Surah At-Takathur 102:1-8 - Quran Translation Commentary

2. “(This distraction) keeps you heedless of the Hereafter, having no time for things spiritual” (Majid).

The Race for Riches

Asad writes: 'The term takathur bears the connotation of “greedily striving for an increase”, i.e., in benefits, be they tangible or intangible, real or illusory. In the above context it denotes man’s obsessive striving for more and more comforts, more material goods, greater power over his fellow-men or over nature, and unceasing technological progress. A passionate pursuit of such endeavors, to the exclusion of everything else, bars man from all spiritual insight and, hence, from the acceptance of any restrictions and inhibitions based on purely moral values - with the result that not only individuals but whole societies gradually lose all inner stability and, thus, all chance of happiness.’

Qatadah has said that the verses are referring to “the Arab tribes who used to compete with each other and claim boastfully, 'we are wealthier than you, more than you in progeny,’ and so forth. That kind of boasting even led them to fights. By God they remained in that state until they went into their graves.”

A hadith also explains takathur as race for riches (which distracts people from the Hereafter). `Abdullah ibn Shikhkhir has reported from his father that once when he visited the Prophet (saws) he found him reciting, 'The race of riches distracts you ... until you visit your graves’ and then he added:

“Son of Adam. You have no wealth but that which you consumed and destroyed, or what you wore and threw away or you gave away in charity and spent it off.” Ka`b al-Ahbar has said: “In fact, (for a long time) until surah al-Takathur was revealed, we used to consider the following words of the Prophet (saws) as part of revelation:

'If the son of Adam had two valleys of riches, he would vie for a third, while nothing will fill his stomach but dust. Allah turns in Mercy to him who turns to Him (in repentance)’” - Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi.

Ka`b’s words are in Bukhari while Ibn Shikhkhir’s narration is in Muslim, which has another report which has the following words in addition:

“And what you leave behind is for others.”

Bukhari has another hadith which says:

“Three things follow a dead man’s funeral procession. Two of them return, the third remains with him: his wealth, home-folk and deeds. Of these his wealth and home-folk return and the deeds remain.”

Another hadith in the Sahihayn says:

“Son of Adam gets old but two things remain with him: greed and hope (of a long life: Au.)” - Ibn Kathir.

Ibn al-Qayyim adds: It will be noticed that Allah did not specify what it is that distracts man from his Lord. It is indeed anything of this world that distracts, such as wealth, slaves, construction, plantation, knowledge which is not sought for Allah’s Pleasure, or a deed that does not take a man closer to Him.

3. `Umar ibn `Abdul `Aziz has said that whosever entered the grave has to be necessarily transferred either to Paradise or Hell. Hence the term “visit” (which implies a short stay) - Ibn Kathir, Alusi.

4. The allusion here is to those whom the world distracts from the remembrance of Allah until they land in their graves.

Visiting the graves is by itself a good way of softening the heart. The Prophet (saws) has said:

“I used to forbid you from visiting the graves. Lo. You might visit them now for it cures over-indulgence in the world and reminds you of the Hereafter.” Muslim has a similar report (Qurtubi).

5. The repetition is for a threat after threat (Hasan al-Busri: Ibn Kathir).

6. Everyone will behold Hell-fire since the sirat (the Bridge) will be placed over it. Allah said (19: 71):

“There is none among you but will encounter it” (Qurtubi).

7. “Blessings” of course include all that life affords of good things such as good health, security and material comforts.

Blessings of this World

According to a hadith even the so-called minor blessings are blessings of this world. So that the Prophet has, according to a hadith in Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, counted the two black items - dates and water - as blessings (Ibn Kathir).

Once (in a report by Abu Hurayrah in Muslim: Qurtubi), the Prophet saw Abu Bakr and `Umar sitting together in the mosque. He asked them what had brought them out. They said, 'Hunger.’ He said: 'By Him Who sent me with Truth, it is nothing but hunger that has brought me here too.’ They proceeded to the house of an Ansari. They enquired his wife of the whereabouts of her husband and were told that he had gone out to fetch sweet water. In time he arrived loaded with a water-skin. He said, 'Welcome. There isn’t a host more honored than me today.’ He hung up his water-skin, went out and came back with a bunch of dates. 'Why a whole bunch? You could have brought us a few,’ the Prophet remarked. He answered, 'Well. I thought you could choose any kind of it, the fully ripe as well as the half ripe ones.’ Then he picked up a knife. The Prophet told him, 'Spare the one with milk.’ He slaughtered a goat for them and when they had had their meal the Prophet told them: “You will be questioned about this on the Day of Judgment. Hunger drove you out of your homes and you did not return but you had eaten these things. These are part of the blessings (that you will be questioned about)."

Other reports name the Ansari as Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan (Ibn Jarir).

Muslim has recorded the same report with Yezid b. Kaisan as the narrator.

According to a report in Tirmidhi and the sahih of Ibn Hibban (a sahih report: Shawkani) a man will be questioned about the blessings and told:

"Did We not give you a healthy body and sweet water!?"

Nonetheless, according to a report of Ahmad there is no harm in the blessings for him who fears Allah. `Abdullah ibn Habib reports through his father, and he through his uncle that,

Once the Prophet came out with a wet hair and signs of cheerfulness on his face. We remarked, “We see you in a cheerful state, O Apostle of Allah!?” He said: “That’s right.” Then he sat down and spoke to them about the blessings of Allah concluding: “Wealth does not harm him who fears Allah. But good health is better than wealth for him who fears Allah. And cheerfulness is a blessing.”

According to another hadith of Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah, the Prophet (saws) said:

“There are two blessings that people generally neglect: health and leisure” (Ibn Kathir).

The Prophet (saws) has also said in a hadith:

“A man will not be able to move his feet until he has been questioned about four thing: his life-span as to how he spent it, his youth as to where he drained it, about his wealth as to how he earned it and how he dispensed with it, and his knowledge as to how much he practiced it” (Razi).