Class 9 – Quran – Surahs Al Asr, Al Fil & Al Kawthar
Class 9
‘Quran – Surahs Al Asr, Al Fil & Al Kawthar’
SURAH AL ASR
وَالۡعَصۡرِۙ ﴿۱﴾
اِنَّ الۡاِنۡسَانَ لَفِىۡ خُسۡرٍۙ ﴿۲﴾
اِلَّا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡا بِالۡحَقِّ ۙ وَتَوَاصَوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ ﴿۳﴾
- · “By Al-’Asr (the time).
- Verily, man is [deep] in loss,
- except for those who believe and do good deeds, urge one another to the truth and urge one another to patience.”
Surah Al-Asr is the one hundred and third (103) surah of the Quran. It has been referred to as a matchless example of comprehensiveness because it explains in three brief verses the way to success and the way to ruin. Imam Ash-Shafi said that if people considered this surah well it would be sufficient in the way of guidance. A number of ahadith speak about the high esteem in which the sahabah held this surah. Accordingly whenever any two or more sahabi met they would not part company without reciting surah Al-Asr.
The Arabic word for loss is khusr and it is the opposite of profit thus also carrying the meaning of bankruptcy. In this context it could mean that humankind will lose their main capital for the Hereafter if instead of using this life to gain by faith and deeds they bargain it away with disbelief and sin.
We are in danger of losing something very special, and that is a blissful life in the Hereafter. However before that great loss we will lose our closeness to Allah and thus our peace and tranquillity in this life. A loss of contentment can sometimes lead humankind to act treacherously, and to run headlong into trouble and strife. But Allah is constantly warning us and here He is once more saying, wait, think and save yourself. Save yourself by aiming to have four-character traits:
- To believe. The first step of salvation is through upholding the correct belief and adhering to it with conviction and certainty.
- To do righteous deeds. The way in which we gain this certainty is by doing the actions that are pleasing to Allah; we demonstrate our belief through our actions or righteous deeds. Our deeds must be performed in accordance to what is in the Quran and the authentic Sunnah. They should not be according to our whims and desires. The true sign of success is to obey Allah’s commandments and to resist the desire to sin.
- To encourage, recommend or connect to truth. In Arabic haqq. Allah is telling us to remind each other and encourage each other to be faithful to the truth, and to let it stand out clearly by striving for justice.
- To recommend one another to sabr is the fourth trait and establishing a commitment to haqq would not be possible without sabr. Being steadfast in following the commandments of Allah requires patience, staying away from sins requires patience, and not despairing in times of calamities requires patience. Ibnul Qayyim explained that having sabr meant having the ability to stop ourselves from despairing, to refrain from complaining, and to control ourselves in times of sadness and worry.
This surah advises those who believe to act collectively to strengthen their position in the Hereafter. It implies asking and inviting people to do righteous deeds and stopping them from falling into sin and disbelief.
The revelation of this surah occurred during difficult times. The early Muslims had to contend with the oppression and surah Al-Asr gave them strength and confidence in the face of their trials and tribulations. It is perhaps for this reason that it was very dear to the sahabah and still is to those who try to lead righteous lives. Nowadays when a person finds himself in loss, his position can be turned around by following the succinct advice Allah gave to us in surah Al-Asr.
Surah Al Fil And the Elephant incident
بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
- اَلَمۡ تَرَ کَیۡفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّکَ بِاَصۡحٰبِ الۡفِیۡلِ
- · · اَلَمۡ یَجۡعَلۡ کَیۡدَہُمۡ فِیۡ تَضۡلِیۡلٍ
- · · وَّ اَرۡسَلَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ طَیۡرًا اَبَابِیۡلَ
- · · تَرۡمِیۡہِمۡ بِحِجَارَۃٍ مِّنۡ سِجِّیۡلٍ
- · · فَجَعَلَہُمۡ کَعَصۡفٍ مَّاۡکُوۡلٍ
- Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the Companions of the Elephant? [1]
- Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray? [2]
- And He sent against them Flights of Birds, [3]
- Striking them with stones of baked clay. [4]
- Then did He make them like an empty field of stalks and straw, (of which the corn) has been eaten up. [5]
The Elephant incident was the story behind the Surah Al Fil of the Noble Quran; It was the incident that took place in the month of Al-Muharram, fifty(50) or fifty-five(55) days before the birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ; Late February or early March 571 C.E.
It was led byAbrahah As-Sabah Al-Habashi an Abyssinian (Ethiopian) viceroy in Yemen. He saw how the Arabs made their pilgrimage to Al-Ka’bah, so he built a large church in San’a in order to attract the Arab pilgrims to it to the exclusion of Makkah.
He sent out a great army of sixty thousand warriors to demolish Al-Ka’bah and chose the biggest elephant for himself. His army included between nine to thirteen elephants. Abrahah continued marching until he reached a place called Al-Magmas. There, he mobilized his army and prepared his elephants to enter Makkah.
When Abrahah reached the Muhsassir Valley, between Muzdalifah and Mina, the elephant knelt down and refused to go forward. Whenever they directed it to the north, south or eat, the elephant moved quickly but when directed towards Al-Ka’bah in the west, it knelt down.
Meanwhile, Allaah sent birds in flights upon them, throwing forcefully stones of baked clay upon them and made them liked scattered chaff. These birds were very much like swallows and sparrows, each carrying three stones: one in its peak and two in its claws.
The stones hit Abrahah’s men, and cut their limbs and killed them. A large number of his soldiers were killed in this way and the others fled at random and died everywhere.
Abrahah himself had an infection that required his fingertips to be cut off. When he reached San’a’, he was in miserable state and died soon after.
Surah Al-Kawther A River of Goodness Through This Life and the Next
- اِنَّاۤ اَعۡطَيۡنٰكَ الۡكَوۡثَرَؕ ﴿۱﴾
- فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانۡحَرۡ ؕ ﴿۲﴾
- اِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الۡاَبۡتَرُ ﴿۳﴾
- Lo! We have given thee Abundance; (1)
- So pray unto thy Lord, and sacrifice. (2)
- Lo! it is thy insulter (and not thou) who is without posterity. (3)
Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said, The Prophet ﷺ. was among us. In the meantime he dozed; then he raised his head, smiling, and said, “A chapter was revealed to me earlier.” Then he read, “Indeed, We have granted you al-Kawthar. So, pray to your Lord and sacrifice. Indeed, the one who insults you, he is cut off… [Saheeh Muslim]
Surah al-Kawthar is the shortest surah of the Quran and many of us have memorized it, but do we truly feel it when we recite it? What does this surah have to do with us? It was the powerful emaan booster given by Allah (‘azza wajal) to His prophet and the community in a very difficult time, so let’s find out how we can use it to boost our faith and make us more productive!
A Heart-melting Scene in the Hereafter
Imagine for a moment that you’re on the plains of al-Hashr, the gathering on the Day of Judgment. Anxiety is all around you, but you don’t care— you’re having emotions you’ve never felt before.
Think back to the last time you fasted on a long, hot day. Forget food— you just wanted one glass of water right? This day, the sun is low and people will be sweating like never before.
The Prophet ﷺ said: I am your predecessor (forerunner) at the Lake-Fount, and whoever will pass by there, he will drink from it and whoever will drink from it, he will never be thirsty.. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree]
Imagine a beautiful, exclusive lake of abundant good on the Day of Judgment, covered with vessels like stars in the sky for all the believers to drink from at a time when you will be craving for a drink. The lake will provide a drink sweeter than honey and whiter than milk, sweet enough to satisfy your taste buds forever.
Rasulullah ﷺ said about al-Kawthar: It is a pond where my Ummah will be brought to on the Day of Judgement. Its vessels are as numerous as the stars in the sky.[Saheeh Muslim]
And he said: I entered Paradise and I came to a river whose banks had tents made of pearls. So I thrust my hand into its flowing water and found that it was the strongest (smell) of musk. So I asked, “O Jibril! What is this” He replied, “This is Al-Kawthar which Allah, the Mighty and Majestic has given you.” [Imam Ahmad]
What a lofty goal to strive for! How can you be of those who drink of the prophet’s hands and get his intercession? Start living by Surah Al-Kawthar, a river of goodness through this life and the next!
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TIPS OF TEST
- Memorize the Surahs
- Understand the message behind them