103
Muhammad Asad
AL-ASR (THE FLIGHT OF TIME)
THE HUNDRED-THIRD SURAH
Total Verses: 3
Introduction
REVEALED
shortly after surah 94.
IN THE NAME OF
GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE DISPENSER OF GRACE:
(1) CONSIDER the flight of time! 1
(2) Verily, man is bound to lose himself
(3) unless he be of those 2 who
attain to faith, and do good works, and enjoin upon one another the keeping to
truth, and enjoin upon one another patience in adversity.
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1 The term "asr denotes "time" that
is measurable, consisting of a succession of periods (in distinction from dahr, which signifies "unlimited time", without
beginning or end: i.e., "time absolute"). Hence, asr bears the connotation of the passing or the flight
of time - time which can never be recaptured.
2 Lit., "man is indeed in [a
state of] loss, except those. . .", etc