The Tafsīr of Sūrat Al-Humazah (Chapter - 104)

Which was revealed in Makkah

Qur’anبِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

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

Qur’an 104:1–9وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ ٱلَّذِى جَمَعَ مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُۥ يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَهُۥ كَلَّا لَيُنۢبَذَنَّ فِى ٱلْحُطَمَةِ وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحُطَمَةُ نَارُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُوقَدَةُ ٱلَّتِى تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى ٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةِ إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌ فِى عَمَدٍ مُّمَدَّدَةٍۭ

«1. Woe to every Humazah Lumazah.» «2. Who has gathered wealth and counted it.» «3. He thinks that his wealth will make him last forever!» «4. But no! Verily, he will be thrown into Al-Ḥuṭamah.» «5. And what will make you know what Al-Ḥuṭamah is?» «6. The fire of Allāh, Al-Muqadah,» «7. Which leaps up over the hearts.» «8. Verily, it shall Mu'ṣadah upon them,» «9. In pillars stretched forth.»

Al-Hammāz refers to (slander) by speech, and Al-Lammāz refers to (slander) by action. This means that the person finds fault with people and belittles them. An explanation of this has already preceded in the discussion of Allāh's statement,

Qur’an 68:11هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّآءٍۭ بِنَمِيمٍ

«Hammāz, going about with slander» (68:11)

Ibn 'Abbās said, "Humazah Lumazah means one who reviles and disgraces (others)."^{1Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:596.} Mujāhid said, "Al-Humazah is with the hand and the eye, and Al-Lumazah is with the tongue." Then Allāh says,

Qur’an 104:2ٱلَّذِى جَمَعَ مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُۥ

«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 Allāh's saying,

Qur’an 70:18وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

«And collect (wealth) and hide it.» (70:18) This was said by As-Suddi and Ibn Jarīr.^{2Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:598, and Al-Qurṭubi 20:138.} Muḥammad bin Ka'b said concerning Allāh's statement,

Qur’an 104:2جَمَعَ مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُۥ

«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 Allāh says,

Qur’an 104:3يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُۥٓ أَخْلَدَهُۥ

«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).

Qur’an 104:4كَلَّا

«But no!» meaning, the matter is not as he claims, nor as he reckons. Then Allāh says,

Qur’an 104:4لَيُنۢبَذَنَّ فِى ٱلْحُطَمَةِ

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

Qur’an 104:5–7وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْحُطَمَةُ نَارُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُوقَدَةُ ٱلَّتِى تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى ٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةِ

«And what will make you know what Al-Ḥuṭamah is? The fire of Allāh, Al-Muqadah, which leaps up over the hearts.»

Thābit Al-Bunāni 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. Muḥammad 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."^{3Al-Qurṭubi 20:185.}

Concerning Allāh's statement,

Qur’an 104:8إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌ

«Verily, it shall Mu'ṣadah upon them.» meaning, covering, just as was mentioned in the Tafsīr of Sūrat Al-Balad (see 90:20). Then Allāh says,

Qur’an 104:9فِى عَمَدٍ مُّمَدَّدَةٍۭ

«In pillars stretched forth.»

"Āṭiyah Al-'Awfi said, "Pillars of Iron." As-Suddi said, "Made of fire." Al-'Awfi reported from Ibn 'Abbās, "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."^{4Aṭ-Ṭabari 24:600.}

This is the end of the Tafsīr of Sūrat Al-Humazah, and all praise and thanks are due to Allāh.