Self-Correcting Mechanism

Quoting these verses of the Quran, the man said that from these verses, he had found the complete message; so there was no need to stay on any longer with Ali. The Prophet asked: “How did you find the complete message in these verses?” He replied: “These verses tell us that man is accountable to God and every deed of man, big or small, will be evaluated by God. Then he will be rewarded for good deeds and punished for bad deeds. Now I always keep this in mind. I always do what seems good to me and I always refrain from what seems bad to me.” This story explains very beautifully how the Quran develops a self-correcting mechanism in every man and woman. The Quran wants everyone to be on his or her guard all the time. This concept is bound to make a person conduct himself properly. It is at the basis of a characterbuilding system. This concept inculcates a very strong incentive to always behave well and refrain from bad behaviour in every aspect of life. This incentive works not only in public life but in private life as well. The Importance of Time Al-‘Asr (The Passage of Time) is the one hundred and third chapter of the Quran. It is a relatively short chapter. Its translation is as follows: