عَمَُّْ ْ 1557 اَلتَّکَاثُر
أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ ﴿۱﴾ حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ ﴿۲﴾ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿۳﴾ ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿۴﴾
﴾1﴿ Al haaku mut takathur
﴾2﴿ Hatta zurtumul-maqaabir
﴾3﴿ Kalla sawfa ta'lamoon
﴾4﴿ Thumma kalla sawfa ta'lamoon
﴾1﴿ The desire for more wealth has distracted you
﴾2﴿ Until you visit the graves (for this)
﴾3﴿ Never! It is not as you think. Soon you will come to know
﴾4﴿ Again, never! It is not as you think. Soon you will come to know
And this surah is also called Al-Hākum.
Relevancy:
This surah is connected to the previous one in several ways:
The first connection: The previous surah contained warnings about the Hereafter, while this surah includes both rebuke and warning, similar to Surah Al-‘Ādiyāt.
The second connection: The previous surah focused on reminding about the Hereafter, whereas this surah emphasizes detachment from the world (Tazheed fi al-Dunya), highlighting how this world becomes a cause of heedlessness regarding the Hereafter.
Claim of this surah:
This surah contains rebuke for the love of the world and warning about the Hereafter.
Summary of the surah:
[1] First, there is rebuke for the love of the world in verses 1 and 2.
Then, there is a warning about worldly and Barzakh (intermediate life) punishment in verses 3 and 4.
Next, there is rebuke for neglecting certainty (Yaqeen) in verse 5.
Finally, there is a warning about the Hereafter in three ways.
Note: This surah mentions the second type of enemies—those who are worldly and materialistic people.
[2] This verse emphasizes the concept of rivalry in accumulation (Takāthur) and describes its ultimate distraction.
First meaning: You are preoccupied with competing in accumulating wealth and other worldly matters until death overtakes you, yet you do not repent.
Second meaning: You compete in worldly possessions and status, and even extend this rivalry to the dead, as was the custom of the people of Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance).
Third meaning: Abu Hayyan mentions in Al-Bahr Al-Muhit that rivalry in accumulation has distracted you to the extent that you even visit graves for boasting. However, visiting graves is permitted for reflection and taking lessons. Thus, those who visit graves for materialistic purposes, seeking status, or fulfilling worldly desires—while being heedless of remembrance and the oneness of Allah—are also included in the warning of this verse.
Ibn ‘Atiyyah, in Tafsir Al-Muharrar Al-Wajiz, states that this verse serves as a warning for those who frequently visit graves to the extent that they neglect their religious duties and learning.
He further mentions that, as seen today, people have turned grave visits into an obligation, raising monuments of stone and marble, constructing solid structures, ceilings, and buildings over graves.
[3,4] This is a warning after a warning—the phrase "سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ" ("Soon you will come to know") is repeated.
The first occurrence refers to the time of death, when a person will attain certainty about their mistakes and heedlessness.
The second occurrence refers to the punishment of the grave, emphasizing the consequences that follow after death.