SURAH AL-ASR — History Bears Witness

SURAH AL-ASR History Bears Witness Surah Al-Asr is a small chapter in the Quran. It has just three verses. The chapter reads: I swear by the passage of time, that man is surely in a state of loss, except for those who believe and do good deeds and exhort one another to hold fast to the Truth, and who exhort one another to steadfastness. (THE QURAN 103: 1-3) T HIS chapter can be said to be a summary of the entire Quran. Imam Shafi remarks in this connection that had God revealed just this chapter alone, it was sufficient in order to guide people (Safwat al-Tafaseer by Al-Sabuni). This point is undoubtedly true. But the benefits of this chapter of the Quran cannot be fathomed unless one ponders on it. All the deeper meanings of the Quran open up only to those who intensely reflect on it. Man should determine the purpose of his life in the light of God’s creation plan. The word Asr in the title Surah Al-Asr denotes Time. But here it is used in the sense of History. This chapter of the Quran tells us that history bears witness to the fact that mankind is in a state of loss, the only exception being those who provide evidence of faith and good works and who exhort others to hold fast to the Truth and remain steadfast. What is expressed in this chapter in terms of faith, good deeds, truth and steadfastness is the need for man to understand God’s creation plan. Man must discover this plan in such a way that it becomes an integral part of his consciousness. He must build his personality on the basis of this plan, adopting it in his own life and exhorting others to do so. If you reflect on it more deeply, you will realize that this chapter of the Quran tells us that God has created mankind as potentially successful beings. But history bears witness to the fact that man has not made