Virtues and benefits of Surah Al-’Asr
No hadith reports a virtue specific to Surah Al-’Asr, except that it belongs to the Mufassal by which the Prophet ﷺ was favoured over the other prophets. Brief as it is, it gathers the means of salvation from loss: faith, good deeds, and urging one another to truth and to patience. It is even reported that Ash-Shafi’i said: “Had nothing but this surah been revealed, it would have sufficed people.”
Its virtues at a glance
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A surah of the Mufassal
Nothing is reported about its virtues except that it belongs to the Mufassal, given to the Prophet ﷺ as an extra gift by which he was favoured over the other prophets, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’: “… and I was favoured with the Mufassal.”
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Brief yet rich in meaning
Al-Alusi said that despite its brevity it gathers a great deal of knowledge, and it is reported that Ash-Shafi’i said: “Had nothing of the Qur’an been revealed but this surah, it would have sufficed people.”
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The means of salvation from loss
It distinguishes the losers from the blessed: saved are those who believe, do good deeds, urge one another to truth and urge one another to patience.
What the surah is about
- The oath by time that man is in loss
- The salvation and success of those who believe and do good deeds
- Urging one another to truth and to patience
- Who the losers are and who the blessed are
Main purpose: The means of salvation from loss.
About Surah Al-’Asr
Al-’Asr, also called “Wal-’asr”, is a Meccan surah according to most exegetes; it is the thirteenth in the order of revelation, revealed after Ash-Sharh and before Al-’Adiyat. Scholars differ on the meaning of “al-’asr” by which Allah swears: time as a whole, for the lessons it holds — the view preferred by Ibn Jarir —, the time of the afternoon prayer for its merit, or the era of prophethood.
Detailed study in Arabic
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
- التعريف بسورة العصر
- فضائل سورة العصر
- موضوعات سورة العصر
- مقاصد سورة العصر
- أقوال العلماء في العصر
- الأحاديث الواردة في الفضل ودرجتها
Virtues of other surahs
All 114 surahs- Virtues of Surah Al-Kahf A light between two Fridays and protection from the Dajjal
- Virtues of Surah Al-Mulk Intercedes for its reciter and protects from the grave’s punishment
- Virtues of Surah Ya-Sin Whoever recites it at night seeking Allah’s Face is forgiven
- Virtues of Surah Al-Baqarah Satan flees the house where it is recited; it is the peak of the Qur’an
- Virtues of Surah Al-Fatihah The greatest surah of the Qur’an, without which there is no prayer
- Virtues of Surah Al-Ikhlas It equals a third of the Qur’an; loving it earns Allah’s love
- Virtues of Surah Al-Waqi’ah One of the surahs that greyed the Prophet ﷺ; he recited it at Fajr
- Virtues of Surah Ar-Rahman Recited by the Prophet ﷺ to the jinn, who responded better than people
- Ayat al-Kursi The greatest verse in the Book of Allah, a guard against Satan