Overview - Surah 104: al-Humazah (The Scorner )
The Surah talks about some of the moral problems that affect the wealthy and then it gives them warnings of the consequences of these evils.
This Surah takes its name from the first Ayat, وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ "Woe to every scorner and mocker" [104:1]
There are 9 Ayat in this Surah.
Overview
Total Ayat | 9 |
Total Words * | 33 |
Root Words * | 21 |
Unique Root Words * | 0 |
Makki / Madani | Makki |
Chronological Order* | 32nd (according to Ibn Abbas) |
Year of Revelation* | 7th year of Prophethood |
Events during/before this Surah*
Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1, 2nd Migration to Abyssinia, Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia, Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda., Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
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Events during/after still to occur*
Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3,Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey,1st Pledge of Aqabah,2nd Pledge of Aqabah,,Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah,Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,,Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah,Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers,,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
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Names of Prophets Mentioned
No Prophets names are mentioned in this Surah
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Surah Index
Behaviour (don’t deride others) , Behaviour (don’t speak ill of each other) , Hell, Materialism
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In it some of the evils prevalent among the materialistic hoarders of wealth in the pre-Islamic days have been condemned. Every Arab knew that they actually existed in their society; they regarded them as evils and nobody thought they were good. After calling attention to this kind of character, the ultimate end in the Hereafter of the people having this kind of character has been stated. Both these things (i.e. the character and his fate in the Hereafter) have been depicted in a way which makes the listener automatically reach the conclusion that such a man properly deserves to meet such an end. And since in the world, people of such character do not suffer any punishment, but seem to be thriving instead, the occurrence of the Hereafter becomes absolutely inevitable.
If this Surah is read in the sequence of the Surahs beginning with Surah 99: az-Zalzalah (The Earthquake), one can fully understand how the fundamental beliefs of Islam and its teachings were impressed on the peoples minds in the earliest stage in Makkah. In Surah 99: az-Zalzalah, it was said that in the Hereafter man’s full record will be placed before him and not an atom’s weight of good or evil done by him in the world will have been left unrecorded. In Surah 100: al-‘Aadiyat (The Racers), attention was drawn to the plunder and loot, blood-shed and vandalism, prevailing in Arabia before Islam; then making the people realise that the way the powers given by God were being abused was indeed an expression of sheer ingratitude to Him; they were told that the matter would not end up in the world, but in the second life after death - not only their deeds but their intentions and motives too would be examined, and their Lord fully well knows which of them deserves what reward or punishment. In Surah 101: al-Qari’ah (The Calamity) after depicting Resurrection the people were warned that in the Hereafter a man’s good or evil end will be dependent on whether the scale of his good deeds was heavier, or the scale of his evil deeds was heavier: In Surah 102: at-Takathur (Competition in Increase) the people were taken to task for the materialistic mentality because of which they remained occupied in seeking increase in worldly benefits, pleasures, comforts and position, and in vying with one another for abundance of everything until death overtook them. Then, warning them of the evil consequences of their heedlessness, they were told that the world was not an open table of food for them to pick and choose whatever they pleased, but for every single blessing that they were enjoying in the world, they would have to render an account to their Lord and Sustainer as to how they obtained it and how they used it. In Surah 103: al-‘Asr (Time) it was declared that each member, each group and each community of mankind, even the entire world of humanity, was in manifest loss, if its members were devoid of Faith and righteous deeds and of the practice of exhorting others to truth and patience. Immediately after this comes Surah 104: al-Humazah (The Scorner) in which after presenting a specimen of leadership of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance, the people have been asked the question: “What should such a character deserve if not loss and perdition?”
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = 0* | ||
All commentators are in agreement that it is a Makkan Surah; a study of its subject matter and style shows that this too is one of the earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah.
- The slanderer, defamer and stingy shall be thrown into the blazing fire.
