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)
THIS 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 proper use of this potential. On the contrary, mankind has taken to the path of loss. This happened not because God fated it to, but because man has not understood God’s creation plan. Instead of following this plan, he developed his own road-map of his life by himself. And because of this self-created problem, he fell into loss and ruin.
God has created mankind as potentially successful beings.
Man should determine the purpose of his life in the light of God’s creation plan. He should make God, who is his Creator and Lord, his sole concern. He should reserve feelings of love and fear only for God. He should worship God alone. He should abide by the ethical principles laid down by God. He should model his personal and collective life on the basis of the plan set by God. He should understand the world to be a testing ground. He should make success in the Hereafter his target. He should desire for Heaven and greatly fear Hell. This is what is desired of man.
But history tells us that most people have failed to become the desirable beings that God wanted them to. Instead of leading their lives in a way which would have made them acceptable to God, they failed miserably and fell into great loss.
This chapter of the Quran is a warning. It warns man to save himself from the blunder of not becoming the sort of person who is desirable in God’s eyes. It tells man that he should become among those fortunate people for whom the doors of Heaven will be opened in the Hereafter.
