What the Quran Says About Time Management

Surah Al-Asr opens with an oath by time and says mankind is in loss, except those who believe, do righteous deeds, and advise each other to truth and to patience. Several other surahs, including Al-Fajr, Al-Layl and Ad-Duha, open with an oath by a part of the day or night. Other verses set prayer at specified times and describe night and day as a way to know the number of years and the account of time.

What does Surah Al-Asr say about time?

Surah Al-Asr opens with an oath by time. Here is the text of Quran 103:1-3, Saheeh International translation:

“By time, / Indeed, mankind is in loss, / Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.”

The verses name four qualities: belief, righteous deeds, advising each other to truth, and advising each other to patience.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), as published on quran.com, explains the terms. It says “Al-`Asr is the time in which the movements of the Children of Adam occur, whether good or evil.” It adds that Malik narrated from Zayd bin Aslam that he said, “It is the evening,” but notes “the first view is the popular opinion.” On the word for loss, it says “Allah swears by this, that man is in Khusr, which means in loss and destruction.” On advising one another to the truth, it says “This is to perform acts of obedience and avoid the forbidden things.”

The same tafsir records this saying: “Ash-Shafi`i said, ‘If the people were to ponder on this Surah, it would be sufficient for them.'” It also cites a report: “At-Tabarani recorded from `Abdullah bin Hisn Abi Madinah that he said, ‘Whenever two men from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to meet, they would not part until one of them had recited Surat Al-`Asr in its entirety to the other, and one of them had given the greetings of peace to the other.'” Both passages are in Tafsir Ibn Kathir on quran.com.

Which other surahs open with an oath by a time of day or night?

Other surahs open the same way, among them Al-Fajr, Al-Layl and Ad-Duha. Each quotation is from the Saheeh International translation, with square brackets as in the original.

Surah Al-Fajr

Quran 89:1-2 reads:

“By the dawn / And [by] ten nights”

Surah Al-Layl

Quran 92:1-2 reads:

“By the night when it covers / And [by] the day when it appears”

Surah Ad-Duha

Quran 93:1-2 reads:

“By the morning brightness / And [by] the night when it covers with darkness,”

How does the Quran describe night and day as a measure of time?

Several verses present the cycle of night and day, and of sun and moon, as a way to count time. Quran 17:12 reads:

“And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day visible that you may seek bounty from your Lord and may know the number of years and the account [of time]. And everything We have set out in detail.”

Quran 10:5 makes a similar point about the sun and moon:

“It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light and determined for it phases – that you may know the number of years and account [of time].”

Other verses describe the daily rhythm. Quran 78:10-11 says: “And made the night as clothing. / And made the day for livelihood.” And Quran 25:62 says: “And it is He who has made the night and the day in succession for whoever desires to remember or desires gratitude.”

What does the Quran say about prayer and the times of day?

The Quran ties worship to the clock in several places. Quran 4:103 ends with: “Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.”

Other verses mention parts of the day. Quran 11:114 says: “And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night.” Quran 17:78 says: “Establish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Qur’ān [i.e., recitation] of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed.”

Quran 20:130 adds: “So be patient over what they say and exalt [Allāh] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and during periods of the night [exalt Him] and at the ends of the day, that you may be satisfied.”

How these verses map to the five daily prayers is a matter of scholarly commentary. Readers who want that detail should consult a qualified scholar.

What do the verses say about work and what follows it?

Several verses speak about Friday trade, about finishing a duty and about making a decision. On Friday, Quran 62:9-10 reads:

“O you who have believed, when [the adhān] is called for the prayer on the day of Jumuʿah [Friday], then proceed to the remembrance of Allāh and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew. / And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allāh, and remember Allāh often that you may succeed.”

Quran 94:7 says: “So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].”

On deciding, Quran 3:159 closes with: “And when you have decided, then rely upon Allāh. Indeed, Allāh loves those who rely [upon Him].” The verse addresses the Prophet in the context of consultation.

What does the Quran say about asking for more time at death?

One passage describes a person at the moment of death. Quran 23:99-100 reads:

“[For such is the state of the disbelievers] until, when death comes to one of them, he says, ‘My Lord, send me back / That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind.’ No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.”

Note the translator’s bracket. In this translation, the passage describes the state of the disbelievers.

What do the verses say about priorities and speech?

Two passages speak about priorities and about speech. Quran 87:16-17 contrasts the worldly life with the Hereafter. Quran 23:1-3 lists traits of the believers who succeed, including turning away from ill speech. Quran 87:16-17: “But you prefer the worldly life, / While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.” And Quran 23:1-3: “Certainly will the believers have succeeded: / They who are during their prayer humbly intent / And they who turn away from ill speech”

How can readers turn these verses into a daily routine?

The suggestions here are practical ideas, not religious requirements. They are one way a reader might reflect the verses in a working day.

• Anchor the day to the prayer times. The verses on prayer mention dawn, the decline of the sun and the approach of night. One option is to plan work blocks between those points.
• Use the pause. The time around each prayer can double as a checkpoint to review what is done and what is next.
• Write the plan, then act. A weekly plan on paper is one way to make decisions ahead of time instead of in the moment.
• Trim idle talk and scrolling. Anyone who takes 23:3 as a prompt could start by turning off non-essential notifications.

For more on structuring time around a specific season, see How To Manage Your Time During Ramadan and Top 10 Ways to Spend the first 10 Days of Dhul Hajjah. For the wider context of Quran and hadith guidance, see What Is Halal? What the Quran and Hadith Say, and How It Works Today.

Frequently asked questions

Which surah opens with an oath by time?

Surah Al-Asr, the 103rd surah, opens with an oath by time. Al-Fajr, Al-Layl and Ad-Duha are among the other surahs that open with an oath by a part of the day or night.

What did Imam ash-Shafiʿi say about Surah Al-Asr?

According to Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), ash-Shafiʿi said that if people pondered Surah Al-Asr, it would be sufficient for them.

What does Al-Asr mean?

Ibn Kathir explains Al-Asr as the time in which people’s actions, good or evil, take place. He also records a second view, narrated by Malik from Zayd bin Aslam, that it means the evening, and calls the first view the popular one.

Which verse says prayer is set at specified times?

Quran 4:103. In the Saheeh International translation, its closing words describe prayer as decreed upon the believers at specified times.

Which verses mention the account of time?

Quran 17:12 and Quran 10:5 both use the phrase “account [of time]” in the Saheeh International translation. The first connects it to night and day, the second to the sun and moon.