Assignment # 02

COMSATS University Islamabad, Attock Campus

Fall 2018

HUM110 Islamic Studies

Name: M. Faizan Nawaz

Reg NO: FA17-BEE-055

Question: Describe with reference to Surah Al-Asr, the minimum and unified criteria required
for the divine success in the life of a Muslim, in detail.

Introduction:
This is the 103rd Surah of the Holy Quran which was revealed in Makah. This surah is the most
comprehensive surah of the Holy Quran which can explain briefly the all knowledge and objectives of
Quran. In other words this short surah leads man to a total complete program for his happiness.
In it in a clear and plain way it has been stated what is the way to true success for man and what is the
way to destroy for him. Imam Asha’fai said if Allah (SWT) would have revealed only this surah instead of
whole Quran, this surah would have been enough for the guidance of the humanity.

Its translation is as:

“By the Time, Verily Man is in loss, except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and
recommend one another to the truth and recommend one another to the patience.”

Explanation:
Swear:

In our daily life generally we swear to prove our viewpoints. But whenever Allah (SWT) swear
something it does not mean to make this thing honored but also a means of reply. If we swear we have
to answer what we swear by. Allah (SWT) swear sometime to make his verses strong. As we saw in
Quran in some places Allah (SWT) swear his creatures to show the importance and values of these
verses to mankind. For example:
Swear by the city (Makah); [Surah Al-Balad 90:1]

And

By the fig, and the olive; [Surah At-Tin 95:1]

Swear of Time:

In the first verse of surah Al-Asr Allah (SWT) swears an oath by the ‘Time’ and says that mankind
is in state of loss, exception however is made of people who characterized by four qualities :[1] faith; [2]
righteous deeds; [3] advising each other by truth; [4] advising each other by patience. This is the only
path to salvation in this world, as well as in the next world. The Qur’anic prescription comprises, as we
have just seen, of four elements. The first two of them relate to man’s own personal betterment, and
the other two relate to other people’s guidance and reform.

Importance of time in life of Muslim’s:

The Islamic point of view regarding Time is also the same, but it follows a greater
implication than just succeeding this world. For every true believer knows that life on earth is
temporary and its eternal accomplishment lies in terms of pleasing Allah (SWT) and living its life
according to His Commandments. The Almighty Lord says in the Holy Quran in Chapter Al-Asr:

“By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done
righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.”

The Creator of the world of the world’s declares time as a great measure of one’s
success or failure. The Exalted One says that with every advancing moment of existence,
human has a great warning that is associated with it. But there are also those who will be
victorious in the afterlife, those who have complete faith in Allah and His Messenger (PBUH),
live a life of morality and uprightness, and preach each other towards adoption of honesty and
serenity in all matters. It is highly imperative to realize the value of all these four commandments
which Allah (SWT) has prescribed for His servants, for these are the words of the Almighty Allah
and are deemed as one’s way of evaluation of triumph or disappointment.

Salvation through four principles:

It is interesting that the Holy Quran offers a complete program with four principles which
can make us free from that great loss.

1) Faith:

The first principle is Faith which forms the basis of all activities of Man. In other
words, the actions of Man are reflections of his beliefs and thoughts. For the same reason all
prophets used to improve the basis of the Faith of their people first and before anything else. It
is interesting to note that Faith mentioned in an abstract form in order to include the Faith in all
things sacred, like belief in Allah and His attributes, belief in the Hereafter and Reckoning,
reward and punishment, the Divine Books and prophets as well as their vicegerents.
 2) Good deeds:

All the deeds and charity doing by man for the sake of Allah, Holy War on the
path of Allah, and learning divine knowledge, but it also includes every worthy action
that can be a means applied in the way towards soul-perfection, moral improvement,
nearness to Allah, and the progression of the human society in all fields. The faith
and good deeds are come together. For example mentioned in Holly Quran:

"Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will we
give a new Life, a life that is good and pure” (Surah 'Nahl, No. 16, verse 97)

3) Truth:
Truth is referred to, so that all the members of the human race will fully recognize
right from wrong and observing it will never forget it throughout their lives. The
term /haqq/ means Truth or adapting to Truth. There are twelve meanings used
or applied for this term in the Holy Quran, as are mentioned in Wujuh-i-Quran,
such as: Allah, Quran, Islam, theism, justice, truthfulness, sincerity, clarity,
obligation and the like, all of which refer to the root word mentioned as Truth.
4) Patience:
Patience has a vast meaning that involves both the patience of obedience and
the patience against motivations of committing sin, and patience for bitter
happenings like losing members, forces, wealth, etc.

