Surah 102
Surah At-Takathur (The Rivalry in world increase)
التكاثر
Also written: Takathur, Takasur
Surah At-Takathur (التكاثر) is surah 102 of the 114 surahs of the Quran. It has 8 ayahs, was revealed in Mecca (Meccan), and its name means “The Rivalry in world increase”.
- Number
- 102
- Ayahs
- 8
- Revelation
- Meccan
- Meaning
- The Rivalry in world increase
Names, meaning and Meccan/Medinan classification as listed in the quran-json dataset.
About Surah At-Takathur
At-Takathur, “The Rivalry in World Increase”, addresses one of the most familiar human habits: competing for more — more wealth, more children, more status. It warns that this race keeps people distracted until they reach their graves, and then moves through stages of certainty until every person is asked about the pleasures they enjoyed.
Verse by verse
- The distraction (102:1–2): rivalry in accumulating keeps people busy until they visit the graves.
- A double warning (102:3–4): you will come to know — and again, you will come to know.
- Stages of certainty (102:5–7): if only they knew with certain knowledge (’ilm al-yaqin); they will see the fire, then see it with the eye of certainty (’ayn al-yaqin).
- The question (102:8): on that Day they will be asked about every comfort they were given.
In the hadith
Sahih Muslim reports a companion who came to the Prophet while he was reciting this surah. The Prophet said that a person keeps saying “my wealth, my wealth”, yet all he truly has is what he ate and used up, what he wore and wore out, or what he gave in charity and so sent ahead.
Another account in Sahih Muslim describes the Prophet, Abu Bakr and Umar going out hungry and being hosted by one of the Ansar with dates, meat and cool water. The Prophet reminded them that they would be asked about such a blessing — a gentle lesson that even simple meals are favours to be grateful for.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Surah At-Takathur about?
- How competing for more distracts people until death, and how everyone will be asked about the blessings they enjoyed.
- How many verses are in Surah At-Takathur?
- 8.
- How many ayahs are in Surah At-Takathur?
- Surah At-Takathur has 8 ayahs. It is surah number 102 in the Quran and is Meccan.
- Can I read Surah At-Takathur in English or save it as a PDF?
- Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of every ayah with the Saheeh International English meaning under it. Use “Print / Save as PDF” for a clean printable copy that you can save as a PDF file from your browser.
- Is Surah At-Takathur the same as Surah Takathur?
- Yes. Takathur, Takasur and At-Takathur are different English spellings of the same surah name, التكاثر.
Summaries describe the surah’s content and commonly cited reports for general readers; they are not a tafsir or a religious ruling.
Making a video of Surah At-Takathur
With 8 ayahs, Surah At-Takathur is short enough for a single vertical video. Select all ayahs on the new-project page, load a recitation, and use “Highlight current ayah” to keep the whole surah on screen while each ayah is emphasised as it is recited.
In the editor, the Online Recitations tab lists the reciters Quran Foundation provides for this surah. See how to create a Quran video for the full steps.
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Surah At-Takathur in Arabic with English meaning
Arabic: Uthmani script from The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia (quranenc.com), Uthmani script, via quran-json (CC-BY-SA 4.0), shown as in the verified dataset; open-tanween marks use the equivalent codepoints this font draws, as in the editor. English meaning: Saheeh International (tanzil.net). A translation conveys the meaning; it is not the Quran itself.
أَلۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱلتَّكَاثُرُ ١
102:1Competition in [worldly] increase diverts you
حَتَّىٰ زُرۡتُمُ ٱلۡمَقَابِرَ ٢
102:2Until you visit the graveyards
كَلَّا سَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُونَ ٣
102:3No! You are going to know
ثُمَّ كَلَّا سَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُونَ ٤
102:4Then no! You are going to know
كَلَّا لَوۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ عِلۡمَ ٱلۡيَقِينِ ٥
102:5No! If you only knew with knowledge of certainty
لَتَرَوُنَّ ٱلۡجَحِيمَ ٦
102:6You will surely see the Hellfire
ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيۡنَ ٱلۡيَقِينِ ٧
102:7Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty
ثُمَّ لَتُسۡـَٔلُنَّ يَوۡمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ ٨
102:8Then you will surely be asked that Day about pleasure