Verses 1–4
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful
This sūrah was revealed in Mecca and consists of 8 verses. It severely rebukes the people for getting caught up in competition over amassing wealth, children, and supporters, while being heedless of the impending loss and divine punishment for such behavior. It warns them that they shall soon get to know and witness that. Moreover, they will be questioned about what they were blessed with. They were granted these blessings so that they may be grateful for them, but instead they got distracted with them, and thus transformed God’s blessings into ingratitude.
The content of the sūrah is compatible with having been revealed in either Mecca or Medina. Narrations about its context of revelation will be discussed in our examination of narrations below, by the will of God.
Commentary
أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ ١ حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ ٢
(102:1-2) Rivalry in excess (al-takātharu) distracted you (alhākum, from lahw), until you visited the graves (al-maqābir).
Al-Mufradāt says:
Lahw means “something that distracts a person from what is important and what they should care about.”
When something keeps the person engaged from attending to what is more pressing, it is said: alhāhu. God says: Rivalry in excess distracted you (alhākum) ().
Mukātharah and takāthur signify “competing in the acquisition of wealth and status.”
Miqbarah and maqbarah mean “the place of a grave.” Their plural is maqābir. God says: until you visited the graves (al-maqābir) (), where al-maqābir means death figuratively.
Given the theme and context of these verses, the meaning is: “Vying in acquisition of worldly goods and adornments distract you from what is more important—namely, the remembrance of God—until you meet your death. Hence, you are heedless throughout your lives.”
Another suggested meaning is: “You engrossed yourselves in vying boastfully over the number of men in a tribe, some saying, ‘We have more men,’ while others saying, ‘No, we have more!’ So you enumerated all the living, at which point you headed for the graveyards and started counting up all the dead, adding them to your scorecards. Hence, you competed with each other over the dead.”
This view comes from some narrations about the chapter’s context of revelation. They say that two tribes from the Anṣār (Medinan Supporters) started boasting about their living members, and then about their dead. Some narrations say that this happened in Mecca, between the tribes Banū ʿAbd Manāf and Banū Sahm. Then the sūrah was revealed in reference to that. We will present this story in our examination of narrations below.
كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ٣
(102:3) Nay (kallā)! You will come to know.
The exclamation kallā (nay, never, no way) rejects their distraction with unimportant things in lieu of what is truly important, and rebukes them for it.
… You will come to know: This is an expression of threat and warning. Given the context, the meaning is: “Soon you will learn about the consequences of your vain amusements. You shall realize that when you are cut off from your worldly life.”
ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ ٤
(102:4) Again, nay! You will come to know.
This verse emphasizes the rejection, rebuke and warning in the last verse. Some have said that the last verse is about what the people get to know upon their death, and this verse is about what they will learn upon the resurrection.
كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ ٥
(102:5) Nay! Were (law) you to know with the knowledge of certitude,
The word Nay is repeated to emphasize the previous refutation [of their heedless amusements and engrossments]. Certitude (yaqīn) means “knowledge that is free from any inaccuracy.”
… Were you to know with the knowledge of certitude: This is a conditional clause with an omitted complement. The implied meaning is: “If you were to know the matter with certain knowledge, that knowledge would surely preoccupy you from wasting time on boasting, rivalry and acquisition.”
لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ ٦
(102:6) you would surely see hell (la-tarawunna).
Some exegetes have considered this verse to be an independent sentence, separate from the last. The letter lām indicates an oath. The meaning is: “I swear that you shall see hell, which is the recompense of entertaining and distracting yourselves as such.” Their argument for this interpretation is: (a) The conditional particle law (if, were, should) in the last verse shows the impossibility of its complement. (b) However, seeing hell will certainly occur on the Day of Resurrection. (c) Hence, the current verse—you would surely see hell—cannot be a complement of the conditional clause in the last verse.
This view is based on the assumption that the verse is about seeing hell through physical sight, as stated in the verse: and hell is brought into view for one who sees (). However, we do not grant this assumption. In fact, the apparent meaning of the current verse is that hell can be seen before the Day of Resurrection with the inner eye or the insight of the heart (baṣīrah). This is indeed one of the consequences of realizing the station of certitude, as reflected in the verse: Thus did We show Abraham the dominions of the heavens and the earth, that he might be of those who possess certitude (). We discussed this idea previously. This vision of the heart before the Day of Resurrection will not occur for those who occupy themselves with vanities, because it is impossible for them to achieve the required certitude for it.
ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ ٧
(102:7) Then you will surely see it with the eye of certitude (ʿayn al-yaqīn).
