My dear brothers and sisters! InshaAllah, in today’s khutbah, I intend to share some thoughts with you on the topic of success and salvation in the light of Surat al-‘Asr,
أعوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَالْعَصْرِ () إِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ () إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
“By the fleeting time; indeed man is in loss, except for those who believe, do good deeds, urge one another to the truth, and urge one another to steadfastness” (al-‘Asr, 103:1-3).
Surat al-‘Asr is made up of only three ayat. It is one of the shortest surahs of the Qur’an. Although we are familiar with it; we recite it in our prayers; we know it by heart; we teach it to our children, and we even understand its general meaning, yet we should be fully aware of the depth of meaning that this surah conveys so profoundly in a few simple words.
One of the miraculous features of the Qur’an is that amazingly complex and intricate realities and philosophies of life are concisely expressed in the simplest of terms. And this surah is a brilliant example of that miracle. Its significance can be appreciated from the sayings of Imam ash-Shafi 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. That is how profound this surah is. The words of this blessed surah are so simple and straight forward that one need not be a scholar to understand them.
This surah starts with Allah (SWT) taking an oath by the fleeting time. As for the oath, it should be known that Allah has not sworn an oath by any of the created objects on account of its glory or its excellence and wonderful qualities but for the reason that it testifies to the truth which is meant to be established. Therefore, the oath by time signifies that time is witness to the truth that man is in sheer loss except for the people who possess the four qualities mentioned in the surah.
What is time? Time is our way of keeping track of changes that are constantly happening in the universe. So in a way, time is felt or understood, only as a result of changes in the material world we perceive. To put it simply, time is change. It does not stop. It keeps moving. Once gone, it cannot be brought back. It is the most vital and precious thing that one can have. One cannot afford to squander it. In order to understand the significance of the oath by the passing time, one should understand that the time which is now passing is, in fact, the time which has been given to every single individual and every single nation to work in the world.
If we seriously consider that whatever act, good or bad, we perform and whatever occupation we pursue, takes place in the limited span of age that we have been given for work in the world, we feel that our real wealth is this very time, which is passing so quickly. To a believer, it is more than that. The true believers—the Mu’minun understand the value of time and are mindful not to indulge in time-wasting, useless, and frivolous activities. The Qur’an tells us about them.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ () الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ () وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ
“Successful indeed are the believers; those who are humble in their prayer; those who turn away from all that is frivolous” (al-Mu’minun 23:3).
Hence they value time as it should be valued. Thus, it is the flight of time by which Allah (SWT) swears in the first ayah of this surah. What follows in the next ayah is a general—a generic message of truth that all humans are in khusr or a state of loss. This universal truth is ordained by Allah Almighty for the entire humanity. The word khusr is an antonym of falah. Just as falah is not merely worldly success but comprehends man’s true or eternal success, in the same way, the concept of khusr is not merely worldly failure or distress but comprehends man’s true or eternal failure. We have in Surat al-Nahl,
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
“To whoever does good deeds, man or woman, and is a believer, We shall assuredly give a good life; and We will bestow upon them their reward according to the best of their works” (al-Nahl, 16:97). Elsewhere, Allah says:
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَىٰ
“And whoever turns away from My Reminder will certainly have a miserable life, then we will raise them up blind on the Day of Judgment.” (Ta Ha, 20:124)
Thus, when the Qur’an states conclusively and absolutely that Man is certainly in loss, it implies loss both in this world and in the Hereafter; and when it says that only such people are secure from this loss, who are characterized by the four qualities, it implies their being secure from loss and attaining true success both here and in the Hereafter.
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.
What is iman? According to a hadith, “Iman is knowledge in the heart, an articulation with the tongue, and an activity with the limbs.” In its generalized form, the ulama (scholars of Islam) say that iman implies believing in Allah (SWT) as He is in His names and His attributes, and in accepting all His commands and teachings mentioned in the Qur’an and the ahadith of the Prophet (SAW). It is only through these original sources from where we get the knowledge of the Shari’ah (Islamic Law), which unfortunately has become one of the most derogatory, despised, and misunderstood terms in the contemporary Western political discourse. It is incumbent upon us to first educate ourselves and then the non-Muslims about Shari’ah and its noble objectives—the Maqasid al-Shari’ah.
It is only through conviction of faith in the heart; manifested through one’s righteous deeds (al-’Amal al-Salih) that one can be considered to possess true iman. On one occasion the Prophet (SAW) pointed his index finger towards his heart and said التقوى ههنا three times, meaning “Taqwa (i.e., God consciousness/ piety/righteousness) is here, in the heart.” And 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 (SAW) through all modes of worship with their ordained rituals, and fulfilling all the rights due to Allah (SWT), to His Prophet (SAW), to oneself, to one’s family members and to others.
It is to be noted that according to Surat al-’Asr, even Iman and al-‘Amal al-Salih in themselves do not guarantee salvation. The third thing that has to be done by the believers is to join together in the mutual teaching of truth, which means, exhorting people to do good and forbidding them from doing evil. Allah says:
كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ
“You are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah…” (Aal ‘Imran 3:110).
There is no ummah that is to come after this ummah. There is no Prophet or Messenger who is to come after Muhammad (SAW). But the message of truth is eternal and has to be carried forward. Therefore, after the demise of our beloved Prophet (SAW), the burden of spreading the truth is upon the believers. We are also aware that truth is bitter (مُرٌّ (الحقُّ Therefore, to tread on the path of truth and to spread the message of truth to others is bound to be accompanied with trials and tribulations from all quarters, especially from the agents of Shaytan (Satan), whether they are from the jinns or the humans.
According to the meaning of a hadith, this duniya (world) was created for us to use it as a means and not as an end, and we were created for the hereafter. We have to use whatever has been bestowed upon us to reach others by ordaining good and forbidding evil.
The noble companions of the Prophet (SAW) were persecuted, both verbally and physically, for declaring and preaching the truth of tawhid. It is in encountering the opposition, the resistance, and the impediments, which come in the way of saying the truth by enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong that the believers have to remain together, supporting one another with patience and perseverance. This is the fourth criterion or condition that is required for salvation.
What Muslims are currently facing is a chain of trials and tribulations—bigotry, stereotyping, accusations, victimization, blasphemy, the phobia of Islam, and much more. We are facing these fitan (trials/oppression/persecution) as individuals, as a community, and as an ummah. Perhaps no other time is better for us than now to be united. Allah says:
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا
“Hold fast to the rope of Allah all together; and do not split into factions…” (Aal ‘Imran, 3:103).
The turbulence engulfing the world by way of revolutions, disasters, and calamities in diverse shapes ranging from tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, fires, wars, political unrest, and economic depression around the world, to a general, overall lack of peace and tranquility is a clear sign of God’s wrath and displeasure. We have to realize the exigency of the situation and embark immediately on the path of salvation.
It is to be remembered that all the four criteria mentioned in Surat al-‘Asr have to be met for achieving success and salvation. This phenomenon can be understood through an analogy of a doctor and his patient. If a doctor prescribes four medicines to a patient with his professional and expert advice that all four medicines have to be consumed for complete recovery, then the patient will certainly not recover completely or may even endanger his health or life if he ignores the doctor’s advice and uses his own discretion regarding the medication, taking some medicines and leaving others. Allah (SWT) is our Creator. He alone knows us inside out. He alone knows our weaknesses. He alone knows the best way to our salvation, and hence His prescription for salvation is the only prescription that guarantees our salvation.
May Allah (SWT) bless us with the insight to comprehend this blessed surah and act upon its teachings because it is only in doing so that our success and salvation are guaranteed by the will of Allah (SWT).
