Tafsir Surat at-Takāthur (The Rivalry in Worldly Increase)

By: Ayatullah al-Uzma Nasir Makarim Shirazi in Tafsir Namuneh
Translated from Farsi into English by: Fatima Zabeth Beenesh

Surat At-Takāthur (The Rivalry in Worldly Increase)
This sura descended at Mecca and it has 8 aayaat
The contents and virtues of Surat At-Takāthur
Most of the interpreters believe that this sura (At-Takāthur) descended at Mecca. Therefore these words are basically about the self-glorification and it is about the tribe of Quraish who were showing pride and admiration in the superstitious matters.
But some of them such as late Tabrisi in the Majma’ul Bayan believe that it is descended at Medina. And whatever about the self-glorification is mentioned , it is concerning the Jews and the two tribes of Ansar and all about its being Meccan, as it resembles a lot to the chapters ‘sura’ descended at Mecca and it seems correct.
The contents of the sura, in the beginning are scolding and criticizing those who on the base of the superstition were showing pride and self-glorification to one another. Then there is a warning about the future life, judgment day and the hell fire. Finally the forewarning given about the matter of cross examination and interrogation about the matter of the divine blessings bestowed and showered upon the man.
The name of the sura is taken from the first ayat of the chapter.
About the virtues of reciting the sura At-Takāthur, we read in a narration by the great prophet Muhammad peace be upon him: The person who reads this sura, the Generous God will not take the accounts equal to the blessings he bestowed upon that person in this world and grant him the reward of reading the thousand ayaat in the gracious Quran.
In a hadis by imam Sadiq alaihis salam it is mentioned: reading this sura in the obligatory (fareeza) and Supererogatory (nafilah) namaz have the reward of the martyrs.
It is obvious that these abundant rewards are for the person who reads it and practice it in his day to day life and make his life and soul according to its contents.
At-Takathur (The Piling Up)
أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ
(102:1)
102:1
The mutual Competition for piling up of worldly things turns you away,
حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ
(102:2)
Until you go down to your graves.
كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
(102:3)
No, soon you will come to understand!
ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
(102:4)
And once again: No, soon you will come to understand!
كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ
(102:5)
No! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty...
لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ
(102:6)
You will surely see the Hellfire.
ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ
(102:7)
And again, you shall see it with certainty of sight!
ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ
(102:8)
And on that Day you will most surely be called to give the account for [what you did with] the boon and blessings of worldly life!

All about its descent
As we indicated the interpreters believe this surah is descended about the tribes who were showing self-glorification to one another. And with the maximum number of people and population with their wealth, so such extent that for increasing the number of their tribe, they were approaching their graveyard and counting the graves of the dead people of every tribe.
While several people said: they were two tribes among the tribes of Quraesh in Mecca and some believe they were two tribes of Ansar (the assisters of the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) in Medina and a few mention the self-glorification of Jews upon others, though being its Meccan is more accurate.
But it is certain that whatever is the Sha’n e nuzul it does not make its meaning, limited.

