Saturday, August 6, 2022

English Explanation of Surah Al-‘Asr

 

English commentary on Surah Al-'Asr

Name of the Surah 

This surah is called Al-‘Asr ‘the time’ because it begins by swearing by the time, [103:1 By the time, 103:2 Indeed, man is in loss,]

 Allah, Exalted be He, swears by the time because it encompasses different things, such as prosperity and poverty, health and illness, happiness and misery, and year and day. This surah was revealed in Makkah. It contains three ayat.

Relationship between Surah At-Takathur and Al-‘Asr

Surah At-Takathur warns of excessive occupation with the life of this world and ignoring working for the Hereafter. 

Then, surah Al-‘Asr mentions that man should occupy himself with things that benefit him in this world and the Hereafter, namely, believing in Allah’s Oneness, performing righteous deeds, and adhering to the truth.

Topics Discussed in Surah Al-‘Asr

Surah Al-‘Asr sheds light on the principles of Islam, namely, belief in Allah’s Oneness, performing righteous deeds, adherence to the truth, and steadfastness.

The surah clarifies who will be the successful and who be the losers.

English Translation of Surah Al-‘Asr

Revealed in Makkah, Contains 3 Ayat

Bism-Allah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

In the Name of Allah, the Giver of Mercy, the Most Merciful

103:1 By the time,

103:2 Indeed, man is in loss,

103:3 save those who believe, perform righteous deeds, exhort one another to adhere to the truth, and exhort one another to be steadfast.

Tafsir

Allah, Exalted be He, swears by the time, in which people live and experience different kinds of changes. Things always change throughout time, e.g. day and night, darkness and brightness, richness and poverty, youthfulness and old age, and so on.

Allah can swear by whatever thing of the creatures, but the created being can only swear by Allah.

Allah swears by the time that man is always in a state of loss and deviation away from the right path, save those on whom Allah has mercy.

Man usually wastes his life doing things that harm him, except for those whom Allah has guided to the right path. They believe in Allah’s Oneness, perform righteous deeds for Allah’s sake, exhort one another to adhere to the truth, and be steadfast and patient when it comes to dealing with all life circumstances and requirements.

They obey Allah, avoid His prohibitions, and exhort one another to be patient when to it comes to complying with Allah’s commands, avoiding His prohibitions, being thankful at times of prosperity, and seeking Allah’s help at times of hardship, etc. 

Indeed, life is hard, and to pass through its countless vicissitudes, one needs righteous companions, who remind him when he errs or forgets, and encourage and support him when he faces hardship and affliction. 

   Learned Lessons from Surah Al-‘Asr

No matter how much wealth one may gain, if he disobeys Allah’s commands and does not perform righteous deeds for His sake, he will be a loser.

Time with its ever-changes is a sign denoting Allah’s perfect ability and wisdom. Allah causes things to change constantly in this universe so that people may reflect on them and know that He is the only true God deserving sincere worship.

Those who disbelieve in Allah’s Oneness are the greatest losers, and those who believe in Allah’s Oneness will lose as much as they disobey Allah’s commands, but the door of repentance is always open until the time of death comes. Thus, repentance is a key to raising one’s rank and minimizing his loss. 

The key to success in this world and the Hereafter are belief in Allah’s Oneness, His angels, His Scriptures, the Hereafter, the divine Decree, good or evil, performing righteous deeds for Allah’s sake, avoiding Allah’s prohibitions, and exhorting one another to adhere to the right path and be patient with all life vicissitudes. 

The Noble Quran Surah Al-'Asr English Translation and Tafsir

The Noble Quran Tafsir Ibn Kathir SurahAl-'Asr English Translation and Tafsir

The Noble Quran English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Qari’ah

Surah Al-Asr

103 Surah Al Asr by Mishary Al Afasy 

      


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