Tafseer of Surah Takathur

Saturday 24Th July 2004
In the Footsteps of the Companions ConferenceBirmingham

Tafseer of Surah Takathur

Yasir Qadhi

• Early Makkan Surah

أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ

1. The mutual rivalry for piling up of worldly things diverts you,

Atakathur

• Competing to see who has more.
• Comes from the word Katheer which means “a lot”

Al-Lahu

• That which keeps you busy and away from what’s important.

Lahu

• Doing something useful which is in place of something more useful
• Causes you to neglect a greater action
• The thing that will lead to Jannah is neglected

Lahi

• Being merry
• Playing
• Has no benefit

حَتَّىزُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ

2. Until you visit the graves (i.e. till you die).

• “Visiting the graves” is death, it is a visitation not permanent residence.
• It’s the first stage of the hereafter.
• Our permanent destination is either Jannah or Jahannam.
• The grave will be a reward or a punishment as we will see our destinations in our graves.

كَلّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

3. Nay! You shall come to know!

• You will understand that wealth and status will not benefit you and you’ll come to know the foolishness of your actions.

ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

4. Again, Nay! You shall come to know!

• Repetition of kalla – shows an extreme warning that you will come to know in this world and the hereafter of your foolishness.
• The Kufaar and Muslim will both come to know of their actions but it is the Muslim who will come to know and be pleased with them.

كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ

5. Nay! If you knew with a sure knowledge (the end result of piling up, you would not have occupied yourselves in worldly things)

• If you knew with CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE.
• This is if you knew the reality of the life you are living and the certainty of death which is coming.

لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ

6. Verily, You shall see the blazing Fire (Hell)!

• The Mu’min and kaafir will see it but the Mu’min will be protected from it.

ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ

7. And again, you shall see it with certainty of sight!

• The first time you will only see it as a description (in Quran and Sunnah).
• The second time you will see it with your own eyes.

ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنّ َيَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ

8. Then, on that Day, you shall be asked about the delight (you indulged in, in this world)!
If we counted Allaah’s blessings we wouldn’t be able to.

• Someone came to Hasan Al Basri and said “I’m poor make dua for me.” Hasan Al Basri said, “I’ll give you 10000 gold coins in return for you eyes”
• Allaah has told us the question’s we need to answer on the day of judgement and their answers.
• About your life and how you spent it
• About your youth and what you did in it – select segment of life – this is the time where you have most energy, your prime time, zeal, shaab – from 14-35 years old. A person has power at this peak time and is the most beautiful at this time of life. In Jannah we will be 33 years old.
• Your money and how you earnt it
• What did you spend your money on? Did you give your zakah? Your gold and silver will turn into snakes on the Day of Judgement. Sadaqa jaariya? This is the best thing to spend your money on.
• How much did you act upon the knowledge you had?