had it been said that people with these four qualities would be
granted high levels in this world and in the next then we might have thought that those falling short
of these four may at least achieve salvation from the loss. Maybe if some had two they might
attained lesser levels but would’ve succeeded nevertheless. But the way the reality has been
expressed here leaves absolutely no doubt that these are only the bare minimum; the passing
marks.

4. All four criteria are imperative!

The last and most important of all is the realization that each of the four criteria mentioned for
salvation are all equally important; no one has the right to exclude even a single one of these.
Because this is the word of Allah! We cannot even imagine that there is any exaggeration in any
way; or just make the surah flow or the rhyme one or two things were added; absolutely not! Every
letter is in its own place final and definitive! There is no room for any additions or subtractions at all;
this is the word of Allah!

If a doctor prescribed his patient with four essential medicines then it is obvious that each of the
four is important. Sometimes in a prescription one medicine is there to counteract the adverse
 effects of another. So if someone based on their own unqualified minds decides to remove
components of that prescription than it doesn’t remain the doctor’s prescription it becomes a
product of that person’s own mind; and if doesn’t cure the patient than the fault rest with the
patient himself. It may well be that prescription, short of becoming a cure, becomes a poison.

Removing a Misconception

So it becomes obvious from this Surah that the four criteria for the human salvation are all equally
important and irreplaceable. This is important for us to recognize because the degradation and pathetic
state of affairs that we face today as an Ummah, is for a large part due to the idea that Iman alone is
enough for our salvation, and even that we relegate to the legal definition of Iman which is “Iqrarun bil
lisan” i.e. attestation with the tongue is enough to lay claim to Paradise. Majority of our population is a
victim to this misconception that the kalima that we inherited, for which he didn’t have to struggle,
didn’t sacrifice or adopt anything and never bothered to act according to its demands, is sufficient.
Obviously when this idea penetrates the mind that we have a claim to paradise just by saying a few
words from our mouths then why would anyone bother to burden themselves with the obligations of
religion, struggling for it etc. This misconception delivered the ummah from any concern for action or
righteous deeds.

As for the tawasee bil haqq and tawasee bis Sabr is concerned the entire Ummah has collectively
ignored these responsibilities. The obligations of Daw’ah ila Allah, ‘Amr bil Ma’roof Nahi ‘anil munkar,
Jihad fi Sabilillah and Shadat ‘ala an-Naas, have been obliterated from our idea of religion. All these
wishful beliefs have been vehemently rejected in just this one surah; “The fleeting passage of time bears
witness, that without a doubt every single human being is in a definite state of loss, except those who
believe and act righteously and mutually exhort one another to truth and mutually exhort one another to
patience.”

This is why Imam Razi, in his famous tafsir, very comprehensively explains in the context of Surah al-Asr
that:

“Know! That in this ayah is a very stern promise and warning. Because Allah has decreed loss and failure
on all of mankind! Except those who fulfill these four things; faith, righteous deeds, mutual exhortation
towards truth and mutual exhortation towards patience. Therefore we are guided to understand that
salvation is dependant on combining all four of these.”

Sanity pleads!
We can understand the logical relationship between these four criteria with a simple example.
Whenever an important matter presents itself to a person, the right way to go about it would be to try
you very best to verify the facts as much as you can. When he does that and understands its reality than
any logical and sane person would accept it. And even if accepting it means they have to suffer some
personal loss or bare with someone’s displeasure then so be it; he should still accept and adopt it since
he knows the reality. The next step from here would be that he then announces it to others and invites
them to it. The last stage would be that even if people oppose him, make fun of him or even threaten his
life he should still remain steadfast and persevere in his calling.

Socrates discovered some truths. He accepted and proclaimed them. In the course of all this his life was
threatened but he remained steadfast and eventually gave up his life for it. For any person of character
this is the only course that can be taken. If at any stage a person gives up this path he exhibits the
weakness of his character and proves that he just looks like a human but is devoid of the essence of
humanity.

So these were a few obvious realities that we learn from this surah. By just thinking about this surah
anyone can understand these easily. This is the basic guidance that this surah offers by the way of
“tadhakur”. Let us now delve deeper into the subjects of this surah.

Two levels of understanding the Qur’an

At this point let’s highlight the two levels of understanding the Qur’an; “tadhakur bil Qur’an” and
“tadabbur bil Qur’an”.

