سُوْرَةُ الْعَصْرِ
Surah Al-Asr (103) — Ayah 1
وَٱلْعَصْرِ ﴿1﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
By Al-‘Asr (the time).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱلْعَصْرِ
wal-ʿaṣri
By the time
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
1. By the passage of time [1],
[1]
Two Meanings of 'Asr':
The word 'Asr' fundamentally comes in two meanings:
(1) The time of 'Asr', which is a period of utmost busyness. Due to this importance, Allah Almighty has especially emphasized the prayer of this time, saying: ﴿حٰفِظُوْا عَلَي الصَّلَوٰتِ وَالصَّلٰوةِ الْوُسْطٰي﴾ [238:2] and in the hadiths, it is explicitly mentioned that by 'Salat al-Wusta' is meant the 'Asr' prayer. Also, the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever misses the 'Asr' prayer should consider that his home and wealth have been plundered. [ترمذی، ابواب الصلوۃ۔ باب ماجاء فی السہو عن وقت صلوۃ العصر]
And the second meaning of 'Asr' is 'time', and by this is meant that very era or period which extends from the creation of mankind until the Day of Judgment—not before the creation of mankind. This is because Allah Almighty presents 'Asr' as a witness over mankind, and when mankind did not exist, how could there be any witnessing?
[1]
Two Meanings of 'Asr':
The word 'Asr' fundamentally comes in two meanings:
(1) The time of 'Asr', which is a period of utmost busyness. Due to this importance, Allah Almighty has especially emphasized the prayer of this time, saying: ﴿حٰفِظُوْا عَلَي الصَّلَوٰتِ وَالصَّلٰوةِ الْوُسْطٰي﴾ [238:2] and in the hadiths, it is explicitly mentioned that by 'Salat al-Wusta' is meant the 'Asr' prayer. Also, the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever misses the 'Asr' prayer should consider that his home and wealth have been plundered. [ترمذی، ابواب الصلوۃ۔ باب ماجاء فی السہو عن وقت صلوۃ العصر]
And the second meaning of 'Asr' is 'time', and by this is meant that very era or period which extends from the creation of mankind until the Day of Judgment—not before the creation of mankind. This is because Allah Almighty presents 'Asr' as a witness over mankind, and when mankind did not exist, how could there be any witnessing?