Definition:
The calamity of self-glorification for being abundant in number!
In this ayat first in a reproaching tone it is said: Showing pride to one another and self-glorification engaged you in your own self and made you forget the judgment day.
أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ
(102:1)
To the extent that you began to visit the graves of your forefathers to count their number
حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ
(102:2)
The above term means to get engaged in some trivial matter and leaving behind the important tasks and endeavours of life.
أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ
(102:1)
It means showing superiority, arrogance and self-importance upon one another.
زُرْتُمُ
The above term is used to meet some body and to deal dutifully.
الْمَقَابِر
The above term means to visit the graves, according to the interpretations, to count the graves for self-glorification. The second meaning is accurate. To prove it, there is saying by hazrat Ali alaihis salam regarding this matter in his book Nahjul Balaga who after reciting the the sura At-Takāthur said: Strange! What a far-off destination and what an ignorant visitors and what an imaginary glorification and a disgrace? They are remembering the rotten bones of those people who since years had been transformed into soil. What a remembrance? Remembering the people with such an inaccessible distance, who cannot bring any advantage for them. Do you glorify the place where your fore fathers were destroyed? By counting their dead and non-existing people, do they think that they are highest in number? They are wishing to return to those dead bodies whose every single part of their structure is deformed and their movements had been altered into immobility.
These decayed dead bodies have some value if they are the source of a lesson or thoughtfulness to the people and they have no value if they turn out to be the grounds of self-glorification.
This speech of hazrat Ali alaihis salam which had indicated a part of it, is so much affecting, obvious and understandable that Ibn Abil Hadid Motazali said: I swear by the name of the person by whose name the other nations too swear, since fifty years till now I read this speech more than thousand times. And every time when I read, it impressed me in such a way that every part of my heart shivered and feared and a new knowledge of living is created in my soul. And it never been such that I did not halted and began to think about the death of the family members, friends and dear ones and accurately visualised that I am exactly similar to what the imam had described.
How much eloquently the orators, speakers and preachers defined about this subject and I keenly heard them but none of them I impressed me as I deeply felt in the words of imam ali alaihis salam.
The influence of these words within my heart is caused by the faith which the speaker possesses and his intention, certainty and sincerity created such an effect in the soul that laid its abode deep in the heart.
He in the other parts of his speeches mentioned: It is worth if all the eloquent Arab writers and orators reads it when they are assembled in their gathering and this speech must be translated for those who eagerly prostrate before it.
And here he points towards the words of Muavia LA regarding the expressiveness of the Amirul momimnin Ali alaihis salam and said: By God no one can have eloquence other than Quraish and it is recognised for them.
In the next ayat in the firm language warned them and said: It is not according to your guess, your proud feeling and glorifying yourselves. Soon you will encounter the consequences of your unreal pride and conceit.
كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
(102:3)
Once again to emphasize upon it, adds: then it is not similar like what you guess, soon you will distinguish it.
ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
(102:4)
A group of interpreters felt these two ayaat are the repetition of each other on a single subject. And both cautiously inform about the punishments which is waiting for the arrogant and self-glorifying persons.
Whereas some defined that the first verse of the punishment in the grave and within the state of limbo which the human being confronts it and indicated the next verse towards the punishment of the judgment day.
In an hadis by amir al mominin Ali alaihis salam it is mentioned: a group from us were continuously in doubt with the punishment of the grave till the descent of the sura at Takathur and said:
كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
(102:3)
It means the chastisement of the grave.
In Tafseer e kabir of Fakhr e Razi this subject is quoted by a companion of Ali alaihis salam called Zar bin jaesh who said: we were in doubt by the torture inside the grave till we heard by one who said: this ayat is a proof of the punishment in the grave.
Then it adds: as you proud people are guessing it is not like that, if you have belief in the hereafter and you recognise it with the ilm ul Yaqeen ‘with the knowledge and belief in the depth of the heart’. You will never run after such trends. And you will feel pride and glorify your own self in these false matters.
كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ

Again to demand more attention and cautioned strictly and stated: Surely, you will see the hell.
الَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ
(102:6)
Then while entering in it, you will observe it with the sight of the ‘Ainal Yaqeen’ the True vision of sureness.
ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ
(102:7)
Afterwards on that day, all of you certainly will be asked about the blessings bestowed upon you.
ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ
(102:8)
On that day you must make clear that in what grounds you had used all your blessings? Did you use these divine gifts in the way of God’s obedience or in the line of sins? Or did you wasted the fortunate things and never paid its true value?

