TIME OF LOSS, EXCEPT FOR THOSE WITH FOUR QUALITIES
TAFSIR SURAH 103 (AL-ASR)
By (the Token of) Time (through the Ages), Verily Man is in loss, Except as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy. (Quran 103:1-3)
By Babatunde Jos
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: Faith, Righteous deeds, Exhorting one another to Truth, and Exhorting one another to patience.
Mufti Muhammad Shafi said the Struggle of the human being is like the one who is trying to sell ice. It is melting away and he needs to sell it quickly and make as many sales as possible before the end of the day comes. Otherwise – all his valuables and efforts will go to waste.
The first quality is Iman (Faith) of which there are 362 verses in the Quran. The Faith which the Qur’an regards as true Faith has been explained in the following verses:
*Only those are Believers who have believed in Allah and His Apostle, and have never since doubted, but have striven with their belongings and their persons in the Cause of Allah: Such are the sincere ones. (Quran 49: 15) See also Quran 41: 30, Quran 8: 2, Quran 2:165, Quran 4: 65.*
The following verse is even more explicit as regards the distinction between verbal affirmation of Faith and true Faith; it says that what is desirable is true Faith and not mere verbal affirmation of the Faith:
*O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His Apostle, and the scripture which He hath sent to His Apostle and the scripture which He sent to those before (him). Any who denieth Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Apostles, and the Day of Judgement, hath gone far, far astray. (Quran 4: 136)*
As for the question, what has one to believe in, to have true faith? This also has been answered and explained in the Qur’an most explicitly. First, it implies that one has to believe in God, not merely in His Being but in the sense that He alone is God; no one else is an associate in His Godhead; He alone is worthy that man should worship, serve and obey; He alone can make or mar destinies; man should invoke Him alone and have trust in Him alone; He alone can enjoin things and forbid things; man is under obligation to obey Him and refrain from what he forbids; He sees everything and hears everything; not to speak of any act of man, even his motives and intentions are not hidden from Him.
Secondly, one must believe in the Messenger, in the sense that he is a guide and leader appointed by Allah: whatever he has taught, is from Allah, is based upon the truth and must be acknowledged and accepted. This belief in Apostleship also includes faith in the angels, the Prophets, the Divine Books and in the Quran itself, for this forms part of the teachings which the Messenger of Allah has given.
Thirdly, one must believe in the Hereafter, in the sense that man’s present life is not his first and last life, but after death man has to be resurrected, to render an account to God of the deeds done in the present life and has to be rewarded for the good deeds and punished for the evil deeds accordingly. This Faith provides a firm basis for morality and character, upon which can be built the edifice of a pure life, whereas the truth is that without such Faith, the life of man, however beautiful and pleasing outwardly, is like a ship without rudder, which is at the mercy of the waves wherever they may take it.
After Faith the second quality required to save man from loss is to perform righteous deeds which comprehends all kinds of virtuous and good deeds. However, according to the Qur’an, no act can be a good act unless it is based on Faith, and it is performed in obedience to the guidance given by Allah and His Messenger. That is why in the Quran exhortation to perform good deeds is preceded everywhere by Faith, and in this Surah too it has been mentioned after the Faith.
Nowhere in the Qur’an has a deed without Faith been called a good deed, nor any reward promised for a deed performed without Faith. The relationship between Faith and righteous deed is of the seed and the tree. Unless the seed is sown in the soil no tree can grow out of it. But if the seed is in the soil and no tree is growing out of it, it would mean that the seed is lost in the soil.
Perhaps we might ask ourselves, as a people, have we sown any seed that would warrant us reaping the good life? Do we have leaders who are righteous in their deeds? This was the question asked by the Imam of Areago Mainland Central Mosque. He admonished our leaders to embrace righteousness lest they lead us in to wanton loss.
As he puts it, we are being led by thieves, brigands and unrighteous men who have sold their souls and are in the process of leading us into the abyss. If not, he asked; How can we as a people account for the theft of $2billion of oil in 8 months and we have all modern applications for monitoring our oil production and export? How can we account for the huge monies being stolen from our treasuries and the perpetrators being left to enjoy their loot? How can we as a people have leaders who came in as tenants from 2-bedroom tenements and end up owing 50-Room mansions? How come salaried men on retirement from service become the richest men in our society? They must give an account. He said, this is the evening of our life on Earth, Judgement is coming. Those who have not embraced faith, righteousness, truth, and patience will be at a loss, he warned.
Allah said.
*Those who believe (in the Koran), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians, –any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, shall have their reward with their Lord: On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Quran 2:62)*
*They believe in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: They are in the ranks of the righteous. (Quran 3:114)*
*To Him will be your return–of all of you. The promise of Allah is true and sure. It is He Who beginneth the process of creation, and repeateth it, that He may reward with justice those who believe and work righteousness; but those who reject Him will have draughts of boiling fluids, and a Penalty grievous, because they did reject Him. (Quran 10:4)*
Then, the Surah mentions two further qualities, which a man must have to be saved from loss. They are that the people who believe and do good deeds must exhort one another to truth and to patience. This means that in the first place, a believing and righteous people should not live as individuals but should create a believing and righteous society by their combination. Second, that every individual of this society must feel his responsibility not to let the society become degenerate. Thus, all its members are duty bound to exhort one another to truth and to patience.
This is the spirit that can ensure security of a society against moral degeneration and decay. If a society becomes devoid of this spirit, it cannot remain secure from loss, and eventually even those people also are affected by the loss, who might in their own way be adhering to the truth but were insensitive to violation of the truth in their society.
Besides exhorting to the truth, the other thing which has been declared as a necessary condition for keeping the believers and their society secure from loss is that the members of the society should enjoin patience upon one another. That is, they should enjoin upon one another to bear with fortitude and steadfastness the difficulties, hardships, trials, losses, and deprivations which befall the one who adheres to the truth and supports it.
Almost all notable classical and modern Islamic scholars including Imam Shafi, Ibn Kathir, Israr Ahmed and Farhat Hashmi express their comments on this Surah. But it is Shah Waliullah who takes the cake when he said’ by Allah saying, _*Wa-al ‘Asr – We will remember the special Days of Allah. The Days when; Allah created the human being (Adam), the Day He revealed the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad, the Day Allah drowned the disbelievers of Prophet Nuh, the Day Allah destroyed Pharaoh and saved Moses, the Day of Badr, the Day when Allah spoke to Musa/Moses. The Day of Judgment, the Day the believers will see Allah. By saying al ‘Asr – we will remember these Days so we will not want to be in loss.*
*May Allah teach us to remember the Days, and save us from loss, Amin!*
*Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend.*
*CONGRATULATIONS on the birthday of our brother, friend and bearer, our very own quintessential epitome of humility and philanthropy, Dr. Muyinudeen Aderemi Makanjuola. _(Alagborodun bi olodumare kosi, Oba yio mase Alatileyin wa o.)_ Amin.*