“Tadhakur bil Qur’an”, literally means to be reminded with the Qur’an, is to excise the fundamental
lesson from an ayah or a surah. From this aspect the Qur’an is a very easy and open book. The Qur’an
claims for itself:

‫َوَلَقْد َيّسْرَنا اْلقُْرآَن ِللّذْكِر َفَهْل ِمْن ُمّدِكٍر‬

054.017 And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that
will receive admonition?

Tadabbur is to ponder and reflect deeply. To dive deeply into every word of the Qur’an and pay
attention to the grammatical and linguistic subtleties while trying to truly ponder over them. The Qur’an
is fathoms deep from this regard. No human is capable of truly fulfilling the right of pondering and
reflecting deeply over the Qur’an. People can spend their entire lives in trying but can never claim to
have encompassed the depths of Qur’anic wisdom and knowledge.

Let’s now turn our attention to ponder deeply over the ayaat of Surah al’Asr.
Ponder!
The second ayah is the core of this surah. It states that human being is in khusar “la fee khusar”. This is
not a loss of a few hundred thousand or so but rather this is destruction and doom. There are multiple
words used in the Qur’an for success but for all of them mostly their opposite has been khusar or one of
its derivatives.

This human tragedy expressed in this ayah can be understood at two levels. At the first level we see that
struggling and pain is part and parcel of this worldly life. Different types of calamities continue to fall on
different people at different times. Majority of the human population is based on a people who labor a
tiresome labor throughout the day but are still unable to fulfill the basic requirements for themselves
and their families. On top of this sometimes the love for children makes them cry, the desire for wealth
and other failed desires frustrates them. Despair, anxiety and frustrations mar human life. If a sensitive
person looks at the state of human affairs then he goes through something of what Gautum Budh went
through where he forsook all his kingdom, wealth and comfort just to find out the reason for human
suffering and the solution for it. The Qur’an comprehensively and succinctly states:

‫َلَقْد َخَلْقَنا الْنَساَن ِفي َكَبٍد‬

090.004 Verily We have created man into toil and struggle.

We may be under this delusion that the rich are predominantly free of all these problems and therefore
are comfortable. But a poor person doesn’t even realize and may never experience the psychological
torments that inflict the rich.

So now for the second level: The climax of the human tragedy will be really witnessed when after having
struggled through all the struggles of this life and experiencing all the calamities man would find himself
standing before his Lord for the grand accountability. This is that aspect of the human tragedy that no
animal will ever have to experience. The Qur’an highlights this reality in the words;

َ ‫َيا أَّيَها الْنَساُن إِّن‬

َ ‫ك َكاِدٌح إَِلى َرّب‬
‫ك َكْدًحا َفُملِقيِه‬
084.006 O thou man! Verily thou art ever toiling on towards thy Lord- painfully toiling,- but thou shalt
meet Him.

This is that stage, thinking about which, causes a man to start trembling with fear. In Surah An-Nur Allah
Ī explains,

ُ ‫ب ِفيِه اْلقُُلو‬
َ ‫ب َوالْب‬
‫صاُر‬ ُ ّ‫َيَخاُفوَن َي ْوًما َتَتَقل‬
024.037 Their fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be convulsed.
 The realization of this state caused someone like Abu Bakar ē to say something like, “I wish I was bird
chirping away on the trees, which wouldn’t be questioned or taken to account for anything. Or would
that I was a blade of grass which would be just burnt away but not have to face the questioning and
accountability.” Surah An-Naba ends by highlighting this reality quoting the regret of the losers on that
day:

ُ ‫َوَيُقوُل اْلَكاِفُر َيا َلْيَتِني ُكْن‬

‫ت ُتَراًبا‬
078.040 "Woe unto me! Would that I were (metre) dust!"

These are the two levels of human tragedy; the reality that every human being will have to face. To

highlight this reality Allah Ī swears an oath in the first ayah; ‫صر‬
ْ ‫َواْلَع‬

The benefit of an oath

Whenever an oath is taken by something then the purpose is to call that thing as witness. In other
words, you call somebody or something to bear witness to the reality of your statement. For instance
when we swear by Allah we are saying that I’m saying this with Allah Ī as my witness.

