(Excerpt from the book "Islam Mustafa ﷺ" by Abu Hamzah Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi)
◈ The Significance of Surah Al-Asr
Surah Al-Asr is a profound and comprehensive chapter of the Qur'an. In it, Allah ﷻ has outlined the foundational principles of faith and Islam. Imam al-Shafi‘i رحمه الله used to say:
لولا أنزل القرآن إلا هذه السورة لكفتهم
"If no other part of the Qur'an had been revealed except this Surah, it would have been sufficient for the people."
In Surah Al-Asr, Allah ﷻ declares:
﴿وَالْعَصْرِ. إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ.إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ.﴾
[Al-‘Asr]
"By the time! Indeed, man is in loss, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds, and advise one another to truth, and advise one another to patience."
In this blessed Surah, Allah ﷻ swears by time and declares that mankind, in general, is in a state of loss—except for those who possess four specific qualities:
❀ The Four Foundational Qualities for Success
① Faith (Iman):
They believe in everything that Allah ﷻ has commanded them to believe in.
② Righteous Deeds (Amal Salih):
They perform good deeds—whether they are related to the rights of Allah ﷻ or the rights of fellow human beings, whether obligatory, recommended, or virtuous.
③ Mutual Advice Towards Truth:
They encourage and advise one another regarding the faith and righteous actions mentioned above.
④ Mutual Advice Towards Patience:
They advise one another to remain patient in obeying Allah ﷻ, avoiding prohibitions, and enduring the hardships that come with servitude and divine decree—trials which none can avert except Allah ﷻ.
✔ A Prophetic Reminder of the Days of Patience
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إن من وراء كم أيام صبر، للمتميك فيهن يومئذ بما أنتم عليه أجر خمسين منكم
"Indeed, there will come days after you which require patience. Whoever adheres to your path in those times will receive the reward of fifty among you."
– Dar’ al-Irtiyab ‘an Hadith Ma Ana ‘Alayhi wal-Ashab, p. 15. This Hadith is Hasan li-Dhatihi.
✿ Reflection by Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab At-Tamimi رحمه الله
In light of Surah Al-Asr, Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab رحمه الله explains that the foundational principles of the religion and the call to it are four:
It must be remembered that anyone who embodies these four attributes will be saved from loss and will be deserving of great success in both worlds.
◈ The Significance of Surah Al-Asr
Surah Al-Asr is a profound and comprehensive chapter of the Qur'an. In it, Allah ﷻ has outlined the foundational principles of faith and Islam. Imam al-Shafi‘i رحمه الله used to say:
لولا أنزل القرآن إلا هذه السورة لكفتهم
"If no other part of the Qur'an had been revealed except this Surah, it would have been sufficient for the people."
In Surah Al-Asr, Allah ﷻ declares:
﴿وَالْعَصْرِ. إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ.إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ.﴾
[Al-‘Asr]
"By the time! Indeed, man is in loss, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds, and advise one another to truth, and advise one another to patience."
In this blessed Surah, Allah ﷻ swears by time and declares that mankind, in general, is in a state of loss—except for those who possess four specific qualities:
❀ The Four Foundational Qualities for Success
① Faith (Iman):
They believe in everything that Allah ﷻ has commanded them to believe in.
② Righteous Deeds (Amal Salih):
They perform good deeds—whether they are related to the rights of Allah ﷻ or the rights of fellow human beings, whether obligatory, recommended, or virtuous.
③ Mutual Advice Towards Truth:
They encourage and advise one another regarding the faith and righteous actions mentioned above.
④ Mutual Advice Towards Patience:
They advise one another to remain patient in obeying Allah ﷻ, avoiding prohibitions, and enduring the hardships that come with servitude and divine decree—trials which none can avert except Allah ﷻ.
✔ A Prophetic Reminder of the Days of Patience
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إن من وراء كم أيام صبر، للمتميك فيهن يومئذ بما أنتم عليه أجر خمسين منكم
"Indeed, there will come days after you which require patience. Whoever adheres to your path in those times will receive the reward of fifty among you."
– Dar’ al-Irtiyab ‘an Hadith Ma Ana ‘Alayhi wal-Ashab, p. 15. This Hadith is Hasan li-Dhatihi.
✿ Reflection by Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab At-Tamimi رحمه الله
In light of Surah Al-Asr, Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab رحمه الله explains that the foundational principles of the religion and the call to it are four:
- Belief (Al-Qawl / Iman)
- Practice (Al-‘Amal)
- Calling others to it (Ad-Da‘wah Ilayh)
- Patience in the face of hardships in this path (As-Sabr ‘ala al-Adha Fihi)
It must be remembered that anyone who embodies these four attributes will be saved from loss and will be deserving of great success in both worlds.
