Surah al-Takāthur, revealed in Mecca (1)

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

“Competition for more diverts you (1), until you visit the graves (2).”

“Competition for more diverts you”: rivalry, boasting, and striving to outdo one another in wealth and numbers have distracted you from obeying your Lord and from that which would save you from His wrath. “Until you visit the graves”: until you die (2) and are buried in the graves.

Qatādah said: It was revealed concerning the Jews. They said, “We are more numerous than such-and-such a clan, and such-and-such a clan is more numerous than such-and-such a clan.” This occupied them until they died astray (3).

Muqātil and al-Kalbī said: It was revealed concerning two clans of Quraysh: Banū ʿAbd Manāf ibn Quṣayy and Banū Sahm ibn ʿAmr. There was mutual boasting between them, so the chiefs and nobles counted one another (4), asking which of them was greater in number. Banū ʿAbd Manāf said, “We have more leaders, mightier men of rank, a larger company, and greater numbers.” Banū Sahm said the same. Banū ʿAbd Manāf outnumbered them. Then they said, “Let us count our dead as well,” until they visited the graves and counted them. They said, “This is the grave of so-and-so, and this is the grave of so-and-so.” Then Banū Sahm exceeded them by three households, for they had been more numerous in the Age of Ignorance. So Allah revealed this verse (5).