ʿAyn al-yaqīn means “certitude itself.” The meaning is: “You will surely see hell with absolute certainty.” This verse is about seeing hell on the Day of Resurrection, as evidenced by the next verse: Then, that day, you will surely be questioned concerning the great bounty (). Hence, the first “seeing” [] refers to seeing hell before the Day of Resurrection, and the second one [] refers to seeing hell on the Day of Resurrection.
Here are some other suggested views:
- The first “seeing” [] is when they see hell before they enter it, and the second “seeing” [] is when they see it after entering it.
- The first “seeing” [] indicates knowledge, and the second one [] indicates physical sight.
- “Seeing” is repeated as a literary device to express the continuity and perpetuity of their stay in hell.
Comment: There are other views as well, but all of them are implausible.
ثُمَّ لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ ٨
(102:8) Then, that day, you will surely be questioned concerning the great bounty (al-naʿīm).
Apparently the rebukes and threats in this chapter are apparently directed at all people in general, but in reality they pertain to a subset of them: those who lost themselves in wrangling over vanities. Rivalry in amassment engages them from remembering God. Likewise, this verse is addressed to all people on the account of including a certain subset: those who are so preoccupied with what their Lord’s blessings that they forgot their Lord. For the same reason, the context suggests that the great bounty in this verse is meant in an unqualified sense, encompassing every type of blessing. That is, people will be questioned about anything that could be called a blessing or bounty from God.
What makes something a niʿmah (blessing, bounty, boon) for a person are two things: (1) the thing being harmonious with the person [that is, with the person’s mode of being]; and (2) the thing being good and beneficial for the person. This can only be the case if the person uses the bounty in a way that brings them happiness and benefit. But if they use it contrary to that, that object would be a cause of misery for the person—even though, in and of itself, it may be a blessing.
God has created humankind and has decreed that the purpose of their creation—which is their ultimate perfection and happiness—lies in nearness to the divine through servitude. He says: I did not create the jinn and the humans except that they may serve Me ().
This [divine proximity through servitude] is God’s wilāyah (guardianship, authority) over His servant. God has prepared for His servants everything that they need in order to succeed in their journey toward the goal for which they have been created. These are the blessings (sing. niʿmah) which God has showered upon them, both inwardly and outwardly [].
The way to reach one’s ultimate goal is using these blessings in a way that pleases God and brings one to one’s desired destination. That is the meaning of obedience. But getting caught up with the very blessings and forgetting what is beyond them would be erring from the path and missing the destination. That is the meaning of disobedience. God has ordained a definite decree—which cannot be replaced or repealed—that humans shall return to Him, and He shall question them about their deeds, take them to account, and recompense them. And one’s deeds are effectively one’s way of utilizing the divine blessings. God, says: that nothing belongs to man except what he strives for, and that he will soon be shown his endeavor, then he will be rewarded for it with the fullest reward; that the terminus is toward your Lord (). Therefore, questioning one about one’s deeds is tantamount to questioning them about their blessings: “How did they use these blessings? Were they grateful or ungrateful for them?”
Examining Narrations
- Qatādah said: This chapter was revealed about the Jews. One tribe among them said, “We are greater in number than that tribe, and that tribe is greater in number than that other tribe!” This preoccupied them until they died in error.
- Abū Buraydah said: The chapter was revealed about some branches of the Anṣār (Medinan Supporters) that boasted with one another.
- Muqātil and al-Kalbī said: The chapter was revealed about two factions of Quraysh: Banū ʿAbd Manāf b. Quṣayy and Banū Sahm b. ʿAmr. They started vying in number and counting their elite, where Banū ʿAbd Manāf won. Then they said, “Let’s count our dead,” so they visited the graveyards and began counting them up. “This is the grave of so-and-so; and this is the grave of so-and-so,” they said. Then Banū Sahm scored higher because they were more populated before Islam.
- Regarding the verse Were you to know with the knowledge of certitude (), Imam al-Ṣādiq said: That is direct physical vision (muʿāyanah).
Author’s comment: This narration supports how we interpreted the verse.
- Jamīl said: Once I asked Imam al-Ṣādiq about the verse that day, you will surely be questioned concerning the great bounty (). He said: “This ummah (nation, people) will be asked about how they have been blessed by God through His Messenger and then through his Household (Ahl al-Bayt).”
- Abū Khālid al-Kālibī says: Once I went to see Imam al-Bāqir. He ordered [his servants] to bring food, and I ate with him. I had never eaten anything more delicious and more exquisite. When we finished, he asked, “Abū Khālid, how did you like the food?”
“May I be your ransom, I have never eaten anything better or more agreeable than that. But then I remembered the verse in the book of God: Then, that day, you will surely be questioned concerning the great bounty () [and that ruined my pleasure].
