Note: This is our 4th post in our series of Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma.

a mountain of gold

Allah says, in ayahs 6-7 of Surah Iqraa:

كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَيَطْغَى

أَن رَّآهُ اسْتَغْنَى

Translation: No! [But] indeed, man transgresses. Because he sees himself self-sufficient. [Surah Iqraa, verses 6-7]

Kalla is a very stern, emphatic warning. If your kid is being bad, you say “laa, laa;” and then they grab something hot off the stove and you say “KALLA!” It’s a very strong negation; the thing it negates is either understood, or mentioned in the previous ayah.

Abu Jahl said, “Ask your Lord to make the mountains gold; then we will be self-sufficient, we won’t need to work, and we won’t make any more idols.” (Recall, Mecca made heavy trade in idol worship.)

And this is what Allah is saying–KALLA! This is wrong! Why? Inna al-insaana yatghaa, in raahu istaghnaa. Humans transgress, do tughyaan if they see themselves as self-sufficient. This is something you can take as a life-long gem: Humans do tughyaan if they see themselves as self-sufficient (from Allah).

And to demonstrate yatghaa, or tughyaan, imagine you have a cup of water. It fills, fills fills up to the top, then fills some more and overflows. That’s tughyaan. Going beyond the bounds.

And the key here is that they see themselves as in no need of Allah. That’s what makes them (do) yatghaa.

You can imagine in our lives, this happens! There might be a brother making du’a to get a job, or to get married, crying in his du’a and praying Qiyaam Al-Layl; and then he gets that thing he desires.

And it makes him more arrogant and transgressive. He stops coming to the masjid and praying, because he sees himself as in no need of Allah.

And the mushrikeen would make statements like this–“My wealth or my gang (naadiyah) will avail me,” or even things as crazy as “I’ll bribe the angels of Hellfire to get out.” Because they see themselves as self-sufficient.

Wallahu ta’ala ‘alam.

Action Items:

  1. Reflect. Think of one thing you really made effort for (du’a, Qiyam, etc.) and got. How did you feel? Did it bring you closer to Allah or farther? (Post it in the comments, if you’re feeling brave.)
  2. Repent. Make tawbah for anything you asked for, got, and then got into tughyaan for. Start thanking Allah, and asking Allah for help in that thing.

References:

  • Touched by an Angel: Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma. By Muhammad Alshareef. 2009.