Surah 104. Al-Humazah

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-9104. Al-Humazahبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِوَیْلٌWoeلِّكُلِّto everyهُمَزَةٍslandererلُّمَزَةِۙbackbiter! لَّذِیْThe one whoجَمَعَcollectsمَالًاwealthوَّ عَدَّدَهٗۙand counts it یَحْسَبُThinkingاَنَّthatمَالَهٗۤhis wealthاَخْلَدَهٗۚwill make him immortal كَلَّاNay!لَیُنْۢبَذَنَّSurely he will be thrownفِیinالْحُطَمَةِؗۖthe Crusher وَ مَاۤAnd whatاَدْرٰىكَwill make you knowمَاwhatالْحُطَمَةُؕthe Crusher (is) نَارُA FireاللّٰهِAllahالْمُوْقَدَةُۙkindled الَّتِیْWhichتَطَّلِعُmounts upعَلَیtoالْاَفْـِٕدَةِؕthe hearts اِنَّهَاIndeed itعَلَیْهِمْ(will be) upon themمُّؤْصَدَةٌۙclosed over فِیْInعَمَدٍcolumnsمُّمَدَّدَةٍ۠extended

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Translation of Verse 1-9In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(104:1) Woe to every fault-finding backbiter;¹

(104:2) who amasses wealth and counts it over and again.²

(104:3) He thinks that his wealth will immortalise him forever.³

(104:4) Nay, he shall be thrown⁴ into the Crusher.⁵

(104:5) And what do you know what the Crusher is?

(104:6) It is the Fire⁶ kindled by Allah,

(104:7) the Fire that shall rise to the hearts (of criminals).⁷

(104:8) Verily it will close in upon them,⁸

(104:9) in outstretched columns.⁹

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Commentary

1. The two Qur’anic words hamz and lamz are almost synonyms.

The distinction between the two is so subtle that even Arabs define one with reference to the other and vice versa. Used together, they convey the idea that the person under discussion is a habitual fault-finder and backbiter. He is used to humiliating, mocking, questioning the family background and finding fault in others. Furthermore, he abuses others to their face and indulges in backbiting. He is given to telling tales in order to sow discord among friends and family. He calls people by derogatory nicknames and ascribes all sorts of weaknesses to them.

2. Being rich and influential he acts so arrogantly and rudely. The verse highlights both the plentitude of his wealth and his extreme miserliness and excessive love of riches.

3. Foolishly, he thinks that wealth will give him eternal life. He is so engrossed in amassing and counting wealth that he has disregarded death altogether. It does not occur to him that soon he will leave the world, empty-handed.

4. Nabdh is used when something useless is thrown away. The rich who take great pride in their position in the world will be summarily and contemptuously thrown into Hell on the Day of Judgement.

5. Hutamah means something that crushes. Hell is known so for it being a deep pit full of blazing fire that will instantly crush all that is thrown into it.

6. This is the only instance in the Qur’an in which Hellfire is spoken of as the fire kindled by Allah. This attribution expresses not only the intensity of the fire, but also reflects Allah’s revulsion towards those who had grown arrogant on account of their riches. These culprits will be hurled, in particular, into the fire kindled by Allah.

7. tattali’u, of which ittila’ is the root word, carries two meanings: (i) to ascend, and (ii) to inform. Af‘idah is the plural form of fu'ad which means the heart. However, it does not stand for the body part known as the heart. Rather, it signifies the seat of human emotions, perceptions, beliefs, thoughts, intentions and aspirations. That the Hellfire will rise to the hearts of criminals means that it will punish the origin of their impious acts, false beliefs and immoral ideas. Taken in another sense, it means that it will not be -some blind fire that will burn all that comes into contact with it. It will reach the hearts of culprits and punish them in proportion to the degree of their crimes.

8. These culprits will be thrown into Hellfire, which will close in upon them in outstretched columns, without any opening.

9. The words fi ‘amadin mumaddadah can mean several things: (i) that the gates of Hell will be closed and lofty columns will be erected on them; (ii) that the culprits will be tied to these lofty columns, and (iii) that the flames of Hellfire shall rise to great heights appearing as though they were lofty columns.