Al-Humazah

Summary

• ** 1-3**Woes pronounced on slanderers and backbiters
• ** 4-9** Al Hutama described

Text and meaning

Text and transliteration

• Warsh from Nafiʽ al-Madani Bismi l-lāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm(i) Waylu l-likul-li humazati l-lumazah(tin) ’al-ladhī jama‘a māla w-wa‘ad-dadah(ū) Yaḥ{{color|magenta|sa}}bu ’an-na mālahū ’akhladah(ū) Kal-lā, layunbadhan-na fi l-ḥuṭamah(ti) Wamā ’ad{{color|red|rā}}ka ma l-ḥuṭamah(tu) Nāru l-lāhi l-mūqadah(tu) ’al latī taṭ-ṭali‘u ‘ala {{color|magenta|la}}f’idah(ti) ’in-nahā ‘alayhi m-m{{color|magenta|ū}}ṣadah(tun) Fī ‘amadi m-mumad-dadah(tin)

Translation

Woe to every scorner and mocker Who collects wealth and [continuously] counts it. He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal. No! He will surely be thrown into the Crusher. And what can make you know what is the Crusher? It is the fire of Allāh, [eternally] fueled, Which mounts directed at the hearts. Indeed, Hellfire will be closed down upon them In extended columns.

Overview

In the phrase "slandering traducer" (Arabic: humaza lumaza), according to Ibn Kathir, the first word refers to slandering by speech, and the second to slander by action (though he also quotes Mujahid as saying the opposite: "Al-Humazah is with the hand and the eye, and Al-Lumazah is with the tongue.") The "fire ... which leapeth over the hearts" is sometimes interpreted as starting below and rising: according to Ibn Kathir, Muhammad bin Ka`b said that "it (the Fire) will devour every part of his body until it reaches his heart and comes to the level of his throat, then it will return to his body." The "columns" described in the final verse are interpreted as columns of fire by some authorities (e.g. As-Sudd), as in the translation above, but as literal pillars of iron by some others (e.g. Al-Awfi).

Surah Humazah tells how bad mankind can get into loss, and this is why some scholars state that there is no severer description given of hell in the Quran than the description given in this surah. Many severe and harsh descriptions of hell are mentioned throughout the Quran, however this Surah is especially unique, as Allah says about hell what He has not said in other Surahs: “Naarullah” ((the) Fire (of) Allah!).

In other surahs, Allah says “Naaru Jahannam” (Fire of Hell) etc. But when the fire is attributed to God, it's more than that, it's a fire lit by Allah Himself for those who opposed Him.

This is the last surah in the Quran which discusses the Akhirah (after life), and the surahs after this do not discuss the Akhirah afterlife again.

Notes

References

References

1. [[M.A.S. Abdel-Haleem]] ''The Qur'an: a New Translation'', 2004 Oxford University Press (Oxford World's Classics Hardcovers Series).
2. [[Sam Gerrans]] (2016), ''The Quran: A Complete Revelation''
3. [[Saheeh International]] [https://archive.org/details/QuranSaheehInternationalTranslationWithMainArabicText THE QUR'AN] (1997)
4. [[Arabic script in Unicode]] symbol for a Quran verse, U+06DD, page 3, [http://www.evertype.com/standards/iso10646/pdf/09419-encode-koranic.pdf Proposal for additional Unicode characters]
5. [[Mustafa Khattab]] translation (2015)
6. (1896). "A Complete Index to [[Sale's Text]], Preliminary Discourse, and Notes". Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co.
7. "quran.com, al-Humazah (104), Saheeh International".