About Homaza Surah-Shahmoradi
The following Essay is written by miss Shahmoradi, we thank her first and ask you to kindly comment on it
CEIE: A practical reading of The Quran
Contemplate: Break down the verses (ayahs) and discover the relationship between them
Elucidate:Extract the core concepts of the Sura
Incorporate: Plan on incorporating the concepts into your personal/ social life
Evaluate: See how much your plan helps you in becoming a better person
The Virtue of Reciting Surah Humazah
On the virtue of reciting this Surah, a tradition from the Holy Prophet (S) says:
"He who recites this Surah will be rewarded 'ten good deeds' as many as the number of those who mocked Muhammad (S) and his companions".1
He who recites it in any of his obligatory prayers, poverty will stay away from him, sustenance will approach him, and a hideous death will be repelled from him.2
(تفکر) Contemplate
وَیْلٌ لِکُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ {1}
1- Woe to every slanderer, defamer
The terms /humazah/ and /lumazah/, are in the infinitive form of the verb which amplify the meaning of the terms to their highest degree.
The term /humazah/ is based on /hamz/ which originally means 'to break', and since backbiters and slanderers break the personality of others, the term /humazah/ is used for them.
The term /lumazah/ is derived from /lamz/ with the meaning of 'to backbite' and 'defame'.
Some scholars say that Humazah refers to someone who insults someone behind their back (and they do this alot because the word humazah/fu'ala suggests this person does it often), and lumazah - insults people in front of their face too. Allah is cursing those who do either of the above.
Humazah and Lumazah characteristics summarized: Condescending, arrogant, vulgar,
conceited in ones speech/body language and attitude, insensitive, critical, self indulged.
Humazah = Subtle
Lumazah = Explicit.
A scandal-monger habitually blames, reproaches, finds faults with and attacks the character of others with evil motives.
الَّذِی جَمَعَ مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُ {2}
In a narration (hadith) by Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib he mentions:
"What you bring forth will go into dust; what you hoard will be left behind. What you build will be leveled to the ground in time; but what you do is recorded, and increases (as an asset) for the day of final requital."
2.“Who amasses wealth and hoards it,"
Piling up wealth and refraining from spending it in the service of those in need is another vice condemned in this surah.
The term /addadah/ is originally based on /‘add/ meaning 'to number, reckon'. Some have said that it may be based on /‘uddah/ meaning ‘provision' ('preparing and storing properties for future days'.)
The verse refers to those who pile up wealth not as a means of help, but, as a goal. They observe no limit or condition in gathering it, whether lawful or unlawful, by honorable or dishonorable ways, from their own right or others' rights, oppressively, and they know it as the only sign of dignity and personality.
People of this nature never become satisfied with their wealth and no matter how much they gather, they become more avaricious and their greed never ends.
یَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُ أَخْلَدَهُ {3}
3. “Thinking that his wealth will make him immortal"
The miser imagines that his wealth can prolong his life or protect him from punishment.
It is interesting that the verb /akhladah/ here is in the past tense form meaning that he thinks his wealth has made him an immortal creature, as if neither death, sickness or incidents can bring difficulties for him. He thinks money, which he has in abundance, can solve every problem.
کَلَّا لَیُنْبَذَنَّ فِی الْحُطَمَةِ {4}
4- “No, he will certainly be hurled into the ‘Hutamah’ (crushing disaster)
The slanderer, the backbiter and the hoarder will be thrown into hutamah.
The term /layunbthanna/ is based on /nabth/. As Raqib says in Mufradat, it means 'to
discard something because of its being insignificant’.
وَمَا أَدْرَاکَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ {5}
5- “And what makes you know what the 'Hutamah' is"?
The term /hutamah/ is the amplified meaning of the term /hatam/ meaning 'to wreck, to ‘break to pieces'
Hutamah is that which smashes and breaks to pieces. It is a vehement fire that destroys everything that is cast into it.
نَارُ اللَّهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ {6}
6. “(It is) a fire kindled by Allah",
Using the phrase /narallah/ here shows the greatness of the fire. It is the fire of the wrath of Allah, kindled by Him and the term /muqadah/ is an evidence to refer to the continuity of that fire kindled to a blaze.
