Al-Takāthur (The Rivalry in Worldly Increase): Verses 1-2

In this section, there are several issues to consider:

Issue 1: The Meaning of Ilhā’ (Distraction) and Takāthur (Rivalry in Increase)

The Meaning of Ilhā’: Ilhā’ (distraction) primarily means diversion toward amusement (lahw). Lahw is turning toward what desire dictates, which necessarily implies turning away from something else. Linguists say: "So-and-so distracted me from such-and-such," meaning he made me forget or preoccupied me. This is supported by the Hadith: "When Al-Zubayr heard the sound of thunder, it distracted him from his speech," meaning he abandoned it and turned away. Everything you abandon, you have been distracted from.

The Meaning of Takāthur: Takāthur means boasting about the abundance of wealth, status, or merits. It is said: Takāthara al-qawm takāthuran when they competed in the abundance of their merits. Abu Muslim stated that Takāthur is a tafā'ul form derived from kathrah (abundance). The tafā'ul form can occur in three ways:

1. Mutual Action (Mufā'alah): Where two parties act toward each other, like saying, "I am richer than you in wealth and mightier in men."
2. Forced Action: Where one forces oneself to do something, like saying takārah-tu 'alā kadhā (I forced myself to do this) when doing it unwillingly, or tabā'adtu 'an al-amr (I feigned ignorance of the matter).
3. The Action Itself: Like saying tabā'adtu 'an al-amr (I distanced myself from the matter).

The word Takāthur in this verse can bear the first two meanings:

1. Mutual Boasting (Mufā'alah): As two people boast to each other about wealth and manpower.
2. Forcing Abundance: As the greedy person spends his entire life forcing himself to increase his wealth.

Boasting (Tafākhur) and Takāthur are essentially the same thing. A parallel verse is: {وَتَفَاخَرُوا بَيْنَكُمْ} (And boast among yourselves).

Issue 2: The Types of Happiness and the Blameworthiness of Takāthur

Boasting occurs when a person asserts a type of happiness for himself. The categories of happiness are three:

1. Happiness of the Soul (Nafs): This includes knowledge and virtuous morals, which are intended by the prayer of Ibrahim: {رَبِّ هَبْ لِي حُكْمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ} (My Lord, grant me judgment and join me with the righteous). This leads to eternal existence and everlasting bliss.
2. Happiness of the Body: This includes health and beauty, which is the second rank.
3. External Circumstances Surrounding the Body: This is divided into two parts:
   • Necessary: Wealth and status.
   • Non-Necessary: Relatives and friends.

The third category (external circumstances) is sought entirely for the sake of the body. The proof is that if a limb suffers pain, one offers wealth and status as ransom for it.

Furthermore, physical happiness is sought by the virtuous only for the sake of spiritual happiness, because one cannot dedicate oneself to acquiring the lasting spiritual happiness without bodily health.

Conclusion on Blame: A wise person should prioritize the most important over the less important. Boasting about wealth, status, helpers, relatives, and supporters is boasting about the lowest ranks of happiness-aids. Engaging in this prevents one from acquiring spiritual happiness through knowledge and action. This constitutes preferring the lowest ranks of happiness over the noblest ones, which is contrary to what is obligatory and the truth. For this reason, God blamed them by saying: {أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ}. This includes boasting in number, wealth, status, relatives, supporters, and armies—in short, everything related to worldly pleasures, desires, and attachments.

Issue 3: The Grammatical Form of Alhākum

The phrase {أَلْهَاكُمُ} (Has distracted you) can be:

1. A Statement of Fact (Narration) concerning them.
2. A Reproachful Interrogation, similar to the variant reading A-an-dhar-tahum (Did you warn them?) versus An-dhar-tahum (Warn them).

Issue 4: The Scope of Blame and Praiseworthy Takāthur

The verse indicates that Takāthur (in the worldly sense) is blameworthy. However, reason dictates that boasting in true happiness is not blameworthy. Examples of permissible boasting include the narration about Al-Abbas boasting about holding the duty of watering the pilgrims (siqāyah), and Shibah boasting about holding the key. This led to the revelation of: {أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِّ...} (Have you made the providing of water to pilgrims...).

We previously mentioned regarding {وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ} (And as for the favor of your Lord, proclaim it) that it is permissible for a person to boast about his acts of obedience, good deeds, and noble morals if he believes others will emulate him.

