In the name of Allah, praise be to Allah and Peace and Blessings upon the Messenger of Allah
“By the fleeting time. Surely, man is in a state of loss, except for those who believe, do good deeds, exhort one another to the truth and exhort one another to patience and perseverance.”
[al-‘Asr, 103:1-3]
Surat al-’Asr, which comprises of only three ayat is one of the shortest surahs in the Qur’an. Although we recite it in our prayers and teach it to our children, we may not be aware of the depth this surah conveys so profoundly in a few simple words. Its significance can be appreciated from Imam Al-Shafi (RA) who said that had there been nothing revealed in the Qur’an except surat al-’Asr, it would have been sufficient for the salvation of mankind.
The words of this blessed surah are so simple and straight forward that one need not be a scholar or a linguist to understand them. It is Allah (SWT)’s greatness that He conveys His profound messages with utmost brevity.
The surah starts with Allah (SWT) swearing by the fleeting time. Time is a ceaseless flux. It does not stop. It keeps moving incessantly. Once gone, it cannot be brought back. It is the most vital and precious thing one can have. One cannot afford to squander it. The maxim, “time is money,” is well known in the West. To a believer, it is more than that. True believers understand the value of time and are mindful not to indulge in time-wasting, useless, and/or frivolous activities. This is confirmed in surah al-Mu’minun,
“Those who keep themselves away from vain things” [al-Mu’minun, 23:3]
The believers value time as it should be valued. Thus, it is the flight of time by which Allah (SWT) swears in the first ayah of surah Al-’Asr. What follows in the next ayah is a generic message of truth that all humans are in a state of loss. This universal truth is ordained by Allah (SWT) for all of humanity. However, the third and final ayah of the surah exempts all those from this divine decree who believe, do righteous deeds, support one another in propagating the truth, and exhort patience and perseverance to one another in the face of adversities that may befall them.
Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (RA), a traditional exegete of the Quran, commented on surah al-‘Asr. He articulated that,
“This surah contains a severe threat. This is because Allah (SWT) decreed loss to all people, except for those who fulfill these four requirements; they are, belief, good deeds, enjoining one another to truth and to patience. And this indicates that salvation depends on the sum of these (four) things.”
Therefore, Iman (faith) by itself is not sufficient for salvation. It is not enough to verbally declare the two testimonies of faith (“I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship other than Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.”) without the remaining preconditions.
Iman or belief is the most crucial criteria to success. According to Muslim scholars,
“Iman is heartfelt conviction, verbal attestation, and an activity with the limbs.”
Traditional scholars define Iman in its generalized form (Iman al-mujmal) as,
“I believe in Allah as He is, by His names and attributes, and I accept all of His commands.
Essentially, Iman is the belief in the one and only God as defined by His names and attributes and accepting all His laws and commands mentioned in the Qur’an and the hadith of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم(.
The manifestation of Iman is one’s righteous deeds (al-‘Amal al-Salih). When there is true conviction of faith in the heart, righteous deeds follow. On one occasion the Prophet (SAW) pointed his index finger towards his heart and said “taqwa is here” ) هاهنا التقوى ) three times, meaning taqwa (God consciousness/piety/righteousness) is in the heart. Only Allah (SWT) knows what is in the heart of a person.
Righteous deeds include obeying all the commands of Allah (SWT) and His Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم (through all modes of worship with their ordained modes of worship and fulfilling all the rights due to Allah (SWT), to His Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم(, to oneself, to one’s family members and to others.
It is to be noted that according to surah al-‘Asr, even Iman and al-‘Amal al-Salih in and of themselves do not guarantee salvation. The third prerequisite to be met is to join together in the mutual teaching of truth, which means enjoining people to do good and forbidding evil.
Muslims are the final ummah and Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم (was the final Prophet and Messenger. Therefore, this message of truth (Islam) is eternal and must be carried forward. After the demise of our beloved Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم(, the honor of spreading the truth transferred to the believers.
The truth will always be met with falsehood. The brighter a light shines, the more shadows it casts. The agents of shaytan (satan), whether jinn or human, will do all they can to repel truth and extinguish the light. Indeed, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم (himself and his noble companions were victims of persecution for declaring and preaching the truth of Islam. According to a hadith, the Prophet (SAW) acknowledged that the greatest jihad is,
“to say a word of truth in front of a tyrant ruler.”
“O you who believe, be patient, urge others to patiently endure (the trials), always be steadfast and remain mindful of God, so you may prosper.” [Aal ‘Imran, 3:200]
The turbulence engulfing the world by way of political unrest, economic disparity, social injustice, environmental challenges and an overall lack of peace and tranquility is a clear sign of God’s displeasure. We have to realize the urgency of our current reality and strive to enjoin the truth as we tread the path of salvation.
All four criteria mentioned in surah al-’Asr have to be met in order to achieve success and salvation. This is well explained by Dr. Israr Ahmed (d. 2010), founder of the Islamic Organization of North America, through an analogy of a doctor and patient. If a doctor prescribes four medicines to a patient and advises that all four medicines must be taken for complete recovery, the patient will certainly not recover completely or may even endanger his or her health if the doctor’s advice is ignored and their own discretion is used regarding the medication, i.e., taking some medicines and leaving others. Allah (SWT) is our Creator. He alone knows us inside and out. He alone knows our weaknesses. He alone knows the best way to our salvation, and His prescription for salvation is the only prescription that guarantees success.
The alliance of the Church with the ancien regime is another significant factor that contributed to the emergence of secularism. In this case, the Church was allied with a system of social thought and organization that was being bypassed by history. The concept of the “Divine right of kings” to rule their subjects without any restrictions was expressed in religious terms and, more often than not, officially advocated by the religious authorities. Additionally, the Church itself was the largest landlord in Europe. As the demise of feudalism set in, the Church was perceived to be the major defender of this antiquated institution. Consequently, religious authorities were seen as a major obstacle in the development of social institutions.
What Muslims are currently facing is a chain of trials and tribulations—a loss of faith, disconnectedness with God, lifestyles at odds with Islamic values, rampant immorality, victim mentality, Islamophobia, and much more. We are facing these fitan (trials/oppression/persecution) as individuals, as a community, and as an ummah. No other time is better than now to enjoin one another to the truth and firmly lock arms in unity and solidarity.
“Hold fast unto God’s rope all together; and do not be divided” [Aal ‘Imran, 3:103]
May Allah (SWT) bless us with the insight to comprehend this blessed surah and act upon its teachings as doing so guarantees our salvation by the will of Allah (SWT).
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