When we swear an oath by someone it is someone greater and holier. That lends our statement some
strength. But the oaths in the Qur’an are different in that there is nothing and no one nobler and greater
than Allah Himself. So to look for greatness and purity in whatever Allah Ī calls to witness is an exercise
in futility. Whenever Allah Ī takes an oath then only it’s “witnessing” is brought to attention. Therefore,
“Wal’Asr” would mean, “Time bears witness”. Implying that time bears witness over the reality being
pronounced in the next ayah.

The reality of “’Asr”

There are two words used in the context of “time” in the Qur’an; “Asr” and “Dahar”

Those interested in Physics know that it is now recognized that time and space are no longer two
separate entities rather they are in a continuum; Like Einstein said that time is in fact a dimension of
space. Both Asr and Dahar have an imbedded indication towards the continuity of time and space even
though both words carry slightly different meanings. The word dahar primarily denotes the spread and
(makaniat) of time whereas the word ‘asr alludes towards the fleeting nature of time. A strong, swift
wind is called “Ai’saar” in Arabic. Similarly asr is that part of the day where the day is swiftly reaching its
end.

“Wal’asr”- the real meaning

Now with that background in mind let’s focus on the meaning of the first verse, “The rapidly passing
time bears witness”. The style of this ayah is really shocking. Human being is being made to realize that
time which appears stationary is actually moving with great speed. Your real wealth and asset i.e. your
age is swiftly reaching its end.

Someone gave a very good example that human being is like the seller of ice; if it’s not sold in good time
than not only will he not make a profit but his investment will melt away as well. Similarly a human
being’s real capital is his age; his time in this world. His eternal fate rests on it. Whatever he can earn he
needs to do it in this life.

The sound of the word “Wal’asr” also resonates this remarkable urgency.

Further pondering yields that, the canvas of time is such that it encompasses the entire history of the
world from beginning to end. It literally bore witness to the rise and fall of different nations. All that
mankind went through, whatever it experienced, all its stages of development; time was a silent
spectator. The fate of the nations of Nuh, Hud, Salih, the end of the people of Lut and Shu’aib, the
drowning of the Pharoah and his people, were all witnessed by time. Time saw nations rise and fall and
societies form and disrupt. Time witnessed what happened between Adam and Iblis and will also see the
grand finale of the story of this world. So from this regard the biggest witness from the creation of Allah,
that can give the most accurate “eye-witness” account of “Inna-al-Insaana lafee khusr”, is time. “The
fleeting passage of time bears witness that without a doubt man is certainly in a state of loss!”

Ray of hope
Moving on to the third ayah we see that beyond this sorry depiction of human tragedy there is a ray of
hope. Even though as a whole mankind is in a state of loss and headed towards destruction, there can
be exceptions; there is one way out. The third ayah directs towards this “sirati mustaqim” the straight
path, the only path, embarking on which we can survive the loss and head towards success.

There are 4 milestones on this path; or rather we can say there are 4 goals. First is faith, second is
righteous actions, third is tawasee bil haq and fourth is tawasee bis Sabr.

The way these four phrases have been employed here they form the fundamental terms for the Qur’an
itself. We will engage in sequentially pondering over these four; dividing them into two pairs. First we’ll
discuss the Iman and Amli Salih and the relationship between the two and then the tawasee bil haq and
tawasee bis Sabr and their relationship. We’ll then study the relationship between the two pairs.

‫ت‬ ّ ‫آَمُنوا َوَعِمُلوا ال‬

ِ ‫صالَِحا‬

Iman
As far as the literary connotations of the word, the source of Iman, the fruits of Iman, the articles of faith
etc, are concerned we will engage in that discussion at the appropriate time in this syllabus. For now
suffice to say that Iman is to accept all that the Messengers (PBU them all) informed us of. They told us
that the hidden truths about this universe are not accessible by normal means to regular human beings ;
rather a special system for special people informs them of these realities and that is revelation. The
existence of Allah, his attributes, life after death, accountability, reward and punishment, heaven and
hell, are the real truths and man cannot reach certain knowledge about them using his five senses alone.
We were informed of these truths by the messengers. To attest to the information that the Messengers
and accept it is Iman.

There are two levels of Iman— first is to accept with the tongue. This is the legal level of Iman one who
attests is separated from those who don’t.

