The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• The QurÁn.
• Chapter Xli.: Entitled Surat Al Fussilat (explanation). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xlii.: Entitled Surat Al ShorÍ (consultation). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xliii.: Entitled Surat Al ZuḲhrÁf (the Ornaments of Gold). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xliv.: Entitled Surat Al DuḲhan (smoke). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xlv.: Entitled Surat Al JÁsÍyah (kneeling). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xlvi.: Entitled Surat Al AhqÁf (the Sandhills). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Xlvii.: Entitled Surat Muhammad. Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Xlviii.: Entitled Surat Al Fatah (victory). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Xlix.: Entitled Surat Al HujrÁt (the Inner Apartments). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter L.: Entitled Surat Al QÁf (q.). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Li.: Entitled Surat Al ZÁriyÁt (the Dispersing). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lii.: Entitled Surat Al TÚr (the Mountain). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Liii.: Entitled Surat Al Najm (the Star). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Liv.: Entitled Surat Al Qamr (the Moon). Revealed At Makkah
• Chapter Lv.: Entitled Surat Al RahmÁn (the Merciful). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lvi.: Entitled Surat Al WÁqÍa (the Inevitable). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lvii.: Entitled Surat Al HadÍd (iron). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lviii.: Entitled Surat Al MujÁdalah (she Who Disputed). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lix.: Entitled Surat Al Hashr (the Emigration). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lx.: Entitled Surat Al Mumtahina (she Who Is Tried). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxi.: Entitled Surat Al Saf (battle-array). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxii.: Entitled Surat Al Juma (the Assembly). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxiii.: Entitled Surat Al MunÁfiqÚn (the Hypocrites). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxiv.: Entitled Surat Al TaghabÚn (mutual Deceit). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxv.: Entitled Surat Al TalÁq (divorce). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxvi.: Entitled Surat Al TahrÍm (prohibition). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter Lxvii.: Entitled Surat Al Mulk (the Kingdom). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxviii.: Entited Surat Al Qalam (the Pen). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxix.: Entitled Surat Al HÁqqat (the Infallible). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxx.: Entitled Surat Al MaÁrij (the Steps). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxi.: Entitled Surat NÚh (noah). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxii.: Entitled Surat Al Jinn (the Genii). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxiii.: Entitled Surat Al Muzzammil (wrapped Up). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxiv.: Entitled Surat Al Muddassir (the Covered). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxv.: Entitled Surat Al QÍyÁmat (the Resurrection). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxvi.: Entitled Surat Al InsÁn (man). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxvii.: Entitled Surat Al MursalÁt (the Messengers). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxviii.: Entitled Surat Al NabÁ (the News). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxix.: Entitled Surat Al NÁziÁt (those Who Tear Forth). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxx.: Entitled Surat Al Abas (he Frowned). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxi.: Entitled Surat Al TakwÍr (the Folding Up). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxii.: Entitled Surat Al InfitÁr (the Cleaving In Sunder). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxiii.: Entitled Surat Al TatfÍf (those Who Give Short Measure). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxiv.: Entitled Surat Al InshiqÁq (the Rending In Sunder). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxv.: Entitled Surat Al BurÚj (the Celestial Signs). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxvi.: Entitled Surat Al TÁriq (the Star Which Appeared By Night). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxvii.: Entitled Surat Al ÁlÁ (the Most High). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxviii.: Entitled Surat Al GhÁshiya (the Overwhelming). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter Lxxxix.: Entitled Surat Al Fajr (the Daybreak). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XC.: Entitled Surat Al Balad (the Territory). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCI.: Entitled Surat Al Shams (the Sun). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCII.: Entitled Surat Al Lail (the Night). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCIII.: Entitled Surat Al ZuhÁ (the Brightness). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCIV.: Entitled Surat Al InshirÁh (have We Not Opened?). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCV.: Entitled Surat Al TÍn (the Fig). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCVI.: Entitled Surat Al Alaq (congealed Blood). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCVII.: Entitled Surat Al Qadr (night of Power). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter XCVIII.: Entitled Surat Al Baiyana (the Evidence). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter XCIX.: Entitled Surat Al ZilzÁl (the Earthquake). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter C.: Entitled Surat Al AdiyÁt (the War-horses Which Run Swiftly). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CI.: Entitled Surat Al QÁrÍa (the Striking). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CII.: Entitled Surat Al TakÁsur (the Emulous Desire of Multiplying). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CIII.: Entitled Surat Al Asar (the Afternoon). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CIV.: Entitled Surat Al Hamza (the Slanderer). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CV.: Entitled Surat Al FÍl (the Elephant). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CVI.: Entitled Surat Al Quraish (the Quraish). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CVII.: Entitled Surat Al MÁÚn (necessaries). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CVIII.: Entitled Surat Al Kauthar (abundance). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CIX.: Entitled Surat Al KÁfirÚn (the Unbelievers). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CX.: Entitled Surat Al Nasr (assistance). Revealed At Madína.
• Chapter CXI.: Entitled Surat Al Abu Lahab. Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CXII.: Entitled Surat Al IḲhlÁs (declaration of God’s Unity). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CXIII.: Entitled Surat Al Falaq (the Daybreak). Revealed At Makkah.
• Chapter CXIV.: Entitled Surat Al NÁs (men). Revealed At Makkah.

CHAPTER CII.

ENTITLED SURAT AL TAKÁSUR (THE EMULOUS DESIRE OF MULTIPLYING).

Revealed at Makkah.

INTRODUCTION.

This chapter is a sort of philippie directed against the covetousness and self-seeking of the Quraish, so often animadverted on in the Qurán. For this reason, perhaps, the judgment-day is referred to only to warn the wicked, and not, as usual, to comfort the righteous. We have given the explanation of this chapter found in Muslim commentators in Sale’s note quoted below, though regarding it as a pure fiction.

Probable Date of the Revelations.

Like chap. ci., this one also belongs to the earliest period of the ministry at Makkah.

Principal Subjects.

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

∥ (1) The emulous desire of multiplying riches and children employeth you, (2) until ye visit the graves. (3) By no means should ye thus employ your time: hereafter shall ye know your folly. (4) Again, by no means: hereafter shall ye know your folly. (5) By no means: if ye knew the consequence hereof with certainty of knowledge, ye would not act thus. (6) Verily ye shall see hell: (7) again, ye shall surely see it with the eye of certainty. (8) Then shall ye be examined, on that day, concerning the pleasures with which ye have amused yourselves in this life.

[(2) ]Until ye visit, &c., i.e., “until ye die. According to the exposition of some commentators, the words should be rendered thus: ‘The contending,’ or vieing ‘in numbers wholly employeth you, so that ye visit even the graves,’ to number the dead; to explain which they relate that there was a great dispute and contention between the descendants of Abd Manáf and the descendants of Sahm, which of the two families were the more numerous; and it being found, on calculation, that the children of Abd Manáf exceeded those of Sahm, the Sahmites said that their numbers had been much diminished by wars in the time of ignorance, and insisted that the dead as well as the living should be taken into the account; and by this way of reckoning they were found to be more than the descendants of Abd Manáf.”—Sale, Zamaḳhshari, Baidháwi.