The Question: Did the Companions and their Successors (Tabain), may Allah be pleased with them, conclude their gatherings with “Kaffaratul Majlis” (expiation of the gathering) as transmitted from the Prophet, peace be upon him, and also with Surah Al-Asr? Because I have searched but did not find any hadith about the Prophet, peace be upon him, concluding gatherings with Surah Al-Asr. Is this among the newly invented religious innovations (Bidah)?
The Answer: Praise be to Allah.
Firstly: What Abu Dawud (4859) narrated from Abu Barzah Al-Aslami, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, intended to rise from a gathering, he would say: “Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu an la ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk” [Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance]. And he said: (“It is an expiation for what occurs in the gathering”). Shaikh Al-Albani said that this narration is Sahih in it in Sahih Abi Dawud.
The knowledge of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, their virtue, and their strict adherence to the Prophet, peace be upon him, necessitates that those among them who knew of this hadith would act upon it. We do not need to establish this from each one of them individually, rather, the fundamental principle regarding them is that they would act upon the hadith and follow the Prophet, peace be upon him.
Secondly: Regarding the recitation of Surah Al-Asr before parting (dispersing from a meeting), there is a narration indicating that this was from the guidance of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
From Abu Madina Ad-Darimi who said: “When two men from the Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, would meet, they would not part until one of them recited to the other: ‘By time, indeed mankind is in loss,’ (Surah Al-Asr) then one of them would give the greeting of peace (Salam) to the other.” This was narrated by Abu Dawud in “Al-Zuhd” (number/417), and Al-Tabarani in “Al-Mu’jam Al-Awsat” (5/215), and Al-Bayhaqi in “Shu’ab Al-Iman” (6/501) through the chain: Hammad bin Salamah, from Thabit Al-Bunani, from Abu Madina Ad-Darimi with it. And Al-Albani authenticated it in “As-Silsilah As-Sahihah” (2648).
And Shaikh Al-Albani commented on it saying: “In this hadith are two benefits from what our righteous predecessors, may Allah be pleased with them all, practiced:
First: Giving the greeting of Salam when parting (i.e telling Assalaamu Alaikum when parting) …
Second: We benefit from the Companions’ sticking to it. I.e (following the) the recitation of Surah Al-Asr, because we believe that they were the furthest people from innovating into the religion an act of worship by which they would seek closeness to Allah, unless it was based on instruction from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, whether by his word, action, or tacit approval. And why not? Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has praised them with the finest praise, saying: “And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and the Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct – Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.” [At-Tawbah: 100]. End quote.
And Allah knows best.
(This answer was translated from islamqa.info/ar/answers/113033)
The additional benefit below is from islamweb.net (282064).
Ash-Shawkani said in Al-Fath Ar-Rabbani: I say: Perhaps what motivated them to do this was what the Surah (i.e Surah Al-Asr) contained of good admonition regarding mutual enjoining of truth and mutual enjoining of patience, after the emphatic judgment upon this human species that it is in loss. For this is among that which causes hearts to tremble, skins to shiver, and hair to stand on end. It is as if each of the two meeting individuals is saying to his companion: “I and you and the rest of our kind and our people are inevitably in loss unless one frees oneself from this calamity and saves oneself from this tribulation through faith (Imaan), righteous deeds (Al-Amal As-Salih), enjoining truth (Watawasaw bil Haqq), and enjoining patience (Watawasaw bil Sabr).” Thus, fear mixed with hope motivates him to open the means of salvation and knock on the doors of refuge… End quote.
(Translated by Mohammed bin Thajammul Hussain Manna.)
Saheehus-Seerah 