Tafsir Zone
Despicable Character (Verses 1 - 9) This surah portrays a real scene from the early days of the Islamic message, yet the same scene is repeated in every environment and society. It shows a vile, mean person who is given wealth and who uses it to tyrannize others, until he begins to feel himself almost unbearable. He thinks that wealth is the supreme value in life, before which all other values and standards come toppling down. He feels that since he possesses wealth, he controls other people’s destiny without being accountable for his own deeds. He imagines that his money and his wealth is a god, capable of everything without exception, even of resisting death, making him immortal and stopping God’s judgement and His retribution. Deluded as he is by the power of wealth, he counts it and takes pleasure in counting it again and again. A wicked vanity is let loose within him driving him to mock other people’s positions and dignity, to taunt and slander them. He criticizes others verbally, mocks them with his gestures, either by imitating their movements and voices or by ridiculing their looks and features, by words and mimicry, by taunt and slander. It is a vile and debased picture of someone devoid of human ideals and generosity and stripped of faith. Islam despises this type of person whose characteristics are diametrically opposed to its own high standards of morality. Islam emphatically forbids mockery and ridicule of other people as well as deliberate fault-finding. But in this case the Qur’an describes these actions as sordid and ugly, delivering a stern warning to anyone who indulges in them. This suggests that the surah is referring to an actual case of some unbelievers subjecting the Prophet and the believers to their taunts and slander. The reply to these actions comes in the form of a strong prohibition and awesome warning. There are some reports which name specific individuals as being the slanderers meant here, but these are not authentic, so we will not discuss them, but instead content ourselves with general observations. The warning comes in the form of a picture of the hereafter portraying the mental and physical suffering there and drawing an image of hell which is both palpable and telling. It takes care to relate the crime to the punishment inflicted and to its effect on the culprit. On the one side there is the image of the taunting, slandering backbiter who mocks and ridicules others while he gathers wealth thinking that he is guaranteed immortality in this way. This image of a cynical calumniator seeking power through wealth is contrasted with the slighted, ignored person flung into a crushing instrument which destroys all that comes in its way. It soon crushes his structure and his pride. The crushing instrument is “God’s own kindled fire.” (Verse 6) Its identification as the fire of God suggests that it is an exceptional, unfamiliar sort of fire, full of terror. This fire ‘rises’ over the person who mocks and ridicules others. To complete the image of the slighted, ignored and crushed person, the fire closes in on him from all directions and locks him in. None can save him and none asks about him. Inside he is tied to a column, as animals are tied, without respect. The tone of the vocabulary used in this surah is very strong ‘Keeps counting it again and again; by no means! He will indeed be flung; rises, towering.’ By such expressions, forcefulness is emphatically conveyed: “He will indeed be flung into the crushing one. Would that you know what the crushing one is! It is God’s own kindled fire.” (Verses 4-6) First comes the generalization and cryptic expression, then the exclamation suggesting great horror, and then the clear answer — all are forms of forceful expression. The style also conveys warnings: ‘Woe to...; He will be flung into...; The crushing one...; God’s kindled fire; which will rise over people’s hearts, it will close in upon them; in towering columns.’ In all this there is a kind of harmony between imagery and feelings and the actions of the ‘taunting, slandering backbiter.’ At the time of its revelation, the Qur’an followed up the incidents faced by the Islamic message whilst also leading it along its way. The Qur’an is the infallible weapon which destroys the cunning of conspirators, shakes the hearts of enemies, and fills the believers with courage and determination to persevere. Indeed we recognize two significant facts in God’s care here as He denounces this sordid type of people: firstly, we are shown the ugliness of moral decline and how people are rendered so abject. Secondly, we realize that He defends the believers, preserves their souls against their enemies’ insults, shows them that God knows and hates what is inflicted on them, and that He will punish the wrongdoers. This is enough to elevate their souls and to make them feel their position high above the wicked designs of others. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Despicable Character (Verses 1 - 9) This surah portrays a real scene from the early days of the Islamic message, yet the same scene is repeated in every environment and society. It shows a vile, mean person who is given wealth and who uses it to tyrannize others, until he begins to feel himself almost unbearable. He thinks that wealth is the supreme value in life, before which all other values and standards come toppling down. He feels that since he possesses wealth, he controls other people’s destiny without being accountable for his own deeds. He imagines that his money and his wealth is a god, capable of everything without exception, even of resisting death, making him immortal and stopping God’s judgement and His retribution. Deluded as he is by the power of wealth, he counts it and takes pleasure in counting it again and again. A wicked vanity is let loose within him driving him to mock other people’s positions and dignity, to taunt and slander them. He criticizes others verbally, mocks them with his gestures, either by imitating their movements and voices or by ridiculing their looks and features, by words and mimicry, by taunt and slander. It is a vile and debased picture of someone devoid of human ideals and generosity and stripped of faith. Islam despises this type of person whose characteristics are diametrically opposed to its own high standards of morality. Islam emphatically forbids mockery and ridicule of other people as well as deliberate fault-finding. But in this case the Qur’an describes these actions as sordid and ugly, delivering a stern warning to anyone who indulges in them. This suggests that the surah is referring to an actual case of some unbelievers subjecting the Prophet and the believers to their taunts and slander. The reply to these actions comes in the form of a strong prohibition and awesome warning. There are some reports which name specific individuals as being the slanderers meant here, but these are not authentic, so we will not discuss them, but instead content ourselves with general observations. The warning comes in the form of a picture of the hereafter portraying the mental and physical suffering there and drawing an image of hell which is both palpable and telling. It takes care to relate the crime to the punishment inflicted and to its effect on the culprit. On the one side there is the image of the taunting, slandering backbiter who mocks and ridicules others while he gathers wealth thinking that he is guaranteed immortality in this way. This image of a cynical calumniator seeking power through wealth is contrasted with the slighted, ignored person flung into a crushing instrument which destroys all that comes in its way. It soon crushes his structure and his pride. The crushing instrument is “God’s own kindled fire.” (Verse 6) Its identification as the fire of God suggests that it is an exceptional, unfamiliar sort of fire, full of terror. This fire ‘rises’ over the person who mocks and ridicules others. To complete the image of the slighted, ignored and crushed person, the fire closes in on him from all directions and locks him in. None can save him and none asks about him. Inside he is tied to a column, as animals are tied, without respect. The tone of the vocabulary used in this surah is very strong ‘Keeps counting it again and again; by no means! He will indeed be flung; rises, towering.’ By such expressions, forcefulness is emphatically conveyed: “He will indeed be flung into the crushing one. Would that you know what the crushing one is! It is God’s own kindled fire.” (Verses 4-6) First comes the generalization and cryptic expression, then the exclamation suggesting great horror, and then the clear answer — all are forms of forceful expression. The style also conveys warnings: ‘Woe to...; He will be flung into...; The crushing one...; God’s kindled fire; which will rise over people’s hearts, it will close in upon them; in towering columns.’ In all this there is a kind of harmony between imagery and feelings and the actions of the ‘taunting, slandering backbiter.’ At the time of its revelation, the Qur’an followed up the incidents faced by the Islamic message whilst also leading it along its way. The Qur’an is the infallible weapon which destroys the cunning of conspirators, shakes the hearts of enemies, and fills the believers with courage and determination to persevere. Indeed we recognize two significant facts in God’s care here as He denounces this sordid type of people: firstly, we are shown the ugliness of moral decline and how people are rendered so abject. Secondly, we realize that He defends the believers, preserves their souls against their enemies’ insults, shows them that God knows and hates what is inflicted on them, and that He will punish the wrongdoers. This is enough to elevate their souls and to make them feel their position high above the wicked designs of others. |
- Surah 104. Al-Humazah - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mwird4RYa8&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN&index=104
- Surah 104. Al-Humazah Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWzqw06tpCc&index=104&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM
- Surah 104. Al-Humazah Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unbJJ4jTuJM&index=104&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe
- Surah 104. Al-Humazah Idris Akbar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j63OhH_8N58&index=74&list=PLZH6sOiOuaDZFls6OaNna68fGgDtm-tOO
- Surah 104. Al-Humazah Muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEUXDdVI0kE&index=104&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG