Surah Al-‘Asr: Four Things That Help Us Succeed
Understanding the Lesson
Surah Al-‘Asr Gives Us an Important Warning
The lesson explains that Allah warns us that mankind is in loss.
This means that our time and our lives should not be wasted. We need to use them in ways that please Allah.
The lesson then teaches four important qualities.
Believe in Allah
The first quality is Iman, or faith.
We believe in Allah and try to live according to our faith.
Being Muslim is not only something we say. Our belief should also encourage us to make good choices.
Do Good Deeds
The second quality is doing good and righteous deeds.
Sometimes doing the right thing is easy.
At other times, it can be difficult.
In the story, Suleiman sees someone who needs help. He wants to help, but he begins thinking about the money he wants to keep for himself.
He hesitates and walks away.
Later, he realizes that he missed an opportunity to do something good.
But he does not decide to give up.
He looks for another opportunity to help.
Soon, Suleiman and Omar find Uncle Ahmed cleaning a park filled with trash. They decide to help him.
Instead of only talking about good deeds, they actually begin doing one.
Encourage Others to Follow What Is Right
The third quality is encouraging one another toward truth and what is right.
At the park, Suleiman and Omar do not only pick up trash themselves.
They encourage other people to help too.
They remind them that Muslims should care for Allah’s blessings and that removing harmful things from the path is an act of charity.
This shows us that doing good ourselves is important, but we can also encourage other people to do good.
We should do this kindly and for the right reason.
Encourage One Another to Be Patient
The fourth quality is patience.
Patience does not simply mean waiting.
It can mean continuing to do what is right even when something is difficult, frustrating, or takes a long time.
Uncle Ahmed gives the children an example.
He explains that he has been cleaning the park every Tuesday for twelve years. Even though people continue making the park dirty, he continues helping.
That takes patience.
Later, Suleiman gets another opportunity to practice this lesson at home.
His sister Medina is upset because her project has been broken.
Instead of becoming upset with her, Suleiman remembers what he learned about patience.
He encourages Medina, speaks kindly to her, and offers to help fix the project.
Learning From Our Mistakes
Suleiman does not do everything correctly the first time.
When he first sees someone who needs help, he hesitates and walks away.
At first, he thinks:
★ We failed before we even started.
But the rest of the story teaches an important lesson.
Making one mistake does not mean we should stop trying.
Suleiman looks for another opportunity to do good. Then he helps clean the park, encourages others to help, practices patience, and helps his sister.
He learns from his mistake and tries again.
Knowing the Surah Is Different From Living the Surah
At the beginning, Suleiman is worried about completing all four parts of the lesson.
But as the day continues, he begins to understand something deeper.
The four qualities are not simply a checklist.
They are qualities that should become part of our lives:
The lesson is not only something to memorize.
It is something to practice.
4. Important Words
Surah Al-‘Asr
A short Surah of the Qur’an that teaches us about time, loss, faith, good deeds, truth, and patience.
Iman
Belief or faith in Allah.
Good Deeds
Actions that are good and pleasing to Allah.
Truth
What is right and true. The lesson teaches us to encourage one another toward truth.
Sabr
Patience and continuing to do what is right, especially when things are difficult.
Charity
Something good we do to help others. The lesson mentions removing something harmful from a path as an act of charity.
Ajr
Reward from Allah for doing what is good.
Alhamdulillah
“Praise and thanks belong to Allah.”
SubhanAllah
A phrase Muslims say to glorify Allah.
5. What Does This Teach Us?
Lesson 1: Faith should affect how we live.
The lesson begins with believing in Allah, but it does not stop there.
Our faith should encourage us to do good things.
Lesson 2: Doing good can sometimes be difficult.
Suleiman wanted to help someone, but he was also thinking about keeping his money.
Sometimes we know what is good, but doing it requires effort.
Lesson 3: Missing one opportunity does not mean we should give up.
Suleiman made a mistake when he walked away from the first person who needed help.
Instead of deciding that everything was ruined, he tried again when another opportunity appeared.
Lesson 4: We should encourage others toward what is right.
At the park, the children invited others to help.
They did not keep the good deed to themselves.
Lesson 5: Patience is something we practice.
Uncle Ahmed continued cleaning the park for many years.
Suleiman then practiced patience when his sister became upset.
Patience can be needed at school, at home, with friends, and while doing good deeds.
Lesson 6: Islamic teachings should become part of everyday life.
Surah Al-‘Asr was not only something Suleiman heard during a lesson.
He started seeing opportunities to practice its teachings during his day.
That is an important part of learning Islam: learning something and then trying to live by it.
6. How Can We Practice This?
We can practice the lessons of Surah Al-‘Asr in many simple situations.
At Home
If your brother or sister makes you angry, try to speak patiently instead of yelling.
If someone needs help cleaning, you can help without waiting to be asked.
At School
If you see trash on the ground, you can put it in the proper place.
If a classmate is struggling, you can offer appropriate help.
With Friends
If your friends want to do something wrong, you can kindly encourage them to make a better choice.
You do not have to insult them or embarrass them.
You can advise them with kindness.
When Something Is Difficult
If you are learning Qur’an, studying, working on a project, or trying to improve a good habit, you may sometimes become frustrated.
Remember that patience means continuing to try.
After Making a Mistake
Do not say:
“I already failed, so there is no reason to keep trying.”
Instead, learn from what happened and look for another opportunity to do what is right.
Suleiman missed one opportunity, but he did not let that stop him from doing good later.
7. Remember
Surah Al-‘Asr teaches us four important qualities:
1 Believe in Allah.
2 Do righteous deeds.
3 Encourage one another toward truth and what is right.
4 Encourage one another to be patient.
We should not only memorize these ideas. We should look for opportunities to practice them in our everyday lives.
And when we make a mistake, we can learn from it, try again, and continue working toward what is good.
What Are We Learning?
Surah Al-‘Asr is a short Surah with a very important message.
It teaches us that our lives and our time are valuable. It also teaches us about four important qualities that can protect us from being among those who are in loss.
In the story, Suleiman learns that knowing these four things is not enough. He has to try to live by them in everyday life.