The word Asr comes from the root word A’sara and it is literally used for juicing or extracting fluid or squeezing something out (anything that gives out oil like olives or drinks like the oranges, grapes and so on) or even the extraction of honey. Its not referring to something being drenched out but something that drips; coming out little by little. The same verb is used in the Qur’an , the dream of one of the people that was the inmate in Yusuf (a.s) 's story: One of them said, 'I have seen myself (in dream) pressing wine.' 12:36 اَعۡصِرُ خَمۡرًا (aAAsirukhamran) Pressing/squeezing wine. The second meaning of the same root is used for very strong winds that twirl and eventually look like pillars in the sky literally describing tornadoes. The idea of the word here is not only something that is squeezed but also something that is held together and something powerful that cannot be stopped. It is alluded to something that wherever it passes by; it destroys. Time as it passes by destroys your youth. Time is very powerful it cannot be stopped; it will squeeze the life out of you. Things that were the most powerful can become weak. That’s the idea of its power that nothing can stand in its way. It’s also used to refer when after the sun starts going down a little bit until the sun starts turning red. That time is also called Al Asr like the prayer of Asr. The sun is intense and powerful in the morning times and as it goes down its as though its being pushed/squeezed down and weakened and its light is being dripped out of it; being called Asr time. That’s the idea of Asr- when the time is limited or very short before it runs aways. Subhan’Allah! In Surah An Naba, Allah calls the clouds as mu'sirat because they are squeezed together and then they start dripping . The clouds that drip rain like the fruits that drip juice upon being squeezed is called mu'sir. Subhan'Allah! وَأَنزَلْنَا مِنَ ٱلْمُعْصِرَٰتِ مَآءً ثَجَّاجًا Waanzalna minal muAAsirati maa'an thajjaaja (78:14) We are surrounded by time and we cannot escape it. It is squeezing us, has got a hold on us and we can’t let go. Its dripping on us; literally pulling life out of us little by little and we can’t let go. In Arabic, Asar (with a Fattah) or Asur , actually means a place where you can seek refuge .The very thing that is squeezing you is also protecting you. The greatest liability we have is time and the greatest protection we have against our own loss is also the right use of time. Time can be our greatest destruction and the very thing that can protect us. It’s interesting that the word Asr corresponds very nicely with the word Khusr because if the fruit or ourselves are being squeezed and we are losing, the word for it is Khusr! وَٱلْعَصْرِ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ And Allah knows best! - Notes from detailed Tafseer of Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan (May Allah protect him) on Surah Al Asr.