حَتَّىٰ زُرْتُمُ ٱلْمَقَابِرَ 2
Translations
Until you visit the graveyards.
Transliteration
Hattaa zurtumu al-maqaabir
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to the distraction of worldly rivalry and competition persisting until death, when people visit the graves (i.e., until they themselves become inhabitants of the graves). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as a severe warning that the human preoccupation with accumulating wealth and status continues relentlessly throughout life, only ending with death. The verse emphasizes that such heedlessness will eventually lead to the grave, where all worldly pursuits become meaningless.
Revelation Context
Surah At-Takathur was revealed in Mecca during the early Islamic period, addressing the pre-Islamic Arabian custom of tribes boasting about their wealth, lineage, and numbers. The surah's broader context critiques the human tendency toward materialism and competition, with this particular ayah serving as a reminder of mortality as the ultimate end to all worldly ambitions. The phrase 'visiting the graves' metaphorically refers to death itself or literally to the time when one becomes aware of the futility of worldly competition.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who remember death the most' (Tirmidhi). Additionally, 'Remember frequently the thing that cuts off pleasures - death' (Tirmidhi), which aligns with the surah's reminder of mortality as a counter to worldly obsession.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah serves as a profound reminder that preoccupation with material competition and worldly status is ultimately futile, as death is inevitable and awaits every soul. Believers should balance their worldly endeavors with spiritual consciousness and remembrance of the Hereafter, ensuring that the pursuit of dunya (this world) does not eclipse their preparation for akhirah (the afterlife).