Imam al-Bāqir said, “[What it means is that] you will surely be asked about the truth [of our wilāyah] which you have subscribed to.”
- Abū Ḥamzah said: A group of us were with Imam al-Ṣādiq, and he called for some food. We had never eaten anything as delicious or delightful. Then he brought us dates which were so pure and exquisite that we could see our faces in them. Someone said, “You will surely be questioned concerning () this bounty which you enjoyed at the place of the son of God’s Messenger.”
Imam al-Ṣādiq said: “God is too noble and generous to feed you some food and make it agreeable to you, then haggle with you over it. Rather, He shall question you about His blessing of Muḥammad and his family upon you.”
Author’s comment: This import is narrated from the Imams through many other chains and in other expressions. Some of them say, “Al-naʿīm (the great bounty, ) is the wilāyah (divine guardianship, spiritual authority) of us Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s Household).” This effectively boils down to what we said above: The unconditional form of the word al-naʿīm encompasses all divine blessings in the sense that they are blessings [for the person].
Further explanation: God would not question the people concerning any material enjoyment in the sense that it is meat, bread, date, cool water, hearing, sight, hand, leg, or the like. Rather, He would question about it as a blessing that He has created for humankind and made it a means of progress for them along their path toward perfection, which is attaining divine nearness through servitude. And He has commanded humankind be grateful for these blessings through how they to employ them. This is what we explained above.
Hence, what will be asked about is blessing qua blessing [not particular enjoyments of life in and of themselves]. Now, how do we know this is a blessing? And how do we know how to use this blessing gratefully? That is clarified to us through the religion brought by the Prophet, and further explicated upon by the Imams that he appointed from his family. Therefore, when people will be questioned about the blessings, they will really be asked about acting in accordance with God’s religion in all that they do, in every movement and pause. Given that the reality of the great bounty () is God’s religion, questioning about it amounts to questioning about the Prophet and the Imams after him, for God mandated their obedience. Our journey toward God consists of how we utilize God’s blessings, and the proper way of doing so has been taught by His Messenger and the Imams. That is why it is incumbent on us to follow them.
Questioning about the great bounty () is effectively the same as questioning about God’s religion. This is reflected in Abū Khālid’s narration [number 6], where the Imam says: “You will surely be asked about the truth which you have subscribed to.” And it is also the same as questioning about the Prophet and his Household, which is reflected in the narrations of Jamīl and Abū Ḥamzah [numbers 5 and 7]: “This ummah will be asked about how they have been blessed by God through His Messenger and then through his Ahl al-Bayt.”
- Some narrations say: The great bounty () is the Messenger of God, with whom God has blessed the whole world, and through whom He has saved them from error.
- Some narrations say: The great bounty () is the wilāyah of us Ahl al-Bayt.
Author’s comment: These narrations reduce to the same point, because the wilāyah (divine guardianship, spiritual authority) of the Imams means being obedient to them and following their path, which is the path of divine servitude.
- Majmaʿ al-bayān narrates from ʿIkrimah: “The great bounty () is health and peace.” Then it adds: “This can be confirmed by a Prophetic narration: ‘There are two blessings that many people do not make the most of: health and peace.’”
- It is narrated from ʿAbd-Allāh b. Masʿūd, Mujāhid and Imams al-Bāqir and al-Ṣādiq: The great bounty () means safety and health.
Author’s comment: Some Sunni narrations say that the great bounty () is dates and cool water, and other narrations list other things. These must be viewed as offering some examples and applications of the term.
- The Prophet said: There are three things which a person will not be questioned about: (1) a piece of cloth that covers their nudity; (2) a piece of bread that fulfills their hunger; (3) a dwelling that shelters them from heat and cold…
Author’s comment: This narration should be interpreted as saying that there will not be meticulous questioning or severe reckoning concerning the necessities of life. And God knows best.
See volume 13, pp. 217ff of the English translation. (Ed.) ↩︎
In other words, the author’s interpretation—that verse is a continuation of the previous verse—is compatible with the use of the conditional particle law in verse . (Ed.) ↩︎
Given the author’s discussion under the last verse, this verse is about seeing hell not through the insight of the heart in this world, but through the sight of the eye in the hereafter. Hence, ʿayn al-yaqīn can be translated as “the eye of certitude.” (Ed.) ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-burhān, on the authority of al-Barqī, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, on the authority of Hishām b. Sālim. ↩︎
This shows that the author has interpreted muʿāyanah as spiritual vision and clairvoyance (mukāshafah). (Ed.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, via Sunni chains of narration. ↩︎