The second level is to “attest with the heart”. Meaning the state in which certainty penetrates the
human heart. This is the real spirit of Iman; Iman therefore is a combination of accepting it with your
tongue and attesting with your heart. When the heart reaches certainty, righteous action is bound to
follow. In other words, if someone has certainty about something than his action would not contradict
that certainty. We all know with certainty that fire burns; so as a natural consequence we wouldn’t put
our hand in it. Even if we don’t have certainty, a suspicion is sometimes enough to spring us into action.
We know that all snakes aren’t poisonous; but a suspicion that any particular snake that we are faced
with may be poisonous results in us avoiding all snakes. So know; if there is certainty in Allah, certainty
in the Afterlife, certainty in reward and punishment and accountability, then there will be a definite
consequence of that in your action. This is what the Qur’an calls “’Amali Salih” and we translate as
“Righteous actions”. The person who believes with certainty will definitely rectify his actions and follow
the commandments of Allah Ī; he will be content with halal(permissible) and abstain from haraam
(prohibited); he wouldn’t even dare come close to sinning. These are necessary consequences of the
first criteria for salvation which is Iman.

The mutual relationship between Iman and ‘Amli Salih

Recognize that even though legally faith and righteous acts are separate entities but in reality they are
one and the same; they are inseparable! Imam Muslim and Bukhari both narrate from Abu Hurairah ē
that the Messenger Ē said:

“No fornicator fornicates in a state of Iman, no thief steals in a state of Iman, no one drinks alcohol in a
state of Iman.”

Whenever anyone commits these acts Iman has left their hearts. If that certainty was in their heart they
wouldn’t commit the act to begin with. When we see the traffic police at a traffic signal, we sub-
consciously stop the car at the red light because we know that this upholder of justice will punish me if
we don’t. If we have certain faith that Allah Ī is there and He is watching me then how is it possible that
we disobey Him?
In another hadith the Messenger Ē said:

“I swear by Allah he doesn’t believe, I swear by Allah he doesn’t believe, I swear by Allah he doesn’t
believe!”

The companions Ė of the got scared and immediately inquired,

“Who are you talking about O Messenger of Allah?”

“The one whose neighbor is not safe from his harm.”

In another narration Anas ē reports:

“Rarely did the Messenger ever deliver us a sermon in which he didn’t use these words, “The one who’s
not trustworthy has no faith and the one who doesn’t abide by his promises/contracts has no faith.”

We can conclude from these ahadith, that Iman and Amali Salih go hand in hand. It’s impossible that
faith penetrates the heart of a person and his being doesn’t reflect it with action. Like Socrates said,
knowledge is a righteous act and ignorance is an evil act. Iman is true knowledge; the rectification of a
man’s action is a necessary consequence.

--------------------------------------------------------

‫صْبِر‬ َ ‫ص ْوا ِباْلَحّق َوَتَوا‬

ّ ‫ص ْوا ِبال‬ َ ‫َوَتَوا‬

The meaning of “tawasee”

This word arises from “waseeat” which is used in urdu as well but in Arabic it does not just mean will but
means anything or advice that is emphasized. In this surah this word occurs on the weight of “Tafa’ul”.
Whenever any word occurs on this weight then its meaning is accentuated as well as adds the
implication of mutuality in it; meaning something that is accomplished together as a team. So tawasee
would mean to continue to strongly advise each other. This advice would be towards “Haq” as well as
“Sabr”.

Haq- a broad term

There are four basic implications of this word:

1. Anything which is actually real (as opposed to that which is merely a mirage or a presumption).

2. Anything that is acknowledged by reason

3. Ethically necessary

4. Purposive (not vain and useless)

By using the word Haq here the Qur’an has really expanded the meaning of tawasee bil haq. To accept
and propagate the smallest of truths and largest realities would fall under this category. If someone has
some money that they owe someone else and you go and advise him to return it, then you are doing
tawasee bil haqq. When you remind a disobedient child to be obedient to his parents then that too falls
under this category. Similarly if we propagate the greatest realities of all: Allah is the Creator and Owner
of this universe and it is His right that we obey him and implement his laws, then that would be the
highest level of tawasee bil haq.

Tawasee bil Haq and Tawasee bis Sabr- one necessitates the other
Truth bites! Even if you speak out about the smallest of truths then you will usually be opposed. If you
ask someone to return the money they owe then it’s quite possible that a quick and sharp remark finds
its way to you, “who are you to ask me? It’s between me and him, what gives you the right to advise
me?” So naturally you will have to be patient. The greater the truth you propagate the greater your level
of patience will have to be.