The points:

1- The principal source of self-glorification and pride
By the above ayat it is availed that one of the main cause of the pride, self-glorification and arrogance is the same ignorance and unawareness towards the rewards, divine punishments and no believe in judgment day.
Beside that the man’s lack of knowledge towards the weakness and instability, the beginning of his birth and his ultimate result are the one of the causes of his pride, arrogance and egotism. For this basis the noble Quran, to crush this superiority complex and self-importance mentioned the story of the ancient people in the various ayaat. How the nations in spite of possessing all the facilities and immense power, destroyed and vanished through simplest means.
By the blowing of the winds, with a heavenly spark (thunderbolt), tremble of the ground, unusual rainfall, in brief, with water, wind and earth sometimes with stones and birds destroyed and ruined them.
In spite of those entire weak points, why such a pride and egotism?
The other causes for that issue is the same feeling of weakness and insult that creates the desire to cover the failures by taking refuge in the pride, self-centredness and show off.
Hence in a hadis from imam Baqir alaihis salam we read: No body commits the arrogance and self-importance except in showing the reaction the feeling of inferiority complex. And consequently when he feels that he reached the ultimate phase of the success he does not needs to praise own self.
In another hadis by imam Baqir alaihis salam we learn: There are three things that are the acts of ignorance and those are: to feel superior concerning the forefathers, to taunt the personalities and the family status of the people and wishing the rainfall by the help of the stars.
In another hadis from the amir al mominin Ali Alaihis salam we read: two things destroyed the people, the fear of poverty ( which made the man to accumulate the wealth by any resources and means) and when he began to feel superior.
Truly the cause of greed, miserliness, adoration of the worldly life and destructive competitions and most of the evils of the society are created by this unnecessary fear of poverty, self-glorification and feeling superior from others in between the people, tribes and nations.
And therefore in a narration from the great prophet Muhammad peace be upon him we read who said: I never fear about the infliction of poverty upon you but I am frightful regarding the self-glorification among you.
لتَّكَاثُرا
At ‘takathur’ as we indicated before, actually it means the pride but sometimes it means: the hunt for more and accumulating the wealth. Thus in a hadis from the great prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, we read: Takathur is to mount up the wealth by illegal methods and to refrain oneself from giving the right to others and enclosing them in the treasures and the assets.
We end this discussion by the meaningful narration of the great prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. In the definition of
التَّكَاثُرُ أَلْهَاكُمُ

He said: The human being says ‘my possessions’ where as your belonging is your food which you eat and the clothing which you wear and the charity that you give in the way of Almighty Allah.
This is the very interesting point that the benefit of the person who amass the wealth and often does not pay attention of its being legal or illegal (haram or halal) he does not have more than what he drinks, eats and wears or gives in the charity and we know: what he personally spends is very trivial it is far more better to increase the wealth by the manner of charity.

2 - Certainty and its stages
It is evidently proved that certainty is contrary to doubt, as knowledge is opposite to ignorance. And according to the narrations and information it is assumed that the final phase and best of the man is the certainty “yaqeen”. Imam Baqir alaihis salam said: Believe is one level further more than Islam and piety is one stage advance than believe. Then adds: The thing which is distributed very less among the people is certainty “yaqeen”.
The narrator enquired: what is certainty? Imam Baqir alaihis salam replied: The reality of certainty is total reliance upon the Supreme power of Majestic God and being submitted before his untainted and pure being. Being content before the divine consent;

Free-will and Deternism
; And leaving our each and every matter to the Sovereign God.
The superior status of certainty and firmness in confidence is higher than piety, believe and Islam, it is the matter which is highlighted in the next narration.
In a hadis by imam Jafar Sadiq alaihis salam we read: The sign of the perfect believe of the Muslim nation is; One must not make the people happy by receiving the divine wrath and he must not reproach and blame the people for what the Merciful God did not given him. (He must not count them responsible for his bereavement and deprivation). The Benevolent God enclosed his justice, impartiality, peace, contentment and comfort in the firm believe and dumped the grief and sorrows in the basket of doubts and discontentment.
From these term and other expressions it is well acquainted that when the man reached the stage of certainty “Yaqeen” he feels a specific peace conquered his entire heart and soul.
For reaching this stage of Yaqeen “certainty” there is phase which is mentioned in the ayat 98 of sura e Waqiya:
Al-Waqi'a (The Event)
إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ
(56:95)
Indeed, this is the true certainty.
It indicates about that true certainty and that has three stages.

1-Ilm al-Yaqeen
It is that when the man with some reasons bring faith, like the person who by seeing the smoke brings faith in the existence of the fire.