LEVEL’S OF THE DEEN:

The second caliph of Islam Hazrat Umar (RA) says: one day while we are sitting with
messenger of Allah (PBUH), a man appeared in white clothes having black hair. Yet none of us
recognized him. He came in and sat facing Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), with his knees touching
the Prophet's (PBUH) knees, and said, '0, Muhammad (PBUH)! Tell me, what is Islam? Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH), answered, Islam is to testify that there is no true God except Allah (SWT),
and Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah (SWT), perform the Salah, give the Zakat,
observe Fasting of Ramadan, and perform the Hajj if you can afford it. The man said you have
told the truth. Umar (RA) said, we were amazed, he asked him and yet he approved his answer.

The man further asked to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Tell me what is Eeman (Faith)?
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said Eeman is to believe in Allah (SWT), and to believe in His
angels, His Books, His Messengers, and to believe in the Final Day, and in al-Qadar and in its
good and bad consequences. Then man said you have told the truth.

Then he asked tell me, what is Ihsan? He (PBUH) said, it is to worship Allah as though
you see Him. Although you do not see Him, yet He sees you. After that when he goes. Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH), thought for a while, and then he (PBUH) asked Umar (RA), do you know
who the questioner was? Umar (RA) said, Allah and His Messenger know the best. The
Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: That was Jibreel (AS). He came to teach you your Deen.

According to this hadith there are three levels in the Deen: Islam, Eeman and lhsan.

 Islam:
The name "Islam" simply means "Self-surrender to the will of Allah. Muslims have
two major sources from which they derive their religious teachings. The first is a book
known as the Quran, the direct Revelation of Allah to His last Prophet, the blessed
Muhammad. The second source is the collected sayings and pronouncements of the
Prophet which are complimentary to the Revelation. These are known as "the Hadith."
The first level is known as Islam, which is based on five pillars, they are, The Testimony
of Faith (there is no true God except Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of
Allah), that one must announce to enter Islam, performing Salah, giving Zakat,
observing Ramadan and performing Hajj once in a lifetime for those who can afford it.
 Eeman:
Eeman is the second level, which consists of six articles. A Muslim must believe in: Allah,
His Angels (AS), His Scriptures, His Messengers (AS), The Last Day and The Divine Decree
(Taqdeer). Explain as:

Explanation:
The Muslim belief in Allah covers the following areas: Muslim belief in one, unique,
incomparable God, who has neither son nor partner and that none, has the right to be
worshiped but him alone. He is the true God and every other deity is false. The Angels are
made of light they are the special creations of Allah. They are always engaged in different
activities being ordered by Allah. They do not need to drink and eat. The angels are always
engaged in various assignments being ordered by Allah. Gabriel is the greatest, the best and
the most noble, who delivered the messages of Allah to prophets. It is not righteousness the
east or the west, but it is righteousness to believe in the last day and the angels and the book
and the prophets.
Allah used to send messages to the Holly prophets from age to age to lead the
oblivious mankind in the right direction. The collection of these messages is called scriptures
(Kitab).
 Ihsan:
Ihsan is an Arabic term meaning "perfection" or "excellence". That definition comes from
the Hadith of Gabriel in which Muhammad (PBUH) states, "Ihsan is to worship God as though
you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you”. (Al-Bukhari and Al-Muslim).

Ihsan is the highest status of religion Islam. The concept of Ihsan in Islam is also that a
Muslim is a responsible person where he does things in a good manner. We can say that Ihsan means
a Muhsen is sure that Allah is seeing him/her in everything he/she says or does in his life. So, a Muhsen
does his best to say and do only what pleases to Allah Almighty and conforms to His commands.

In the Holly Quran, Allah Almighty says:

“Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct (Ihsan), and giving to relatives (and He) forbids immorality,
bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded” (Quran, 16: 90).
In short, by living according to the concept of Ihsan and by applying it to all that a Muslim does,
he/she will be rewarded with mercy and forgiveness from Allah Almighty.