104- Surat Alhumazah/Tafseer
9 Verses Meccan (revealed in Mecca)
A'auzu Bellahi mena alshaiytani alrajeem
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
Besmi Ellahi Alrhmani Alraheem
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Waiylun le-kulli humazatin lumazah (1).
Woe to every scorner, slanderer.
Allazi gama'a malan wa addadah (2).
Who accumulates wealth and counts it.
Yahsabu anna malahu akhladah (3).
He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal.
Kalla la-younbazanna fi alhutamah (4).
Nay! He will surely be thrown into the Crusher.
Wa ma adraka ma alhutamah (5).
And what will make You know what is the Crusher?.
Naru Allahi almuqadah (6).
It is the kindled fire of Allah.
Allati tattale-ou ala al-afeedah (7).
Which mounts directed at the hearts.
Innaha alaiyhim mu'sadah (8).
Indeed, it will be closed down upon them.
Fi amadin mumaddadah (9).
In outstretched columns.
Simplified interpretation:
Surat Alhumazah describes three evil deeds of the companions of the Hellfire, and it was said that this Surah has been revealed about a specific person, but most commentators said that it was revealed in general without specifying anyone, so it is for every one who had these three evil characteristics.
Allah says in the first verse (1) "Woe to every scorner, slanderer", that is, Allah threatens every scorner, slanderer with the painful torment on the day of resurrection, where the word woe (Wail) idiomatically carries the meaning of destruction and perishing and means that the torment will be theirs as a recompense for their deeds. So Allah, Almighty threatens every scorner, and slanderer (mocker) with a severe torment in the Hereafter, and both terms carry all kinds of ridicule from the others, as they refer to slander from others by speech and by action e.g: making gestures with eyes, or head, or eyebrows either for defamer the others, or for made fun and mockery.
They also mean speaking about others in a manner that they dislike, from which mentioning them behind their backs (backbite). The backbite is a great sin, for Allah, Almighty says in Surat Alhujurat Aya (12) {And Do not backbite one another, would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother, you would hate it, and fear Allah, indeed, Allah is Ever accepting of repentance, Most Merciful}. The example of the one who backbites his brother is like the one who eats the flesh of his brother when dead, so just as one hates to eat from a dead person, he must hate backbite as Allah has commanded him to do so.
And as narrated by Abu Hurayrah that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Do you know what is backbiting, they said Allah and His Messenger know best, thereupon, He (PBUH) said backbiting implies your talking about your brother in a manner which he dos not like, it was said to Him What is Your opinion if I actually find in my brother what I made mention of?, He said if it is found in him what you say, then indeed, you have committed backbiting, and if it is not found in him, then indeed, you have falsely accused him" (Sahih Muslim 2589).
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (2,3) "Who accumulates wealth and counts it, he thinks that his wealth will make him immortal", that is, Allah describes the characteristic of the scorner and slanderer sayings that he accumulates wealth and counts it; he always spends his day in amassing his wealth and counts it over and over, and he do not pay the obligatory charity and do not spend in the way of Allah.
This characteristic does not mean anything but miserliness which is a great sin, as his neck will be encircled by what he was stingy with on the day of resurrection as Allah Almighty, has stated in Aya (180) of Surat Ali Imran {And Let not those who are stingy with what Allah has given them of His bounty think that it is better for them, rather it is worse for them, their necks will be encircled by what they were stingy with on the day of resurrection, and to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is All-Aware of what you do}.
Allah Almighty says in the next four verses (4-7) "Nay! He will surely be thrown into the Crusher, and what will make You know what is the Crusher?, it is the kindled fire of Allah, which mounts directed at the hearts.", that is, the threatens every scorner, slanderer, and stingy saying that he will be thrown into the crusher (Alhutamah) on the day of resurrection, and Alhuttamah is one of the names of the Hellfire, and it was said that it was called by this name for it crushes anything will be thrown into it. Then Allah addresses Hos Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) saying what will make You know what is the Crusher?, and Allah assures that Alhutamah is a kindled fire, and it carries a great torment where it will burn them while they are still alive till it reaches their hearts, then it will return to their bodies for when it ends, it starts over and over again.
Allah Almighty says in the last two verses (8,9) "Indeed, it will be closed down upon them, in outstretched columns.", that is, Allah assures that Hellfire will be closed down upon them in outstretched columns, so as not to let them escape from it, so they will be in perpetual torment, neither dying nor living, with no way to escape or get out of it.