In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
"The Graceful Commentary on the Book of Identification Cards
for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an"
by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nassif,
may Allah preserve him.
Surat al-'Asr.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
May peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers,
and upon his family and all his Companions.
We are still with "The Graceful Commentary on the Identification Cards,"
and specifically with Surat al-'Asr.
I have three points of reflection upon it.
The first reflection
is that this surah,
despite its extreme brevity,
is a miracle from Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He,
which falls within the threshold of inimitability (i'jaz),
as the scholars have mentioned:
namely, that
inimitability—
the inimitability of the Qur'an—is realized even in its shortest surah.
This includes Surat al-Kawthar,
as well as Surat al-'Asr, which is before us.
This surah is miraculous,
and consequently, it demands deep contemplation,
care,
and close attention. Do not look at the surah merely as being short,
but look at it as being from Allah,
and that it incapacitated mankind—
indeed, both humans
and jinn.
That is why scholars have devoted great care to this surah,
their praise of it is well-known,
and independent treatises have been authored on it.
Among these, I recall the book by Dr. 'Abd al-Fattah
Qari'
on the Tafsir of Surat al-'Asr.
The second reflection
concerns the theme of the surah,
which serves as an alert to the value
of time,
and that it is the capital through which one achieves
either profit or loss.
The criterion of loss and profit
lies entirely in
how man uses
his time.
This is no secondary matter;
upon it hinges
man's ultimate destiny.
This is intrinsically tied
from the outset to the fact that man is engaged in a trade.
For this reason, scholars said that "loss" (khusr)
is the opposite of profit in commerce.
Thus, man is implicitly in a trade,
but he is trading with his very self.
As the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Every person goes out in the morning
and trades with his soul,
either freeing it or ruining it."
So, you are in a trade,
and profit or loss
is entirely dependent upon the utilization of time.
As for the third and final reflection,
it pertains to the themes conveyed in the segments of the surah,
and that it contains
a complete methodology for life.
This statement is not mere rhetorical flourish, my brothers;
it is not just an oratorical phrase
spoken casually,
but rather an absolute reality.
All of mankind
have their own methods
in formulating their philosophies in life
and in managing their lifespans
so as to benefit from them;
yet all of them
are in a state of loss.
Consider those who have written about time management,
achieving goals,
and the like,
from among those who are distant from divine revelation.
Revelation—
no matter how much they get right,
they inevitably remain in loss.
Nor can there ever be
an escape,
or salvation from this loss,
except
through
the four qualities mentioned
in this surah,
the first of which is faith (iman).
Therefore, compare
all that has been written—
and they indeed have written good things—
on the value of time,
all that has been written
by Western scholars
and their thinkers,
and then reflect upon a single book
from the books of Muslims who have discussed the value of time;
you will recognize the vast difference,
and you will see the distinction between
darkness and light.
I mention here a book entitled
"How to Extend Your Productive
Lifespan,"
a book grounded in revelation,
specifically drawing upon the hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
which elucidate immense rewards
for simple deeds
through which
a person multiplies their lifespan
and truly capitalizes
on time.
This is something that can never be attained
or arrived at by man apart from divine revelation.
So, praise be to Allah for
the blessing of Islam and for the blessing of the Qur'an.
O Allah, grant us
the ability to benefit from our deeds,
and make them a proof for us,
and do not make them a proof against us.
And Allah knows best. May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad,
and upon his family and all his Companions.
And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.