It shall not be extinguished by anyone or anything. That is, Allah will throw these proud, arrogant, selfish and self-content people in the form of mean, unworthy creatures into the Hell-fire so that they may see the fruit of their pride.
الَّتِی تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الْأَفْئِدَةِ {7}
7. “Which rises above the hearts"
The fire will not only burn the body but also destroy the soul. It will cover them all over.
إِنَّهَا عَلَیْهِمْ مُؤْصَدَةٌ {8}
8. “Surely it will be closed over upon them"
The term /mu'sadah/ is derived from /isad/ meaning 'to close a door firmly'. In fact, just like the way they kept their wealth in safe, locked doors and in secret storages, Allah, too, puts them in punishment shut up in Hell without having a door to flee from.
فِی عَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ {9}
9. “In columns outstretched".
The term /‘amad/ is the plural form of /amud/ which means 'pillar, or any tall thing like a wooden pole, post, or shaft', and the term /mumaddadah/ means 'extended, stretched
(out)’.
(تعقل) Elucidate
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 in this surah, especially when Allah says about hell, what He has not said in other Suwar: "Naarullah" [(the) Fire (of) Allah!].
In other suwar, Allah says "Naaru Jahanam" (Fire of Hell) etc. But when you attribute the
fire to Allah, its more than that, its a fire lit by Allah Himself for those who opposed Him. To enhance the severity of hell described in this surah, we realize that this is the last surah
in the Quran which discusses the Akhirah [after life], and the suwar after this do not discuss
the Akhirah [afterlife] again.
In these verses, Allah is frustrated at the greedy corrupt people who have wealth but don’t
spend it on the needy, but instead want to get more and more even if they're not deserving
of it. So wayl to the mutaffifeen and the humazah. Wayl is used 27 times in the Quran,
including 10 times in surah Mursalaat [surah 77].
A tradition from Ali-ibn-Musa-ar-Rida (as) says:
"Wealth is not piled up but with five qualities: Intense stinginess, endless hope, dominant greed, breaking off connections with one's kindred, and preferring this world to the next world"
In general, man dislikes destruction or mortality and tends to immortality and perpetuality. The existence of this very tendency helps us, In the discussions of Resurrection to know that Man has been created for eternity, otherwise he would not have the instinct of the love of perpetuality.
Humazah -Lumazah (fu'ala) - Khutamah. All these words are connected together. They
allude to something that happens alot, and they all allude to a similar in meaning/interchangeable in the ways they are used in speech.
Symmetry in the Surah:
Allah mentions 5 criminal acts (ayat 1-3), and at the end verses (ayat 4-9) He mentions 5 descriptions of punishments. Incredible way to strike fear in a person with such characteristics.
The Curse of the Oppressed: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said;
واتق دعوت مظلوم فانه لیس بینها و بین الله حجاب
..be afraid of the curse of an oppressed Person as there is no screen between his invocation and Allah.
The backbiter and slanderer who gathered wealth, thinking he would last forever - is contained within this beam structure, and the beams are extremely long and scorching hot. The humazah and lumazah within it are wanting to escape, they cannot lean on the scorching beams for rest, they see the hutama climbing upwardly towards them to disfigure and crush their bodies and jump on their hearts, they see the doors above them as a hopeful escape, so they try to climb the extremely hot beams but these beams scorch them. They fall off, the doors are at a far distance, and the hutama suddenly pounces to attack.. Except that there is no death.. And this will happen all over again - repeatedly, forever.
Relationship of the Beginning of Surah with the Ending of the Surah:
In the beginning of the Surah, Wayl was used to mean destruction. And the Surah concludes, fully explaining what this Wayl/Destruction really is. Allah said at the beginning of the surah; Kuli (Every), meaning that its possible for anyone of us to be in this situation, of the one who fits the criteria of doing the crimes of humazah and lumazah. These are the final verses - in the sequence of the Qur'an - on the severity of the hellfire, a warning to take lessons from.
The Sections on ‘Incorporate’ and ‘Evaluate’ could be written in short texts which I didn’t have the time to complete. Insha’Allah my classmates will help me.
Notes:
1. Majma'-al-Bayan. vol. 10. p. 536.
2. Ibid
