Surat al-Asr (English)

وَالْعَصْرِ (Wal-'aṣri)

By the time/age — Conjunction "wa" ("by," as an oath particle) plus "al-'aṣr." Root: ع-ص-ر ('-ṣ-r), meaning "to press, squeeze, to compress time." Al-'Aṣr refers to time itself (or specifically the late afternoon) — the root's link to "pressing" evokes time as something that presses upon and squeezes out a person's life.

إِنَّ (Inna)

Indeed — Emphatic particle. No root — grammatical device.

الْإِنسَانَ (al-insāna)

mankind — Root: أ-ن-س (a-n-s), meaning "to be sociable, familiar, friendly." Insān (human being) shares this root — humans defined by their capacity for familiarity and social bonding (though some scholars alternatively link it to nasiya, "to forget").

لَفِي (lafī)

is certainly in — Emphatic "la-" plus "fī" ("in"). No root — grammatical particles combined for emphasis.

خُسْرٍ (khusrin)

loss — Root: خ-س-ر (kh-s-r), meaning "to lose, to suffer loss, to be in ruin." Khusr (loss) directly from this root — describing a deep, fundamental loss, not merely a minor setback.

إِلَّا (illā)

except — Exceptive particle. No root.

الَّذِينَ (alladhīna)

those who — A relative pronoun (plural). No root.

آمَنُوا (āmanū)

believed — Root: أ-م-ن (a-m-n), meaning "to be safe, secure, to trust." Same root as "āmanahum" in Surat Quraysh — īmān (faith) and amn (security) sharing one origin, since true faith brings inner security.

وَعَمِلُوا (wa 'amilū)

and did/worked — Conjunction "and" plus "'amilū." Root: ع-م-ل ('-m-l), meaning "to do, to act, to work." 'Amal (action/deed) directly from this root.

الصَّالِحَاتِ (aṣ-ṣāliḥāti)

righteous deeds — Root: ص-ل-ح (ṣ-l-ḥ), meaning "to be righteous, sound, fit, good." Same root as "aṣ-ṣāliḥīn" in the Tashahhud — describing deeds that are sound, correct, and good.

وَتَوَاصَوْا (wa tawāṣaw)

and advised/exhorted one another — Conjunction "and" plus "tawāṣaw." Root: و-ص-ي (w-ṣ-y), meaning "to advise, enjoin, instruct, entrust." The reciprocal verb form ("tawāṣā") specifically means mutually, actively counseling each other — not one-directional advice, but a shared communal commitment.

بِالْحَقِّ (bil-ḥaqqi)

to the truth — Preposition "bi-" ("to/with") plus "al-ḥaqq." Root: ح-ق-ق (ḥ-q-q), meaning "truth, reality, that which is due/right." Ḥaqq (truth/right) directly from this root — conveying not just factual truth but what is rightfully due and real.

وَتَوَاصَوْا (wa tawāṣaw)

and advised/exhorted one another — Same word and root as above, repeated for the second quality.

بِالصَّبْرِ (biṣ-ṣabri)

to patience — Preposition "bi-" ("to/with") plus "aṣ-ṣabr." Root: ص-ب-ر (ṣ-b-r), meaning "to be patient, to endure, to restrain oneself." Ṣabr (patience) directly from this root — describing steadfast endurance, holding oneself firm through hardship.