Sūrat al-Takāthur

سورۃ التکاثر

Sūrat al-Takāthur, Makkī — revealed in Makkah. It has eight (8) āyāt and one rukūʿ.

[The poem by Ḥażrat Ṣiddīqī (may Allah have mercy on him) concluding the commentary on Sūrat al-ʿĀdiyāt:]

Sab chhoṭī̐ ge zan aur pīsar* / *aur sāth na āī̐ ge sīm-o-zar

(Wife and son will be left behind — silver and gold will not accompany you)

Dunyā ko na jān to apnā ghar* / *manzil hai terī duniyā se adhar

(Do not take the world as your home — your true abode lies beyond this world)

Aur chalnī kī tayyārī kar* / *kuchh yād-e-Khudā kī karle

(Prepare for the journey — remember Allah a little)

Achhe karle apne aʿmāl* / *aur jān gunāhon ko janjāl

(Do your good deeds — know your sins as a burden)

Hotā hai badī kā badmāl* / *oẓālim! apne gunāhon se ḍar

(Evil brings evil payment — O wrongdoer! Fear your own sins)

Aur chalnī kī tayyārī kar* / *kuchh yād-e-Khudā kī karle

(Prepare for the journey — remember Allah a little)

(Ḥażrat Ṣiddīqī)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Bismillāhi l-Raḥmāni l-Raḥīm.

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

أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ

alhākumu l-takāthur.

"Competition in worldly increase has diverted you." (al-Takāthur 102:1)

Alhā — distracted, occupied, immersed in amusement and heedlessness. Alkumu — He engaged you, pre-occupied you, made you unmindful. Al-takāthur — mutual competition in accumulation, the desire of wealth increasing — in the mutual competition of wealth. Al-takāthur — the competing, the mutual abundance — comparing in saying "I have more wealth" or "I have more wealth."

Translation: "The mutual competition in worldly accumulation has made you unmindful and occupied you in vain things."

حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ

ḥattā zurtumu l-maqābir.

"Until you visited the graves." (al-Takāthur 102:2)

Ḥattā — until. Zurtum — you visited, you arrived at, you met. Al-maqābir — the cemeteries, multiple graves. Maqbara — a singular grave.

Translation: "Until you arrived at the graves (you died)."

You visited the graves of your dead, entered the cemeteries, and the desire for the accumulation of wealth kept you busy until you died. What will the outcome of this be?

كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

kallā sawfa taʿlamūn.

"No! You are going to know." (al-Takāthur 102:3)

Kallā — no! All of you are greatly mistaken. Sawf — soon. Taʿlamūn — you will know — the consequence of this worldly desire for more, the love of wealth and amassing it.

Translation: "Not at all! (You are mistaken!) You (in your desire for wealth and accumulation) will soon come to know the consequence."

ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ

thumma kallā sawfa taʿlamūn.

"Then no! You are going to know." (al-Takāthur 102:4)

Thumma kallā — then I say again — not at all! Your desires will not be fulfilled. Sawfa taʿlamūn — you will soon know the consequence of this greed and love of wealth and property.

Translation: "Yes, yes indeed! Then (in the consequence of wealth and desire) you will see (both in this world and in the next) what the outcome is."

كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ

kallā law taʿlamūna ʿilma l-yaqīn.

"No! If only you knew with certainty of knowledge." (al-Takāthur 102:5)

Kallā — no, not at all. Law — if only. Taʿlamūna — you knew, if you kept knowledge. ʿIlma l-yaqīn — certain knowledge, verified knowledge.

Translation: "Not at all! If only you possessed certain knowledge (and kept your attention from the distractions of worldly wealth and accumulation) you would not become infatuated with them."

لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ

la-tarawunna l-jaḥīm.

"You will surely see the Blazing Fire." (al-Takāthur 102:6)

La — indeed. Tarawunna — you will certainly see. Al-jaḥīm — the blazing fire — Hell.

Translation: "You will certainly see (in the shape of the consequence of your wealth and greed) the Fire of Hell."

ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ

thumma la-tarawunnahā ʿayna l-yaqīn.

"Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty." (al-Takāthur 102:7)

Thumma la-tarawunnahā — then you will certainly see the Fire of Hell. ʿAyna l-yaqīn — with the certainty of the eye — with the eyes of certainty.

Translation: "Then you will certainly see the Fire of Hell with your own eyes of certainty and conviction."

Your greed for wealth is endless and Hell's punishment will be just as endless. The answer to hal min mazīd — "is there yet more?" — will be the answer of punishment.

ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ

thumma la-tusʾalunna yawmaʾidhin ʿani l-naʿīm.

"Then you will surely be asked on that Day about pleasures." (al-Takāthur 102:8)

Thumma — then. La-tusʾalunna — you will certainly be asked — you will certainly be turned before God and asked whether the wealth was acquired justly or unjustly, and whether it was taken in permitted ways or impermissible ones. Yawmaʾidh — on that day, the Day of Resurrection. ʿAni l-naʿīm — regarding the blessings, the comforts.

Translation: "Then (Allah having given you blessings) you will certainly be asked about them — you will be questioned about them."

Esteemed readers! Look at the money earned by dubious means — not giving zakāt, not looking after the poor — not a thief, not accepting a bribe — do not rob others — no land fraud — and no personal embezzlement — where did the property go? The extent of the wealth — where does it go? The banks have it all and the bank lends it again and the money rolls around. See — an annual income of rupees — each time a few more growing — in the banks all wealth is collected together and the banks are there borrowing it and lending to others — money comes and goes; a little rice is four rupees a man — eight paisa per rupee — a hundred and twenty (120) paisa for a rupee. It is difficult to keep money even for a man at one hundred and fifteen (15) paisa — things are becoming very expensive and difficult. When one's wealth is misused it becomes distressed at the frontier of greed.

Esteemed readers! Thought is a single source of perpetual trouble — not a moment of peace day or night — the desire for wealth keeps one up. Sleep to waking — accounts in the account-books of what was eaten and lost — the wealth goes but is never enough. Where will the property go when you die? Will your wealth be your servant? Will your wealth be your steward? Like hunting you run — carrying a sword in a fight, a gun in a fight — so the wealth also is a weapon. The battlefield of trade and craft becomes: work hard — keep busy — you will be wealthy — and you will also be fortunate — the one who eats by his own work remains pure — in any case keep working.

[Poem by Ḥażrat Ṣiddīqī (may Allah have mercy on him)]:

Kuchh yād-e-Khudā karle bābā* / *jo bhūl gayā pachtāyare

(Remember Allah a little, dear father — whoever forgot has repented)

Kuchh yād-e-Khudā kī karle

(Remember Allah a little)

Dil meñ tere makr-o-sharr hai* / *zan aur zamīn-o-zar hai

(Your heart holds deceit and wickedness — wife, land and wealth you have)

Ye dil to Khudā kā ghar hai* / *rukan ko us meñ basāyare

(This heart is Allah's house — make His dwelling within it)

Kuchh yād-e-Khudā kī karle

(Remember Allah a little)

(Ḥażrat Ṣiddīqī)