Islamic Studies

Hum 110
Assignment 02

Name Ghazanfar Iqbal

Registration Number SP19-BBA-130

Class BBA-1C

Teacher’s Name Ms. Uzma Naz

Date: 09/04/2019

Assignment 2:
What is the meaning of the word Asr? How is this term important in the context of explanation
of Surah Al-Asr?
Question: What is the meaning of the word Asr? How is this term important in the context
of explanation of Surah Al-Asr?

Answer: Surah Asr is one the most comprehensive surahs of the Holy Quran. It was
revealed in Mecca. It is 103rd surah of the Holy Quran and it states the least criteria for us
Muslims to attain the divine success. In the start of this Surah God swears by time and God
only swears by something when He aims to emphasize on the importance of something or to
fortify his point. The word Asr has a very deep meaning as this single word beautifully and
briefly explains the whole context of the Surah. The word Asr means ‘fleeting day’, ‘declining
day or the epoch time. It has a very great impact than any other word for time used in
Arabic language as Dahr which means the time with no limit while on the other hand Asr
means the time with limit. This shows that the mankind has very less time and the time is
running off from the hands. By using this word Asr Allah swears that all the mankind is
doomed, and they have very less time. Allah is warning us that all of us are in great loss and
we all are going to be doomed but he puts a condition in the end of the verse that those
who will have strong belief in Allah and the Ghaib that is holy books, the messengers, the
angels, the divine decree and the day of judgment and those who will do good deeds then
surely they will pass the minimum criteria of Iman and they will get successful and will enter
the paradise. But those who are living their life in complete ignorance and are not using
their time properly then surely they all are in great loss. So by using this term Allah is telling
us about the significance of the time that all the mankind has very less time. They have few
moments left. Time is running as Asr is a time when the day is getting squeezed and the new
day is going to start. So the mankind should give value to their time rather than spending
this time in the activities which will not benefit them in this world and the world hereafter.
So in short in this surah, Allah has mentioned the minimum criteria to get successful in this
life and the life hereafter that is by having strong faith, using the fleeting time efficiently and
doing good deeds.