What is the authenticity of this recitation of Surat Al-Asr: "By time, and the calamities of ages, indeed, mankind is in loss, and he shall remain so until the end of time"?
This reading ("Wal-Asr, wa nawa'ib ad-dahr, innal-insana lafi khusr, wa innahu fihi ila akhir ad-dahr") has not been established with a sound chain of narration (isnad sahih) traced back to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, nor has it been written in the Mus'haf. The soundness of the isnad, along with its widespread nature and commonality (shuhra and istifada), and its establishment in the رسم المصحف (Uthmanic script), are two pillars for a reading to be affirmed as Qur'an, by consensus of the Muslims. This reading has lost both pillars: the continuous narration (tawatur) with a sound isnad, and conformity to the Mus'haf's script. This renders it a "shādhdhah" (anomalous) reading, and it is not permissible to recite with it. The narrations attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib and Abdullah ibn Mas'ud are weak due to an unknown narrator (jahalah) and a broken chain (irsal). These additions in the reading are considered to be in the category of interpretation and clarification, and not part of the Qur'an.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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