2 - Aenul Yaqeen
It happens at the juncture when the man reaches the stage of observation for instance with his own eyes sees the fire.

3- Haqqul Yaqeen
It is such that he enters the fire then sense the burn and defines the qualities of the fire and this is the highest stage of the Yaqeen ‘conviction’.
The researcher shaik Tusi in one of his statements said: Yaqeen is the same deciding, firm and obedient belief which is impossible to decline. In fact it consists of two combined knowledge, the science of observable things and the knowledge against which gaining the knowledge is impossible and it has certain stages such as:1- Ilmul Yaqeen, 2-Aenul Yaqeen and 3-Haqqul Yaqeen.
In fact the first stage has the common aspect and the second stage is for the pious people and the third stage for the esteemed and the sacred people.
And hence in a narration, it is mentioned that by the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him when asked: we have heard that the companions of hazrat Isa alaihis salam ‘Jesus’ were used to walk upon the deep waters.
He replied: if they were possessed of more firm certainty ‘yaqeen’ they would have walked in the air.
The late scholar Allama Tabatabai after describing this hadis adds; everything runs around the axis of Yaqeen the firm and certain believe towards the Glorious God and to suppress the world of the resources for development from the liberty. Therefore if there is more belief and absolute faith towards the divinity, same way the worldly things will become obedient and submissive before him.
And this is the secret of the relation between the firm and certain believe towards the Glorious God “Yaqeen” and the unusual possession over the existing world.

2- Everybody will see the hell
The above verse has two definitions: first that by seeing of hell means on judgment day which is specifically for the unbelievers and all the human beings and the Jennies (jinnath) as according to some of the verses of the noble Quran the entire human kind will pass by the edge of the hell.
The other definition is the seeing of hell by the witness of heart in this same world and in this case this sentence is the answer to the matter is conditional, which said: If you possess the ilmul Yaqeen you would have observe the hell with your own eyes of the heart. As we know the heaven and the hell are created in this world only and they have their own appearance.
As we have mentioned previously the first definition is more appropriate therefore this matter is definite and unconditional.

3- Which of the blessings are enquired about on the judgment day?
In the last ayat of this sura we read that certainly all of you we will be asked about the blessings of God. Some interpreted, by this term it means good health, contentment and peace. A few say it consist of all the blessings.
In a hadis from amirul mominin Ali alaihis salam we read: Nayeem are the dates and the cool water.
Whereas in another hadis we read that Abu hanifa asked imam Jafar Sadiq alaihis salam about its definition, imam Jafar Sadiq returned the question to him and said: what do you mean by nayeem 'blessings'? Abu hanifa said: it is food and cool water and added: if he wants he keeps on to ask you whatever morsel you eat and the sips you drink, you have to stand a lot there, then what is nayeem?
We 'ahl e bait' are nayeem that the Benevolent God had blessed the people and gifted the love among them after the conflict he attached their hearts by means of us, guided them towards Islam. Yea nayeem is Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his family.
The definition of this narration that 'nayeem' has the vast meaning it includes the entire divine gifts which are spiritual such as religion, believe, Islam, Quran and Vilayat and various material individual and social blessings, of course the blessings which have more importance are 'believe and Vilayat'. It will be mostly asked about them that did you fulfilled their right properly or not? And evidently there are the narration that negates the material blessings includes in this. It gives the meaning that you must not leave aside the more true important matters and go for the lesser important true issues. In fact it is a warning to the people in the series of the divine blessings, gifts and blessed circumstances before which they have a serious duty.
How is it possible about these blessing it should be asked? Because they are in the possession of the man and they must be appreciated for each and every one of his favours. The man must be thankful for them when they use and consume them.
O Beneficient God! Shower upon us uninterruptedly your infinite favours specifically the gift of the right believe and vilayat (care and guardianship).
O Guardian of faith God! Bless us the grace to pay back rightly the duties of your favours.
O Majestic God! Increase your great favours and never take it from us.
Ameen! O God, the provider of the the whole universe

Copyright © 1998 - 2012 Imam Reza (A.S.) Network, All rights reserved.