The Holy Quran (Summary): Chapter 102 Sūrat at-Takāthur (Greed for More / The Rivalry for Worldly Increase)

Money, position and title in the society has always been the weakness of man. And there are many who in the lust and greed to have more and more go beyond limits of morality and decency in order to have more than their rivals or even colleagues to attain a false sense of pride. 

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has been quoted as saying: “If the son of Adam had two valleys full of wealth, he would long for a third valley; the son of Adam's belly cannot be filled but by earth, to be from the Quran until Alhakum at Takāthur was sent down.” [Ubayy bin Ka'ab] 

Before commenting on the text of this very important chapter of the Holy Qur'an, please read the English translation of the Sūrat at-Takāthur to understand its plain meaning / translation :

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

• Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you
• Until you visit the graveyards
• “Nay! You shall soon know,"
• “Again, Nay! You shall soon know.”
• “Nay! Were you to know with the knowledge of certainty, (you would beware!)”
• You will surely see the Blazing Fire (of Hell)
• Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty
• Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure 

Now if we look  around, we see many rich and wealthy engaged in a battle over their rivals and competitors to have more than others to have an upper edge. Their clothes, way of living and extravagance is more of a show off. There have been instances when rich and famous Arab princes have booked entire aircraft merely to transport their falcons to places of hunting or have booked entire hotels even if a few had to stay. This is when one shows off to his competitors one's wealth to overawe others.

But when it comes to charity and helping others, they resist their hands searching even for few coins. And while their lust to pile up wealth, properties and bank vaults, they remain unaware of their graves which await them mercilessly. And when one enters one's grave, what is left behind becomes useless, rather one will have to answer for the wealth which was earned and collected in greed and lust and not to help others.

We have living examples around us who have robbed public money to build their personal empires with no fear of dying one day and going to their graves where nothing but their bad deeds would haunt them till the day of judgment and then the hellfire. It is not understood why such people forget their dead end when nothing will be of use to them.

It is for such people that Allah has repeatedly cautioned and warned them that they would soon know how they dug their own graves that would one day lead to the blazing fire of hell. And it would be then they would repent their days spent in false pleasure for a world where their stay was but temporary.

Let us all pray that we do not fall in the category of lusty and greedy who have blazing fire of hell in waiting for them.

You may now listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat at-Takāthur with English subtitles:

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

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