التكاثر
At Takathur
Verses
8
Revelation
Makki
Period
Early Meccan
Surah No.
102 / 114
At-Takathur is a sharp rebuke of the human obsession with competing in the accumulation of worldly possessions, status, and numbers – a rivalry that preoccupies people until they reach their graves. The surah warns that soon they will know the consequence of this heedlessness, repeating the warning for emphasis. It invokes the certainty of Hell-sight and the certainty of the questioning about pleasure: "You will surely be questioned that Day about pleasure."
أسباب النزول
The surah is generally understood as addressing the boastful rivalry between Meccan tribes who competed by counting their numbers, wealth, and even the graves of their ancestors to prove superiority. The Prophet said that this surah is equivalent to a thousand verses of the Torah. It was also narrated that the Prophet recited: "The son of Adam says: My wealth, my wealth – but what is your wealth except what you ate and consumed, what you wore and wore out, or what you gave in charity and sent forward?" in connection with this surah.
“Competition in worldly increase diverts you until you visit the graveyards.”
An incisive two-verse indictment of a universal human trap: the accumulation race occupies people until death itself – the visit to the graveyard – finally ends the competition. The use of "visit" (zurtum) for death is bleakly ironic.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Would any of you be unable to recite a thousand verses each night?" When the Companions expressed difficulty, he said: "Is one of you unable to recite At-Takathur?" indicating its reward is equivalent to a thousand Quranic verses. (Reported by Al-Bayhaqi)