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Consider how aptly “No indeed!” occurs here. It rebukes them, restrains them from competing to amass more, and negates and nullifies their hopes that such rivalry will benefit them or bring them honour and fulfilment. Thus, this single expression conveys both prohibition and negation. Allah, Glorified is He, tells them that they will surely come to know the outcome of their rivalry, time after time; that they will surely see, time after time, the abode of those whose rivalry over worldly possessions distracted them from the Hereafter; and that He will surely question them about the resources they amassed: where did they obtain them, and on what did they spend them?

By Allah, what a magnificent and noble surah this is! How great its benefit, how powerful its admonition and warning, and how strongly it inspires longing for the Hereafter and detachment from this world—all despite its utmost brevity, with its majestic wording and beautiful composition. Blessed is He who truly spoke it, and whose Messenger conveyed it from Him as revelation.

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Consider how He describes them, upon reaching the end that awaits every living being, as visitors rather than permanent residents. They are merely lodged in the graves for a time, while the permanent abode lies ahead of them. If they are only visitors upon reaching that endpoint, what, then, is their condition while they are still travelling through this world? Here they are wayfarers heading towards the place of their visit; then they will move from that place to their permanent dwelling.

There are thus three stages: travelling through this world, a journey that ends with a visit to the graves, followed by the move to the permanent abode.