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Recitation: Sa'ad Al
Ghamdi
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Introduction and Summary
This probably early Makkan Surah
gives a warning against acquisitiveness, i.e. the passion for piling up
quantities or numbers, whether in the good things of this world, or in manpower
or in other forms of megalomania, which leave no time or opportunity for
pursuing the higher things of life.
C.282 (The running Commentary, in
Rhythmic Prose)
Be not engrossed in
things ephemeral,
To the neglect of
higher things in life.
Life is but short,
and Death will soon claim you.
Oh that men would
only learn,
Before it is too
late, the serious
Issues of the higher
life! They must
Taste the
consequences of their neglect..
For every good
enjoyed they must
In the Hereafter give
a strict account..
أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ
﴿١﴾
1. The
mutual rivalry for piling up
(the good things of this world)
diverts you
(from the more serious things),
C6257.
Acquisitiveness, that is, the passion for seeking an increase in wealth,
position, the number of adherents or followers or supporters, mass production
and mass organisation, may affect an individual as such, or it may affect whole
societies or nations. Other people's example or rivalry in such things may
aggravate the situation.
Up to a certain point it may be
good and necessary. But when it becomes inordinate and monopolises attention, it
leaves no time for higher things in life, and a clear warning is here sounded
from a moral point of view.
Man may be engrossed in these
things till death approaches, and he looks back on a wasted life, as far as the
higher things are concerned.
حَتَّى
زُرْتُمُ الْمَقَابِرَ
﴿٢﴾
2. Until
ye visit the graves.
C6258. That is, until the
time comes when you must lie down in the graves and leave and pomp and
circumstance of an empty life.
The true Reality will then appear
before you. Why not try to strive for a little understanding of that Reality in
this very life?
كَلَّا
سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
﴿٣﴾
3. But
nay,
ye soon shall know
(the reality).
ثُمَّ
كَلَّا سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُونَ
﴿٤﴾
4. Again,
ye soon shall know!
كَلَّا
لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ
﴿٥﴾
5. Nay,
were ye to know
with certainty
of mind,
(Ye would beware!)
C6259.
Three kinds of
yaqin
(certainty of knowledge) are described in
n. 5673 to 69:51.
The first is certainty of mind or inference
mentioned here: we hear from someone, or we infer from something we know: this
refers to our own state of mind.
If we instruct our minds in this way, we
should value the deeper things of life better, and not waste all our time in
ephemeral things. But if we do not use our reasoning faculties now, we shall yet
see with our own eyes, the Penalty for our sins. It will be certainty of sight.
We shall see Hell. See next verse.
But the absolute certainty of assured Truth
is that described in
69:51. That is not liable to any human error or psychological
defects.
لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ
﴿٦﴾
6. Ye
shall certainly see Hellfire!
C6260.
See 19:71-72, and
n. 2518.
ثُمَّ
لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ
﴿٧﴾
7. Again, ye
shall see it with certainty of sight!
ثُمَّ
لَتُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ
﴿٨﴾
8. Then,
shall ye be Questioned that Day about the joy
(ye indulged in)!
C6261. We shall be
questioned, i.e., we shall be held responsible for every kind of joy we indulge
in-whether it was false pride or delight in things of no value, or things evil,
or the enjoyment of things legitimate,-the last, to see whether we kept this
within reasonable bounds.
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