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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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"The Graceful Commentary on the Book of Identification Cards

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for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an"

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by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nassif,

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may Allah preserve him.

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Surat al-'Asr.

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

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May peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers,

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and upon his family and all his Companions.

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We are still with "The Graceful Commentary on the Identification Cards,"

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and specifically with Surat al-'Asr.

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I have three points of reflection upon it.

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The first reflection

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is that this surah,

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despite its extreme brevity,

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is a miracle from Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He,

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which falls within the threshold of inimitability (i'jaz),

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as the scholars have mentioned:

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namely, that

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inimitability—

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the inimitability of the Qur'an—is realized even in its shortest surah.

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This includes Surat al-Kawthar,

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as well as Surat al-'Asr, which is before us.

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This surah is miraculous,

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and consequently, it demands deep contemplation,

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care,

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and close attention. Do not look at the surah merely as being short,

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but look at it as being from Allah,

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and that it incapacitated mankind—

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indeed, both humans

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and jinn.

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That is why scholars have devoted great care to this surah,

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their praise of it is well-known,

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and independent treatises have been authored on it.

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Among these, I recall the book by Dr. 'Abd al-Fattah

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Qari'

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on the Tafsir of Surat al-'Asr.

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The second reflection

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concerns the theme of the surah,

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which serves as an alert to the value

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of time,

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and that it is the capital through which one achieves

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either profit or loss.

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The criterion of loss and profit

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lies entirely in

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how man uses

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his time.

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This is no secondary matter;

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upon it hinges

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man's ultimate destiny.

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This is intrinsically tied

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from the outset to the fact that man is engaged in a trade.

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For this reason, scholars said that "loss" (khusr)

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is the opposite of profit in commerce.

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Thus, man is implicitly in a trade,

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but he is trading with his very self.

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As the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

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"Every person goes out in the morning

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and trades with his soul,

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either freeing it or ruining it."

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So, you are in a trade,

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and profit or loss

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is entirely dependent upon the utilization of time.

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As for the third and final reflection,

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it pertains to the themes conveyed in the segments of the surah,

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and that it contains

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a complete methodology for life.

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This statement is not mere rhetorical flourish, my brothers;

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it is not just an oratorical phrase

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spoken casually,

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but rather an absolute reality.

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All of mankind

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have their own methods

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in formulating their philosophies in life

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and in managing their lifespans

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so as to benefit from them;

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yet all of them

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are in a state of loss.

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Consider those who have written about time management,

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achieving goals,

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and the like,

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from among those who are distant from divine revelation.

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Revelation—

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no matter how much they get right,

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they inevitably remain in loss.

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Nor can there ever be

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an escape,

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or salvation from this loss,

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except

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through

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the four qualities mentioned

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in this surah,

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the first of which is faith (iman).

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Therefore, compare

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all that has been written—

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and they indeed have written good things—

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on the value of time,

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all that has been written

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by Western scholars

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and their thinkers,

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and then reflect upon a single book

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from the books of Muslims who have discussed the value of time;

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you will recognize the vast difference,

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and you will see the distinction between

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darkness and light.

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I mention here a book entitled

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"How to Extend Your Productive

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Lifespan,"

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a book grounded in revelation,

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specifically drawing upon the hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him),

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which elucidate immense rewards

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for simple deeds

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through which

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a person multiplies their lifespan

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and truly capitalizes

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on time.

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This is something that can never be attained

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or arrived at by man apart from divine revelation.

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So, praise be to Allah for

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the blessing of Islam and for the blessing of the Qur'an.

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O Allah, grant us

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the ability to benefit from our deeds,

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and make them a proof for us,

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and do not make them a proof against us.

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And Allah knows best. May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad,

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and upon his family and all his Companions.

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And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.