Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...

Chapter 102: Surah al-Takathur
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
(Rivalry in worldly increase distracteth you until ye come to the graves) [102:1-2].
Muqatil and al-Kalbi said: “This Surah was revealed about two clans of Quraysh: Banu ‘Abd Manaf and
Banu Sahm. The two clans heaped abuses on each other and this led them to count the respective chiefs
and leaders of each clan in order to see which one of them had more. The Banu ‘Abd Manaf said: ‘We
have more leaders, chiefs and members!’ The Banu Sahm said the same thing. When it appeared that the
Banu ‘Abd Manaf had more members, they said: ‘Let us also count the dead among us’. They visited the
graveyards and counted the dead, and concluded that the Banu Sahm were greater in number, for they
were greater in number in the pre-Islamic period”. 1
And Qatadah said: “This Surah was revealed about the Jews who said: ‘We are greater in number than
so-and-so, so-and-so and so-and-so’, and this claim distracted them until they died misguided”.
1
Qurtubi, :168.