The Tafsīr of Sūrat Al-'Aṣr (Chapter - 103)

Which was revealed in Makkah

How 'Amr bin Al-'Āṣ was aware of the Qur'ān's Miracle due to this Sūrah

They have mentioned that 'Amr bin Al-'Āṣ went to visit Musaylimah Al-Kadhdhāb after the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ was commissioned (as a Prophet) and before 'Amr had accepted Islām. Upon his arrival, Musaylimah said to him, "What has been revealed to your friend (Muḥammad ﷺ) during this time?" 'Amr said, "A short and concise Sūrah has been revealed to him." Musaylimah then said, "What is it?" 'Amr replied;

Qur’an 103:1–3وَٱلْعَصْرِ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ

«By Al-'Aṣr. Verily, man is in loss. Except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience.»

So Musaylimah thought for a while. Then he said, "Indeed something similar has also been revealed to me." 'Amr asked him, "What is it?" He replied, "O Wabr (a small, furry mammal; hyrax), O Wabr! You are only two ears and a chest, and the rest of you is digging and burrowing." Then he said, "What do you think, O 'Amr?" So 'Amr said to him, "By Allāh! Verily, you know that I know you are lying."^{1He also mentioned it in Al-Bidāyah wan-Nihāyah 6:320, and Al-Hāfiẓ mentioned similar to it in Al-Iṣābah 3:225.}

I saw that Abu Bakr Al-Kharā'iṭi mentioned a chain of narration for part of this story, or what was close to its meaning, in volume two of his famous book Masāwi' ul-Akhlāq. The Wabr is a small animal that resembles a cat, and

Arabic quotation as printed; not matched to Tanzil, so not shown as the Qur’anوَٱلْعَصْرِ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ ٱلَّذِى جَمَعَ مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُۥ يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَهُۥ كَلَّا لَيُنۢبَذَنَّ فِى ٱلْحُطَمَةِ وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحُطَمَةُ نَارُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُوقَدَةُ ٱلَّتِى تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى ٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةِ إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌ فِى عَمَدٍ مُّمَدَّدَةٍۭ أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَٰبِ ٱلْفِيلِ أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍۭ

the largest thing on it is its ears and its torso, while the rest of it is ugly. Musaylimah intended by the composition of these nonsensical verses to produce something which would oppose the Qur'ān. Yet, it was not even convincing to the idol worshipper of that time.

Aṭ-Ṭabarāni recorded from 'Abdullāh bin Ḥiṣn Abi Madīnah that he said, "Whenever two men from the Companions of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to meet, they would not part until one of them had recited Sūrat Al-'Āṣr in its entirety to the other, and one of them had given the greetings of peace to the other."^{2Al-Mu'jam Al-Awsaṭ no. 5097, Majma' Al-Baḥrayn.}

Ash-Shāfi'ī said, "If the people were to ponder on this Sūrah, it would be sufficient for them.”

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Qur’an 103:1–3وَٱلْعَصْرِ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ

«1. By Al-'Aṣr.» «2. Verily, man is in loss.» «3. Except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience.»

Al-'Āṣr is the time in which the movements of the Children of Ādam occur, whether good or evil. Mālik narrated from Zayd bin Aslam that he said, "It is the evening." However, the first view is the popular opinion. Thus, Allāh swears by this, that man is in Khusr, which means in loss and destruction.

Qur’an 103:3إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ

«Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds,»

So Allāh makes an exception, among the species of man being in loss, for those who believe in their hearts and work righteous deeds with their limbs.

Qur’an 103:3وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ

«And recommend one another to the truth,» This is to perform acts of obedience and avoid the forbidden things.

Qur’an 103:3وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ

«And recommend one another to patience.» meaning, with the plots, the evils, and the harms of those who harm people due to their commanding them to do good and forbidding them from evil.

This is the end of the Tafsīr of Sūrat Al-'Aṣr, and all praise and thanks are due to Allāh.