Tafsir of Surat al-Asr: Allah the Exalted said: "And by time" with an explanation of the wisdom behind Allah's oath by time.

The Shaykh : We have three surahs now: Surat al-Inshirah, and which reading is this? Tonight or last night? And we have Surat al-Adiyat tonight, and when is Surat al-Asr? Tonight. So which one do you want us to talk about?
The student: Al-Asr.

The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: Al-Asr.

The Shaykh : What?
The student: Al-Asr.

The Shaykh : Al-Asr. The people overcame the tribe, the tribe overcame you. Okay, so al-Asr. There is no harm in saying al-Asr, because the discussion on al-Adiyat has already taken place, and so has al-Inshirah. But regarding al-Asr, Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said: The waw here is for the oath. The waw is for the oath. And we will raise an issue regarding the brother: How did Allah swear by al-Asr, when al-Asr is time, and swearing by other than Allah is forbidden?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Did you not attend the apparent [lesson]? Rest.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Well done, perfect. We say that it is permissible for Allah Blessed and Exalted is He to swear by whatever He wills of His creation, because He is the Ruler and not one who is ruled over. So Allah swears by al-Asr, by al-Duha, by the night, by the sun, by the Resurrection, and by whatever He wills, because He, Exalted and Majestic is He, holds the judgment, and no judgment is held over Him except what He has obligated upon Himself. Allah may obligate something upon Himself, and it becomes obligatory, such as His saying, the Exalted: He has written upon Himself. He obligated mercy upon Himself. Okay, so if a person raises an issue and says, "How does Allah swear by al-Asr and al-Duha, which are time, and swearing by other than Allah is shirk (associating partners with Allah)?" What do we say?
We say: It is permissible for Allah to swear by whatever He wills of His creation. Why? Because He is the Ruler who rules and is not ruled over. Al-Asr is time.
Al-Asr is time. That is why you hear people say "the era of the Companions," "the era of the Tabi'un," "the era of the Tabi'in of the Tabi'un." What does "era" mean here? What? Their time. The time of the Tabi'un, the time of the Tabi'in of the Tabi'un. So al-Asr is time. And Allah the Exalted swore by time because of the great lessons contained in it, about which Allah the Exalted said in general terms: . The al-Asr, which is time, contains lessons, O brothers. In it, some people are honored and others are humiliated. In it, some people become wealthy and others become poor. Nations rise and fall, are subdued and overcome. Time is truly full of lessons. Indeed, a person in his daily life, and the life of each of us is short, finds lessons. He finds lessons. You find a person, without any known reason, happy one day and sad another day, without any reason. Indeed, a person may experience both joy and sadness in a single day without any reason.
And in this, the poet says:
"A day is against us and a day is for us *** A day we are lowly and a day we are high".
I will read the verse twice so I can see who among you has memorized it.
"A day is against us and a day is for us *** A day we are lowly and a day we are high".
The third time.
"A day is against us and a day is for us *** A day we are lowly and a day we are high".
Did you memorize it?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Wrong. Who memorized it? Go ahead.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Wrong. Rest. Go ahead.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : What?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Wrong. Go ahead.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : What?
The student: A day is against us.

The Shaykh : Wrong. Subhan Allah. Go ahead, sit down, my son. Sit down.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : And a day is for us, and a day is against us. Wrong. By Allah, Subhan Allah. The last one.
The student: A day is...

The Shaykh : And a day.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Well done, perfect. I said "a day is," and the brothers who stood up said "and a day is." I want you to memorize what I said. Okay. I say that Allah swore by al-Asr because of the great signs and great lessons that occur in al-Asr. Yes, in the era of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions were victorious in one year, and a year later the situation was reversed. Who remembers these two years, or who knows? Do you know? Go ahead.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Here.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Okay. The Day of Badr, the Messenger and his Companions were victorious. Okay.
The student: Uhud.

The Shaykh : What?
The student: Uhud.

The Shaykh : The Day of Uhud, the reverse. Perfect. Rest. May Allah reward you. And in that, Allah Blessed and Exalted is He said: What? At Uhud At what? At Badr Subhan Allah al-Azim. And this is something observed.