103:1. By Time,

103:2. verily man is in a state of utter loss,

103:3. except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and exhort one another to hold fast to the truth and exhort one another to be steadfast.

Here Allah swears by Time, which is night and day, in which people’s deeds take place, that every person is a loser, and loss is the opposite of success.

Loss is of various kinds:

It may be absolute loss, as in the case of one who loses in this world and the hereafter, who misses out on bliss and deserves hellfire.

Or he may be a loser in some ways but not others. Therefore Allah describes everyone as a loser, except one who has the following four qualities:

• Belief in that which Allah has commanded us to believe in, and belief and faith cannot be sound unless they are based on knowledge, for faith is something that stems from knowledge and cannot be perfect without it.

• Righteous deeds, which include all good deeds, both outward and inward, having to do with duties towards Allah and towards His slaves, both obligatory and recommended.

• Exhorting one another to hold fast to the truth and do righteous deeds. That is, they exhort one another, urge one another and encourage one another to do that.

• Exhorting one another to be steadfast in obeying Allah, in refraining from disobedience towards Him, and in accepting the painful decrees of Allah.

By means of the first two one may perfect oneself, and by means of the last two one may help others to perfect themselves.

By perfecting all four things one will be safe from loss and will attain great success.

This is the end ol the commentary on Soorat al-'Asr.

All praise and thanks are for Allah, and may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). his family, and his Companions abundantly until the Day of Judgement.