Surah Al humaza

1. Surah Al humaza Meaning and interpretation

2. Introduction • Background: The Surah is connected to Al ASR and Al- Takathur. Loss caused by distraction. Here a more detailed description of the loss along with very strong language. • Most imp Ayah: “The fire of Allah swt” • It’s the last Surah that deals with the concept of after life.

3. Ayah 1. • وَيۡلٞ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٖ لُّمَزَةٍ • Wayel :Curse Destruction • This word comes in Surah Mursalat 10 times. • Two Surah begin with this word. • Meaning: Ta’asuff (extreme disappointment) and Hasarah (irrevocable loss). • The use of Wayel for a certain type of people who have reached the point of no return. • Humaza and Lumaza : Synonymous, interchangeable words. • Humaza – insulting someone in their presence. Fracturing, psychologically attacking. • Lumaza – insulting someone in their absence. (gheebah). Sarcasm against others. • Laughing at others. Facial expressions, gestures. • The sayer of Wayel.

4. Ayah 2 • The second Ayah is continuing of the thought in first Ayah. Wayel is declared for those who are committing all acts described in Humazah and Lumazah and additionally they are accumulating wealth. • Counting and preparing for future constantly. Spending the entire life in gathering wealth. • Two trivial pursuits: Finding flaws in people and gathering wealth. • Long term planning just for this earth. The entire utility of worldly life is nothing as compare to akhira. • Also means the wealth is collected by any means possible, irrespective of what harm befall on other people in this greedy pursuit. • These Ayaat should not only be read in the 7th century context, we are surrounded by a culture where people are involved in the same behaviors. A mo'min cannot live on this earth only as a self indulgent person who could careless about how he leaves the world.

5. Ayah 3 • Why do people run after money? • Akhlada : association of wealth with survival. Rizq is promised by Allah swt, yet perpetual collection of wealth indicates the belief that it’s the collection of wealth that sustains. • The love of wealth is so intense that such a person believes that he cannot survive if he lost his wealth. • There is a built in desire in human beings to live for eternity, monument building. • There are two temptation of dunya: children and wealth. This Surah focuses on one of these. • 5 criminal acts thus far in the Surah : Humana, lumaza, jamahmalan, adadah, yahsabu. • i

6. Ayah 4- 5 • Incredible symmetry of the Surah • Ayah 4 begins predicting the doom of the person described above. • Throwing in Hutamah like trash. Layumbazanna is considered a swear by Allah swt. • Hutamah is something that crushes the bones and then reaches the heart. • Breaking spirits of other people resulting into breaking the physical body. • It is as though as Allah swt is saying “Take two from me in place for one” (Razi).

7. Ayah 6 - 7 • Fire of Allah- especially designed by HIM. • Cannot be compared with any other fire. Implies that HE swt lit it. • Muqada – a loud flame that has many flames coming out. That has been lit and remains that way. Endless fire. • The word is fawad is used in Ayah 7 to connect the behaviors that took place in the world stemmed from the heart. The derogatory mannerism and greed that were in the heart. • That heart is now engulfed in flames, but doesn‘t get consumed. The tasseled of 'will not live and will not die’. • Most important faculties are protected by the strongest bones.

8. Ayah 8 - 9 • Mosada: Especially for the people described in the first ayaat. To cover something, and every time they try to escape their efforts are not successful. The mention of opening upon them is to add to their pain, the opening gives rise to hope of escape but the outstretched columns do not allow for their escape. • This has been added as an additional punishment. They can see the door and columns as means go reach the door yet there is no chance of climbing the burning pillars.