Surah Al-Humaza: Verse 1 - ويل لكل همزة لمزة... - English

Warning against dreadful end of those committing three obnoxious sins

This Surah warns of the severe punishment on three grave sins, and then highlights the nature of that severe punishment. The three sins are backbiting, deriding and selfish hoarding of wealth. The words hamz and lamz are used in several senses. Most commentators agree that the word hamz, from which is derived the word humazah, means to 'backbite', that is, to speak ill of a person behind his back. The word lamz, from which is derived the word lumazah, means to 'slander' or 'to deride', that is, to speak ill of a person to his face. Both these sins are morally and socially obnoxious and deadly. The Qur'an and the Sunnah have sounded a stern warning against these sins. However, 'backbiting' is, from one perspective, worse than 'slander'. 'Backbiting' is worse because the ill of a person is spoken behind his back; the victim is not present to defend himself and put an end to it; thus the sin continues to be committed to a greater and increasing degree. 'Slander', on the other hand, though an obnoxious sin in itself, is relatively less in degree than backbiting, because the victim is present to defend himself and put an end to face-to-face insulting or fault-finding with him. From another perspective 'slander' is worse than 'backbiting', because to speak ill of a person to his face is tantamount to insulting him and denigrating him. This is morally and socially more harmful and hurting, and therefore its punishment is more dreadful. According to a Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said,

شِرارُ عِبَادِ اللہِ تَعَالٰی المَشَّاءُونَ بِالنَّمِیمَۃِ المُفَرِّقُونَ بَینَ الاَحبَّۃِ البَاعُونَ البُرَآَءَ العنت

"The worst servants of Allah are those who speak ill of someone, creating enmity between friends and finding fault with innocent people."

Which was revealed in Makkah

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

(Hammaz, going about with slander) (68:11) Ibn `Abbas said, "Humazah Lumazah means one who reviles and disgraces (others)." Mujahid said, "Al-Humazah is with the hand and the eye, and Al-Lumazah is with the tongue." Then Allah says,

(Who has gathered wealth and counted it.) meaning, he gathers it piling some of it on top of the rest and he counts it up. This is similar to Allah's saying,

(And collect (wealth) and hide it.) (70:18) This was said by As-Suddi and Ibn Jarir. Muhammad bin Ka`b said concerning Allah's statement,

(gathered wealth and counted it.) "His wealth occupies his time in the day, going from this to that. Then when the night comes he sleeps like a rotting corpse." Then Allah says,

(He thinks that his wealth will make him last forever!) meaning, he thinks that gathering wealth will make him last forever in this abode (the worldly life).

(But no!) meaning, the matter is not as he claims, nor as he reckons. Then Allah says,

(Verily, he will be thrown into Al-Hutamah.) meaning, the person who gathered wealth and counted it, will be thrown into Al-Hutamah, which is one of the descriptive names of the Hellfire. This is because it crushes whoever is in it. Thus, Allah says,

(And what will make you know what Al-Hutamah is The fire of Allah, Al-Muqadah, which leaps up over the hearts.) Thabit Al-Bunani said, "It will burn them all the way to their hearts while they are still alive." Then he said, "Indeed the torment will reach them." Then he cried. Muhammad bin Ka`b said, "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."

Concerning Allah's statement,

(Verily, it shall Mu'sadah upon them.) meaning, covering, just as was mentioned in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Balad (see 90:20). Then Allah says,

(In pillars stretched forth. ) "Atiyah Al-`Awfi said, "Pillars of Iron." As-Suddi said, "Made of fire." Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, "He will make them enter pillars stretched forth, meaning there will be columns over them, and they will have chains on their necks, and the gates (of Hell) will be shut upon them." This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Humazah, and all praise and thanks are due to Allah.