Surah At-Takathur, also known as surah Al Haakum and surat al Makbarra, is the 102nd chapter of the Holy Quran. It is a Makkan surah containing 8 verses, although the opinion of some Sahabas is that it is connected to post migration Madinah. It is connected to the previous 3 surahs in relation to the Day of Judgment.
Meaning of Surah At-Takathur
The surah is impressing on us that we as people are being distracted by this world from something – the Akhirah, that is more important. We are not focusing on the hereafter which is most important but on gaining more possessions and an increase in wealth and children.
Allah is warning us about this distraction and telling us that when you visit the graveyard at death, only then will we come to know how much we have wasted our lives in these distractions. If only we had put effort into knowledge of Allah and the hereafter, knowledge of what is to come.
The hellfire is one of those certainties (yaqin) to come and you shall surely see it, whether you believed in it with faith before or not. Then the questioning will be done about every blessing, large and small that were given to us, how were they utilized.
Surah At-Takathur Arabic Text
Surah Takathur Transliteration
- Al haaku mut takathur
- Hatta zurtumul-maqaabir
- Kalla sawfa ta’lamoon
- Thumma kalla sawfa ta’lamoon
- Kalla law ta’lamoona ‘ilmal yaqeen
- Latara-wun nal jaheem
- Thumma latara wunnaha ‘ainal yaqeen
- Thumma latus alunna yauma-izin ‘anin na’eem
Surah Translation
- The mutual rivalry for increasing (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things),
- Until you visit the graves.
- But nay, ye soon shall know (the reality).
- Again, ye soon shall know!
- Nay, were ye to know with certainty of mind, (ye would beware!)
- Ye shall certainly see Hell-Fire!
- Again, ye shall see it with certainty of sight!
- Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the joy (ye indulged in!)
Lessons from Surah At-Takathur
The surah is reminding us about where to really focus our efforts. Are our efforts to obtain as much wealth, possessions and to please people? Or are we striving to please Allah? Do we want more from this world or from the next? And to remember that we will be questioned about everything.
So try to use the things we have in this world for good and to benefit the people, which will benefit us in the hereafter.
Surah Takathur in hadith
Abu Mutarrif (RA) eported: I came to the Prophet (SAW), while he was reciting the verse, “Competition for wealth diverts you,” (102:1). The Prophet said, “The son of Adam boasts: My wealth! My wealth! O son of Adam, have you truly earned any wealth but what you ate and consumed, or put on and wore out, or spent in charity so it remained?” (Muslim)
Jabir (RA) reported: My father owed some dates to a Jew, but he was killed on the day of Uhud and he left behind two gardens. The dates owed to the Jew would take up everything in the two gardens. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Will you take half this year and half the next year?” But the Jew refused. The Prophet (SAW) said, “Call me when it is time to pick the dates.” So I called him and he arrived accompanied by Abu Bakr (RA).
The dates were weighed and picked from the lowest parts of the tree, and the Prophet was praying for blessings until we paid off everything that we owed him from the smaller of the two gardens, as calculated by ‘Ammar. Then, I brought them some fresh dates and water and they ate and drank, and the Prophet (SAW) said, “This is part of the blessings about which you will be asked.” (102:8)
Virtues of reciting Surah At-Takathur
Reciting it once is equivalent to reciting a thousand verses of the Quran. As per the following hadith:
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (RA) reports that Rasulullah (SAW) said: ‘Can one of you not recite a thousand verses daily’? They said, ‘Who is able to recite a thousand verses?’ Nabi (SAW) replied, ‘Aren’t you able to recite Alhakumut Takathur’? [Surah No. 102] (Mustadrak Hakim)
