Qur’anic Coherence (Al-Munāsabah)

(An Applied Study on Sūrat al-‘Aṣr)

Abstract

This paper presents an analytical exegetical study of Sūrat al-ʿAṣr through the lens of ʿIlm al-Munāsabah (Qur’anic coherence). It examines the sūrah’s internal unity by tracing the progression from the opening oath to the universal statement of human loss and the exception that delineates the path of salvation. Despite its brevity, Sūrat al-ʿAṣr forms a tightly integrated structure built upon four interrelated foundations: faith, righteous deeds, mutual exhortation to truth, and mutual exhortation to patience—linking self-rectification to communal rectification.

The study further explores the contextual coherence of al-ʿAṣr with its adjacent sūrahs: al-Takāthur frames the dynamics of distraction and worldly rivalry, al-ʿAṣr articulates a comprehensive principle of loss and deliverance, and al-Humazah depicts a concrete behavioral portrait that embodies the logic of that loss. Drawing on classical tafsīr and Qur’anic studies literature, the paper argues that this tri-sūrah sequence offers a clear instance of structural unity and rhetorical precision, highlighting the interpretive value of munāsabah for thematic and textual analysis.