Therefore, absolute Takāthur is not blameworthy. Rather, Takāthur in knowledge, obedience, and praiseworthy morals is commendable and the foundation of all good.

The definite article (al-) in Al-Takāthur is not for encompassing all types, but for the previously understood type: the rivalry in worldly matters, pleasures, and attachments. This is what prevents obedience to God and servitude to Him. Since this understanding is established by reason and agreed upon in religions, it was appropriate to introduce the definite article.

Issue 5: Interpretations of the Verse

There are several interpretations of the verse:

First Interpretation (Numerical Increase): It is narrated that this verse was revealed concerning the rivalry between Banu Sahm and Banu 'Abd Manāf over who had more members. When Banu 'Abd Manāf were found to be more numerous, Banu Sahm suggested counting their living and dead members together with the living and dead of Banu 'Abd Manāf. They did so, and Banu Sahm outnumbered them, leading to the revelation of the verse. This narration aligns with the apparent meaning of the Qur'an because {حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ} (Until you visit the graves) indicates a past event. God expresses astonishment at them, saying: Even if you were more numerous, what benefit did that bring you? Ziyārah (visiting) means coming to a place for various purposes, the most important of which is softening the heart and removing the love of the world. Observing graves brings this about, as the Prophet (PBUH) said: "I had forbidden you from visiting graves; now visit them, for in visiting them is a reminder." Since they visited the graves due to hardness of heart and preoccupation with worldly love, and this situation was reversed (by death), God mentioned it in a tone of astonishment.

Second Interpretation (Increase in Wealth): This interpretation holds that Takāthur refers to the accumulation of wealth. This is supported by the narration from Mutarrif ibn 'Abdullah ibn Al-Shukhayr, who heard his father say that the Prophet (PBUH) used to recite: {أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ} and then added the saying of the son of Adam: "My wealth, my wealth!" The Prophet (PBUH) then asked: "Does your wealth belong to you except what you have eaten and perished, or worn out and decayed, or given away and spent?" The meaning of {حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ} is "until you died," as visiting the grave is an idiom for death. It is said of someone who died that he "visited his grave" or "visited his resting place." Jarir said to Al-Akhtal:

Abu Mālik visited the graves, And became the most wretched of their visitors (i.e., he died).

Thus, the meaning is: Your eagerness to multiply your wealth distracted you from obeying your Lord until death overtook you while you were still engaged in it.

Objections to the Second Interpretation and Responses:

1. Objection: A visitor stays for a short time and then departs, whereas the deceased remains in the grave. How can it be said that he "visited" the grave?
   • Response: A visitor may stay for a while, but departure is inevitable for him, just as the inhabitants of the graves will depart to the place of reckoning.
2. Objection: {حَتَّى زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ} is a report about the past; how can it be interpreted as referring to the future (death)?
   • Response: a. It might refer to those who were on the verge of death due to old age, as it is said they are "on the brink of the grave." b. It is a report about those who preceded them as a warning, functioning as a report about them because they followed the same path (like the verse {وَيَقْتُلُونَ} [And they kill]). c. Abu Muslim suggested that God addresses this Surah on the Day of Resurrection as a reproach to the disbelievers, who, at that time, would have already visited their graves.

Third Interpretation (Financial Neglect): Takāthur means the intense greed for wealth and seeking its multiplication until one neglects financial obligations until the moment of death, at which point one says: "I bequeathed such-and-such for Zakāh, and such-and-such for Ḥajj."

Fourth Interpretation (Hardness of Heart): Takāthur means you pay no attention to religion; rather, your hearts are like stones that will not break until you visit the graves. This implies that your state should be such that your portion of religion is only that small measure of brokenness. This is analogous to {قَلِيلًا مَا تَشْكُرُونَ} (Little do you give thanks), meaning, "I am not satisfied with this small amount of gratitude from you."

Issue 6: The Omission of the Object of Distraction

God did not specify what Takāthur distracted them from. This omission is more severe in condemnation because it allows the imagination to encompass every possibility relevant to the context. Takāthur distracted them from:

1. Remembrance of God.
2. Obligations and recommended acts concerning knowledge, obedience, reflection, and contemplation. If we look at the preceding context (the mention of Al-Qāri'ah), it means Takāthur distracted them from reflecting on the Calamity and preparing for it before death. If we look at the following context, it means Takāthur distracted them, so they forgot the grave until they visited it.

{كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ * ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ}

Nay! But you are going to know. Then nay! But you are going to know.