التكاثر
Surah At-Takathur (التكاثر) - Transliteration, Translation and Audio
Chapter 102 of the Quran, 8 verses, "The Rivalry in Worldly Increase"
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Surah At-Takathur Transliteration and English Translation
- 1
أَلْهَىٰكُمُ ٱلتَّكَاثُرُ
Al haaku mut takathur
Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you
- 2
حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ ٱلْمَقَابِرَ
Hatta zurtumul-maqaabir
Until you visit the graveyards.
- 3
كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
Kalla sawfa ta'lamoon
No! You are going to know.
- 4
ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
Thumma kalla sawfa ta'lamoon
Then no! You are going to know.
- 5
كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ ٱلْيَقِينِ
Kalla law ta'lamoona 'ilmal yaqeen
No! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty...
- 6
لَتَرَوُنَّ ٱلْجَحِيمَ
Latara-wun nal jaheem
You will surely see the Hellfire.
- 7
ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ ٱلْيَقِينِ
Thumma latara wunnaha 'ainal yaqeen
Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty.
- 8
ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ
Thumma latus alunna yauma-izin 'anin na'eem
Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure.
About Surah At-Takathur
Surah At-Takathur (Arabic: التكاثر), meaning "The Rivalry in Worldly Increase", that is, competing for more and more in this world, is the 102nd chapter of the Quran and has 8 verses. It was revealed in Makkah in the early years of the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The surah is about the distraction of piling up wealth and status, which keeps people busy until they reach their graves.
The surah addresses people directly: the rivalry for more has distracted you until you visit the graves. It then warns twice, "No! You are going to know", and speaks of the knowledge of certainty. They will surely see the Hellfire, then see it with the eye of certainty, and on that Day they will surely be asked about the blessings they enjoyed. In Sahih Muslim, a Companion found the Prophet reciting this surah as he said that the son of Adam says "my wealth, my wealth", yet all he truly has of his wealth is what he ate and used up, what he wore and wore out, or what he gave in charity and so sent ahead.
Main Themes of Surah At-Takathur
- Rivalry for more wealth and status distracts from what matters
- Busy with worldly gain until the grave
- Knowledge of certainty and the eye of certainty
- Being asked about every blessing on the Day of Judgment
Listen to Surah At-Takathur with Audio-Synced Transliteration
Play Surah At-Takathur and follow the Arabic text and Latin transliteration as each verse is recited. You can adjust the speed or loop a verse range for practice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Surah At-Takathur
- What is the meaning of alhakumut takathur?
- It means that competing for more has distracted you. The word takathur describes people trying to outdo one another in wealth, children and status, and verse 2 says this distraction lasts until they visit the graves, meaning until death.
- What are "ilm al-yaqin" and "ayn al-yaqin"?
- Verse 5 mentions the knowledge of certainty and verse 7 the eye of certainty. Commentators explain the first as certain knowledge held in the mind, and the second as seeing the truth with one's own eyes, as those who denied will see the Hellfire.
- What blessings will people be asked about?
- Verse 8 says people will be asked on that Day about the blessings they enjoyed. In a report in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said this even about a simple meal of dates, meat and water that he shared with Abu Bakr and Umar after they had left their homes hungry.