Al-ʿAṣr

Verses 1-2

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
وَالْعَصْرِ ١
إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ٢

Allāh swore by Time due to what is in it of wondrous [signs of His] power–[wonders] which indicate His exalted greatness–that the Children of Ādam are truly, most definitely [heading to] destruction and loss.

It is not allowed for [any of Allāh’s] slaves to swear by [anyone or anything] except Allāh: indeed, swearing by other than Allāh [falls under the unforgivable sin of] shirk [attributing or directing anything that is His alone to other than Him].

Verse 3

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ ٣

[They are all heading towards destruction and loss] except those who have believed in Allāh and performed righteous deeds and exhorted one another to hold on to the truth very tightly, to put obedience to Allāh in practice, and to be patient upon that.

Source: Al-Tafsīr Al-Muyassar. King Fahd Qurʾān Printing Complex. Madīnah: 1434 H.