At-Takathur التكاثر

Makki · 8 ayat · 8 with pondering

• Ayah 1Something has kept you busy your whole life, and the ayah does not even name it: the race to have more than others.
• Ayah 2The race for more runs right up to the graveyard gate, and even there the Quran calls you a visitor, not a resident.
• Ayah 3Kallā: the brake is slammed on the race, and a warning follows that is really a kindness: you will come to know.
• Ayah 4The warning comes a second time, heavier than the first, because some truths must be said twice before anyone hears them.
• Ayah 5'If only you knew with certainty…' The sentence breaks off, and your own heart has to finish it.
• Ayah 6Behind these two words stands an unspoken oath: the fire that greed kindles inside will one day be seen with open eyes.
• Ayah 7First the fire is known, then it is seen with certainty itself; wisdom is seeing it with the heart while there is still time.
• Ayah 8The race for more ends with a question about cool water, shade and health: every blessing is a trust, and gratitude is the answer.