So it’s not possible without bearing troubles of all kinds; it’s a thorny path not a bed of roses.

Pairing up the Pairs

It’s natural to affect and be affected by the environment. The coolness in ice would affect its
surroundings and the heat in fire would warm up the environment. So if someone adopts Amli Salih then
naturally the surrounding would be impacted by that to some degree and good will spread. Tawasee bil
haq is the natural consequence of ‘amali salih.

And this is specifically true in the moral realm. If the society is by and large corrupt than it would
definitely affect individuals and there is only one way to protect people from that and that is to change
the society for the better or at least struggle to do so. Even if the society doesn’t change the individual,
following the “offence is the best defence” principle, would be safe from the ills of the society. The
Messenger Ē said:
“Whoever sees an evil then let him change it with his hand, if he cannot then with his tongue if he cannot
then with his heart (i.e. detest it in his heart) and that is the weakest of faith.”

Tawasee bil Haq is necessitated by the nobility of the human soul. If someone recognizes the truth and
adopts it in his life than his love for his fellow human beings would necessitate that he present the truth
to them. The Messenger Ē said:

“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself”

And lastly man’s honor and dignity demand that he spreads and implements the truth to the best of his
ability.

If someone adopts a particular lifestyle and the society is going down a different direction then there are
two possibilities. Either he gives up and takes up the color of the society or he struggles to paint the
society in his color. A noble, honorable, and shameful person can only take one route and that is the
latter. He would prefer losing his life rather than giving up his mission and taking the easy way out.

Whichever way you look at it we see that Iman, Amali Salih, Tawasee bil haw and tawasee bis Sabr are
from one angle the bare minimum necessities for salvation and from another angle mutually
necessitating each other, in fact delving into each of them separately unveils the fact that they are one
continuum and inseparable. As Iqbal said, “These are but the tafsir (explanation) of Iman”.

If you have Iman it would lead to ‘Amal salih, which would lead to Tawasee bil Haq, which would
necessitate Tawasee bis Sabr. To the extent that even the converse proposition is also true; if you didn’t
have to exhibit patience then that proves that your call was not towards the entire truth, rather towards
a harmless portion of it. And if you are not calling other to it than that is a categorical proof you’re your
‘Amal Salih is not firm and proper. Similarly if your action is not correct then that means that there is no
Iman. Needless to say then that there is no salvation rather eternal loss!

These are the four milestones on the path to salvation that this surah guide us towards.

The Perfect Example— The Messenger Ē

We find all four parameter perfectly synced and perfected in the life of the Messenger Ē.

First he received guidance:

‫ضال َفَهَدى‬
َ ‫َوَوَجَدَك‬
 093.007 And He found you wandering, and He gave you guidance.

And then he accepted the guidance,

‫آَمَن الّرُسوُل ِبَما ُأْنِزَل ِإَلْيِه ِمْن َرّبِه‬

002.285 The Messenger believeth in what hath been revealed to him from his Lord…

And in his life we see the perfection of character and action:

‫ك َلَعلى ُخُلٍق َعِظيٍم‬

َ ‫َوِإّن‬

068.004 And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.

And after fulfilling the first two criteria perfectly the Messenger Ē dedicated the next 23 years of his life
for the sake of its propagation. Calling towards the Haq and publically extolling the greatness of Allah Ī
was his sole occupation. In this path he tolerated all the abuses, taunts and tortures; and patiently
persevered and in doing so painted for us the best example of Sabr. The 3 year prison of Sha’ibi Bani
Hashim, getting stoned by street urchins of Taif, losing his tooth and injuring himself in Uhud, and losing
his close and beloved companions are but a few examples of the 23 year long tooth and nail struggle of
our Messenger Ē. Finally his efforts culminated with Allah Ī blessing the Truth with victory in the
Arabian Peninsula. With his mission accomplished in this worldly life he then chose the companionship
of the Highest Companion.

His blessed life therefore embodies and perfects the characteristics laid out in Surah al-Asr. My mother
and father be sacrificed for him.

This then was a brief explanation of Surah al-‘Asr. You must’ve realized by now why I labeled this as the
most comprehensive surah of the Qur’an and why Iman Shafi’ee said that if we just ponder on this surah
alone it would be enough for or guidance.