Daily Ayah · Al-Asr 103:1-3

Many of us think time is something we simply have, and that an idle hour costs us nothing.

This ayah begins with an oath by time itself. Then it speaks of loss, which is a word from the world of business.

Al-Shinqiti notes that scholars agree a person's capital is their lifespan, and this world is like a marketplace for using it.

Al-Razi shares how an early scholar understood this ayah from an ice-seller, whose whole stock melts away if he is careless.

So time passing is never neutral. Ibn al-Jawzi explains that a life not used for lasting gain is a loss, because life is our greatest capital.

Today, look at your hours as something precious that is quietly leaving. Give some of them to what lasts.

Amal for today: Pick one hour today and spend it on something good that lasts, like prayer, learning, or helping someone.

Sources: Ibn al-Jawzi (Zad al-Masir); al-Shinqiti (Adwa al-Bayan); Ma'arif al-Quran (Mufti Shafi); al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)