Tafsir of Al-Muddathir 74:15

"Then he aspires that I should increase" upon what I have already given him. This is an expression of disdain and denunciation for his aspiration and greed.

This is either because he is in total abundance, with no possibility for more regarding what he has been given in terms of expanse and quantity, or because it contradicts his state of ingratitude for blessings and hostility toward the Bestower. It is reported from al-Hasan and others that he used to say, "If Muhammad is truthful, then Paradise was created for no one but me."

The use of "then" (thumma) to denote improbability is common. It is said that this is a rhetorical shift, as considering a thing improbable is inconsistent with what precedes it, such as when one says, "You mistreat me, then you hope for my kindness." This was done to treat conceptual distance as equivalent to temporal distance.