Surah Al-Taghabun

The Dispossession

Introduction

Name of Chapter and Reason for its Name

The name of this chapter is Surah Al-Taghabun and it has been named as such because in some verses there is mention of the Hereafter, and the Day of Judgement is the day of Taghabun which means a day where some groups will be disillusioned and others will be winners.

Chapter Number

This Surah is the 64th chapter of the Holy Quran.

Number of Verses

This chapter has 18 verses.

Place of Revelation

The commentators of the Quran believe that this chapter is a Madani one.

Content

Important Concepts in this Chapter

Verses 1-4

Mentions some of the Divine names and qualities; and the order to obey the Prophet. In these verses, it is shown that the Divine names and qualities of Allah demand that man must be raised and returned [to Him]. For those of faith and righteous deeds, their return will be to an everlasting Paradise; and as for the disbelievers and deniers, their return will be to an eternal Hell-fire.

Verses 7-10

There are discussions regarding the Hereafter. These verses refer to the unacceptable belief of the disbelievers that they will not be raised up again. They also serve to explain the Day of Judgement, the termination of the believers’ affairs, and their rewards.

Verses 14-18

Enjoin the believers towards charity. The latter verses of this chapter enjoin people towards charity in the way of Allah. They warn that wealth, children and spouses are all tests for mankind.

Discussions on this Chapter

According to the Sunni Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عن رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلم من قرا سورة التغابن رفع عنه موت الفجأة

The Prophet of Allah has said: “Whoever recites Surah al-Taghabun, Allah will remove for him a sudden death.”

Verse 11: “No affliction visits [anyone] except by Allah’s leave. Whoever has faith in Allah, He guides his heart, and Allah has knowledge of all things.”

مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ١١ و فی الحدیث المتفق علیه «عجبا للمؤمن لا یقضی الله له قضاء إلا کان خیرا له، إن أصابته ضراء صبر فکان خیرا له و إن أصابته سراء شکر فکان خیرا له و لیس ذلک لأحد إلا للمؤمن»

In a narration that is agreed upon, it says: “Amazing is the believer: There is no decree that Allah writes for him, but it is better for him. If an affliction strikes him, then he is patient and this is better for him. If a bounty is granted to him, then he is thankful and this is better for him. This trait is only for a faithful believer.”

Verse 14: “O you who have faith! Indeed, you have enemies among your spouses and children; so beware of them. Yet if you excuse, forbear, and forgive, then Allah is indeed All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.”

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلَادِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ وَإِنْ تَعْفُوا وَتَصْفَحُوا وَتَغْفِرُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ١٤ قال الطبرانی: حدثنا هاشم بن مزید، حدثنا محمد بن إسماعیل بن عیاش، حدثنی أبی، حدثنی ضمضم بن زرعة عن شریح بن عبید عن أبی مالک الأشعری أن رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم قال: «لیس عدوک الذی إن قتلته کان فوزا لک و إن قتلک دخلت الجنة و لکن الذی لعله عدو لک ولدک الذی خرج من صلبک، ثم أعدی عدو لک مالک الذی ملکت یمینک»

Al-Tabarani says: “Hashim ibn Mazeed narrates, Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Ayash narrates, my father narrates, Damdam ibn Zarah narrates from Sharih ibn Abid, from Abu Maalik al-Ashari from the Prophet of Allah who said: ‘He is not your enemy who if you kill him it is a victory for you, and if he kills you he enters Paradise, but rather for him perhaps his son is your enemy who you remove from your heart. Thereafter, the greater enemy for you is the owner who owned your right side.’”

Verse 15: “Rather your possessions and children are a test, and Allah - with Him is a great reward!”

إِنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَاللَّهُ عِنْدَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ١٥ و قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا زید بن الحباب، حدثنی حسین بن واقد، حدثنی عبد الله بن بریدة: سمعت أبا بریدة یقول: کان رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم یخطب، فجاء الحسن و الحسین رضی الله عنهما علیهما قمیصان أحمران یمشیان و یعثران، فنزل رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم من المنبر فحملهما فوضعهما بین یدیه ثم قال: «صدق الله و رسوله إنما أموالکم و أولادکم فتنة، نظرت إلی هذین الصبیین یمشیان و یعثران فلم أصبر حتی قطعت حدیثی و رفعتهما»

Imam Ahmad narrates from Zayd ibn al-Habab, who narrates from Husayn ibn Waqid, who narrates from Abdullah ibn Baridah, who heard from Abu Baridah who quotes: “The Messenger of Allah was giving a speech and al-Hasan and al-Husayn came in wearing red shirts, walking and tripping. The Messenger descended from the minbar, held them, placed them in front of them and said, ‘Allah and His Messenger said the truth, ‘Verily, your wealth and your children are a test.’ I saw these two boys walking and tripping, and could not be patient until I stopped my speech and picked them up.’”

According to the Shia Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

ابْنُ أَبِی الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ الله قَالَ مَنْ قرا سُورَةَ التَّغَابُنِ فِی فَرِیضَتِهِ کانَتْ شَفِیعَةً لَهُ یوْمَ الْقِیامَةِ وَ شَاهِدَ عَدْلٍ عِنْدَ مَنْ یجِیزُ شهادت‌ها ثُمَّ لَا تُفَارِقْهُ حَتَّی یدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ

Ibn Abu al-Ala narrates from Abu Abdillah who said, “Whoever recites Surah al-Taghabun in one’s obligatory prayers - intercession will be for him on the Day of Judgement and a just witness will be there for him whom this bearing witness is endorsed. Thereafter, this will not leave the person even when one enters Paradise.”

Verse 9: “The day when He will gather you for the Day of Gathering - that will be a day of dispossession. And whoever has faith in Allah and acts righteously, He shall absolve him of his misdeeds and admit him into gardens with streams running in them, to remain in them forever. That is the great success.”

يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُكُمْ لِيَوْمِ الْجَمْعِ ذَلِكَ يَوْمُ التَّغَابُنِ وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ وَيَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا يُكَفِّرْ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِ وَيُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ٩ قَدْ رُوِی عَنِ النَّبِی ص فِی تَفْسِیرُ هَذَا قَوْلِهِ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ مُؤْمِنٍ یدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا أُرِی مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ لَوْ أَسَاءَ لِیزْدَادَ شُکراً وَ مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ یدْخِلُ النَّارَ إِلَّا أُرِی مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ لَوْ أَحْسَنَ لِیزْدَادَ حَسْرَةً

The Prophet said in a commentary about this verse that: “There is no believing servant who will enter Paradise except that he will see his place in the hell-fire – meaning that if he committed sins he would have been there, then he thanks Allah a lot; and there is no servant who will enter the Hell-fire except that he will see his place in Paradise, and then (translation of ending missing.”

وَ فِی تَفْسِیرِ الْبُرْهَانِ، عَنِ ابْنِ بَابَوَیهِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِیاثٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ الله قَالَ: یوْمَ التَّلاقِ یوْمَ یلْتَقِی أَهْل السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ، وَ یوْمَ التَّنَاد یوْمَ ینَادِی أَهْل النَّارِ أَهْل الْجَنَّةِ «أَفِیضُوا عَلَینا مِنَ الْماءِ أَوْ مِمَّا رَزَقَکمُ الله» وَ یوْمَ التَّغابُنِ یوْمَ یغْبَن أَهْل الْجَنَّة أَهْل النَّارِ، وَ یوْمَ الْحَسْرَة یوْمَ یؤْتَی بِالْمَوْتِ فَیذْبَحُ

From Tafseer al-Burhaan, it has been narrated from Ibn Babawayh, from Hafs ibn Ghiyath, from Abu Abdillah who said: “The meaning of Yaum al-Talaq is a day where the people of the sky and earth will meet; and the meaning of Yaum al-Tanad is a day where the people of Hell will call out to the people of Paradise and say: ‘Give to us some of the water and sustenance that Allah has given to you;’ and the meaning of Yaum al-Taghabun is a day where the people of Paradise will cheat the people of Hell; and the meaning of Yaum al-Hasrah is a day when death will be brought and it will be slayed, and after it no one will be subjected to death.”