Surah 103
Surah Al-'Asr (The Declining Day)
العصر
Also written: Asr
Surah Al-'Asr (العصر) is surah 103 of the 114 surahs of the Quran. It has 3 ayahs, was revealed in Mecca (Meccan), and its name means “The Declining Day”.
- Number
- 103
- Ayahs
- 3
- Revelation
- Meccan
- Meaning
- The Declining Day
Names, meaning and Meccan/Medinan classification as listed in the quran-json dataset.
About Surah Al-'Asr
Al-’Asr, “The Declining Day” or “Time”, is only three verses long but is often described as a complete programme for life. It swears by time, declares that humanity is in a state of loss, and names the only way out: faith, righteous action, and encouraging one another to the truth and to patience.
The three verses
- The oath (103:1): by al-’asr — understood as time itself, the late afternoon when daylight fades, or the era of the Prophet. All carry the idea that time is running out.
- The verdict (103:2): human beings are in loss.
- The exception (103:3): those who believe, do good, urge one another to truth, and urge one another to patience.
Personal and shared
Commentators note that the first two qualities concern the individual, while the last two are mutual: a person is not saved alone, but as part of a community that reminds and supports one another. Patience is placed last, as the quality needed to hold on to all the others.
What scholars said about it
A well-known saying attributed to Imam ash-Shafi’i holds that if people reflected on this surah alone, it would be enough for them. A report recorded by at-Tabarani says that when two companions met, they would not part until one had recited Al-’Asr to the other.
Its brevity makes it one of the first surahs children learn and a frequent choice in the daily prayers.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the four conditions in Surah Al-'Asr?
- Faith, righteous deeds, encouraging one another to the truth, and encouraging one another to patience.
- How many verses are in Surah Al-'Asr?
- 3.
- What does al-'asr mean?
- Time, the late afternoon, or an era; commentators mention all of these meanings.
- How many ayahs are in Surah Al-'Asr?
- Surah Al-'Asr has 3 ayahs. It is surah number 103 in the Quran and is Meccan.
- Can I read Surah Al-'Asr in English or save it as a PDF?
- Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of every ayah with the Saheeh International English meaning under it. Use “Print / Save as PDF” for a clean printable copy that you can save as a PDF file from your browser.
- Is Surah Al-'Asr the same as Surah Asr?
- Yes. Asr and Al-'Asr are different English spellings of the same surah name, العصر.
Summaries describe the surah’s content and commonly cited reports for general readers; they are not a tafsir or a religious ruling.
Making a video of Surah Al-'Asr
With 3 ayahs, Surah Al-'Asr is short enough for a single vertical video. Select all ayahs on the new-project page, load a recitation, and use “Highlight current ayah” to keep the whole surah on screen while each ayah is emphasised as it is recited.
In the editor, the Online Recitations tab lists the reciters Quran Foundation provides for this surah. See how to create a Quran video for the full steps.
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Surah Al-'Asr in Arabic with English meaning
Arabic: Uthmani script from The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia (quranenc.com), Uthmani script, via quran-json (CC-BY-SA 4.0), shown as in the verified dataset; open-tanween marks use the equivalent codepoints this font draws, as in the editor. English meaning: Saheeh International (tanzil.net). A translation conveys the meaning; it is not the Quran itself.
وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ ١
103:1By time
إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لَفِي خُسۡرٍ ٢
103:2Indeed, mankind is in loss
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ ٣
103:3Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience