Surah Al-‘Asr Full Text — By Time, Man Is in Loss (Hafs)

About Surah Al-‘Asr

Surah Al-‘Asr is the 103rd surah in the order of the mushaf, and one of the Meccan surahs — revealed to the Prophet ﷺ before the migration to Madinah. It contains 3 ayahs, and it is the twenty-sixth surah of Juz ‘Amma, the final part of the Quran that most Muslims begin their memorisation with. It is among the shortest surahs of the Quran, alongside Al-Kawthar and An-Nasr — yet it is widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive.

The surah takes its name from its opening oath, «wal-‘asr» (“By time”), by which Allah swears by time — or, as some commentators say, the declining hours of the afternoon. The sweeping verdict follows at once: “indeed, mankind is in loss” — except those described in the third ayah, who believe, do righteous deeds, and counsel one another to the truth and to patience.

The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim, the reading used in most of the Muslim world, in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf. The audio recitation is by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi.

Virtues and place of Surah Al-‘Asr

1. The whole path of salvation in three ayahs

Imam ash-Shafi‘i is famously reported to have said about this surah: “If people reflected on this surah, it would suffice them.” In just three short ayahs, it lays out the complete path of salvation — the loss that faces mankind, and the narrow way out of it.

2. A surah the Companions parted with

It is related that when two of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ met, they would not part from one another until one of them had recited Surah Al-‘Asr to the other — a report recorded by at-Tabarani.

3. Faith and works are not enough alone

The surah names four conditions for being saved from loss: belief, righteous deeds, and — beyond the individual — counselling one another to the truth and counselling one another to patience. Personal faith and personal good deeds are not enough by themselves; the saved community is one that also calls others to truth and helps them bear it with patience.

Themes of the Surah

1. By time, man is in loss (ayahs 1–2)

The surah opens with an oath by time itself, «wal-‘asr», and follows it with a sweeping verdict that spares no one: “indeed, mankind is in loss.” Time is a form of capital that is always being spent, and without exception it is a loss unless it is put to use in a way that benefits a person.

Read from ayah 1 →

2. Except those who… (ayah 3)

A single exception is carved out of that sweeping loss: those who believe, who do righteous deeds, who counsel one another to the truth, and who counsel one another to patience. These four qualities — inward faith, outward action, and the outward calling of others to truth and steadfastness — mark the way out of loss.

Read from ayah 3 →

Tips for reading and memorising

With only 3 ayahs, Surah Al-‘Asr can usually be memorised in a single sitting, or two.
Listen to the recitation above by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi and repeat after him.
Reflect on each of the four qualities in the third ayah individually — belief, righteous deeds, counselling to truth, and counselling to patience.
Recite it when parting from a companion, following the practice related of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ.
Use the “font size” buttons at the top of the page for a comfortable read.
You can print the surah from your browser (Ctrl+P) for a clean paper copy.

Frequently asked questions

How many ayahs are in Surah Al-‘Asr?

Surah Al-‘Asr has 3 ayahs. It is the 103rd surah in the order of the mushaf, and it is a Meccan surah — the twenty-sixth surah of Juz ‘Amma.

Why is it called Surah Al-‘Asr?

It is called Surah Al-‘Asr (“Time”, or “The Declining Day”) after its opening oath, «wal-‘asr» — “By time” — with which the surah begins.

What does “Al-‘Asr” mean?

Commentators differ slightly on the precise sense: some take «al-‘asr» to mean time itself, in its sweep from the beginning of creation to the Hour; others take it to mean the late-afternoon hour specifically.

Why does the surah say “mankind is in loss”?

After swearing by time, Allah declares that mankind, as a whole, is in loss — because time itself is a form of capital that is constantly being spent, and it is lost unless it is redeemed by the four qualities named in the final ayah.

Who is excepted from being in loss?

The third and final ayah excepts those who combine four qualities: they believe, they do righteous deeds, they counsel one another to the truth, and they counsel one another to patience.

What did Imam ash-Shafi‘i say about this surah?

Imam ash-Shafi‘i is famously reported to have said: “If people reflected on this surah, it would suffice them” — pointing to how these three ayahs contain the entire path of salvation.

Is there a report about reciting Surah Al-‘Asr with others?

Which recitation is the text on this page based on?

The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim — the most widely used reading in the Muslim world — written in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf. The audio recitation on this page is by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi.

How can I memorise Surah Al-‘Asr easily?

With only 3 ayahs, Surah Al-‘Asr can usually be memorised in a single sitting, or two. Listen to the recitation above, repeat each ayah after Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi, and reflect on the four qualities named in the final ayah as you learn it.

Surah Al-‘Asr (The Declining Day) — Full Text in Clear Arabic Script

Listen to the recitation