وَعَنْ بَعْضِ السَّلَفِ : تَعَلَّمْتُ مَعْنَى السُّوْرَةِ مِنْ بَائِعِ الثَّلْجِ كَانَ يَصِيْحُ وَيَقُوْلُ : ارْحَمُوْا مَنْ يَّذُوْبُ رَأْسُ مَالِهِ ، ارْحَمُوْا مَنْ يَّذُوْبُ رَأْسُ مَالِهِ . فَقُلْتُ : هَذَا مَعْنَى : ( إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِيْ خُسْرٍ ) يَمُرُّ بِهِ الْعَصْرُ فَيَمْضِيْ عُمُرُهُ وَلَا يَكْتَسِبُ ، فَإِذًا هُوَ خَاسِرٌ . 

One of the Salaf said: 

“I learned the meaning of the Surah (i.e. al-‘Asr) from an ice-seller who was crying out, 

‘Have mercy upon whose capital is melting! 

Have mercy upon whose capital is melting!’ 

So I said, 

‘The meaning is this (إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِيْ خُسْرٍ - man is in a state of loss indeed); that as time passes by man’s lifespan expires, and he does not gain, then he, indeed, is a loser.’”

[al-Tafsir al-Kabir, 32/81]