Surah At-Takathur (Piling Up)

التكاثر

8 Verses

In the Name of Almighty Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
8 آية

بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Surah At-Takathur is the 102nd chapter of the Quran, containing 8 verses. Revealed in Makkah, it rebukes the rivalry in amassing wealth and children that distracts people from what truly matters, all the way until they visit the graves. The surah warns twice, for emphasis, that they will surely come to know, affirming that if they knew with the certainty of true knowledge they would not be so heedless, for they will surely see the Fire with the certainty of sight, and will be questioned on that Day about the blessings and pleasures they enjoyed in this life. Below you can read the full Surah At-Takathur in Arabic with a clear English translation and a verse-by-verse tafsir (explanation of the meaning) from Aysar al-Tafaseer, with the option to jump to any specific verse.

Tafsir of the Verses

{ أَلْهَاكُمُ ٱلتَّكَّاثُرُ }
{ أَلْهَاكُمُ }

(1) – شَغَلَكُمُ التَّفَاخُرُ بِكَثْرَةِ الأَمْوَالِ وَالأَوْلاَدِ وَالأَنْصَارِ وَالأَشْيَاعِ عَنْ طَلَبِ الآخِرَةِ، وَالعَمَلِ لَهَا.

أَلْهَاكُمْ – شَغَلَكُمْ عَنْ طَاعَةِ رَبِّكُمْ.

التَّكَاثُرُ – التَّبَاهِي بِكَثْرَةِ المَالِ مَتَاعِ الدُّنْيَا.
Surah At-Takathur: Verse 1
1. You have been too absorbed in boasting about the increase in your wealth, children, helpers, and factions to prepare for the Hereafter and work towards it.
{ حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ ٱلْمَقَابِرَ }
(2) – وَمَا زَالَ هَذَا حَالُكُمْ حَتَّى هَلَكْتُمْ، وَصِرْتُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ القُبُورِ.

زُرْتُمُ المَقَابِرَ – مُتُّمْ وَقُبِرْتُمْ.
Surah At-Takathur: Verse 2
2. This was your situation until you died and were in your graves.
{ كَلاَّ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ }
(3) – كَفُّوا عَمَّا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ التَّبَاهِي، وَالتَّفَاخُرِ، وَفِعْلِ المُنْكَرَاتِ، وَتَرْكِ طَاعَةِ اللهِ، فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ عَاقِبَةَ مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ.
Surah At-Takathur: Verse 3
3. Stop boasting, sinning and abandoning the obedience of Allah’s commands, for soon you shall know the consequence of your actions.
{ ثُمَّ كَلاَّ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ }
(4) – ثُمَّ أَكَّدَ اللهُ تَعَالَى زَجْرَهُ لِهَؤُلاَءِ عَمَّا هُمْ فِيهِ، وَهَدَّدَهُمْ بِأَنَّهُمْ سَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ عَاقِبَةَ ذَلِكَ.
Surah At-Takathur: Verse 4
4. Allah Almighty then emphasizes His disapproval of those people, and He threatens them, saying that they would soon know the consequences.
{ كَلاَّ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ ٱلْيَقِينِ }
(5) – فَكُفُّوا عَمّا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ تَغْرِيرٍ بِالنَّفْسِ، فَإِنَّكُمْ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ حَقِيقَةَ أَمْرِكُمْ، وَعَاقِبَتَهُ لَشَغَلَكُمْ ذَلِكَ عَنِ التَّكَاثُرِ بِالأَوْلاَدِ وَالأَمْوَالِ، وَلَصَرفَكُمْ إِلَى الاهْتِمَامِ بِصَالِحِ الأَعْمَالِ.
Surah At-Takathur: Verse 5
5. Stop your boasting, for if you knew the truth of your state and its consequences, you would be too preoccupied with doing good deeds to seek to increase your children and your wealth.
{ لَتَرَوُنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ }
(6) – فَإِذَا اسْتَمَرَّ بِكُمُ الحَالُ عَلَى مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ لَتَكُونُنَّ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، وَتَرَوُنَّهَا بِأَعْيُنِكُمْ، فَاسْتَحْضِرُوا صُورَةَ عَذَابِهَا فِي أَذْهَانِكُمْ لِتَعِظَكُمْ، وَتُنَبِّهَكُمْ إِلَى عَمَلِ مَا فِيهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ.
Surah At-Takathur: Verse 6
6. But if you continue in your present state, you will be, in the Hereafter, among the people of Hell which you will see with your own eyes. So keep the image of the punishment in Hell alive in your minds to turn you to doing what is in your best interest.
{ ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ ٱلْيَقِينِ }
(7) – وَلَتَرَوُنَّهَا رُؤْيَةً هِيَ اليَقِينُ بِعَينِهِ، لاَ شَكَّ فِيهِ، وَلاَ شُبْهَةَ وَلاَ لبسَ.
Surah At-Takathur: Verse 7
7. And you will certainly see it, there is no doubt about that, and no uncertainty.
{ ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ }
{ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ } { يَوْمَئِذٍ }

(8) – وَهَذَا النَّعِيمُ الذِي تَتَفَاخَرُونَ بِهِ، وَتَعُدُّونَهُ سَبَباً مِنْ أَسْبَابِ التَّبَاهِي، سَتُسْأَلُونَ عَنْهُ مَاذَا صَنَعْتُمْ بِهِ؟ وَهَلْ أَدَّيْتُمْ حَقَّ اللهِ فِيهِ؟ فَإِذَا كُنْتُمْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا ذَلِكَ، كَانَ هَذَا النَّعِيمُ لَكُمْ غَايَةَ الشَّقَاءِ فِي الآخِرَةِ.
Surah At-Takathur: Verse 8
8. You will be asked what you have done with this bliss that you are boasting about, and which you consider a reason for your bragging. Have you given Allah His claim on your time? If you have not done so, this bliss will be changed to the utmost misery in the hereafter.

Tafsir by Dr. Assaad Homad (1917–2011), Syrian scholar and jurist, author of Aysar al-Tafaseer, an accessible interpretation of the Quran reviewed by Sheikh Muhammad Mutwally Al-Shaarawi and certified by the Ministries of Awqaf in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. English translation by the Homad family. Read more about the author and this tafsir →

Source: This series of Tafsir books has been made available online by the family of Dr. Assaad Homad (may Allah have mercy on him). These volumes were entirely digitized to provide an accessible and easy format for todays digital age. Please keep Dr. Assaad and his family in your sincere prayers.
تم إتاحة هذه السلسلة من كتب التفسير عبر الإنترنت من قبل عائلة الدكتور أسعد حومد (رحمه الله). لقد قمنا برقمنة هذه المجلدات بالكامل لتوفير تنسيق يسهل الوصول إليه واستخدامه في عصرنا الرقمي الحالي. نرجو منكم ألا تنسوا الدكتور أسعد وعائلته من صالح دعائكم.