104. Al-Humazah
The Slanderer
Asad's Introduction
TAKING its conventional name from a noun occurring in the first verse, this surah seems to have been revealed towards the end of the third year of Muhammad's prophethood - probably after surah 75 ("Resurrection").
WOE unto every slanderer, fault-finder!
[Woe unto him2] who amasses wealth and counts it a safeguard,
thinking that his wealth will make him live forever!
Nay, but [in the life to come such as] he shall indeed be abandoned to crushing torment!
And what could make thee conceive what that crushing torment will be?
A fire kindled by God,
which will rise over the [guilty] hearts:5
verily, it will close in upon them
in endless columns!
Asad's Commentary (6 notes)
I.e., everyone who maliciously tries to uncover real or imaginary faults in others.
This repetitive interpolation is necessary because the blameworthy attitude spoken of in verses 2-3 obviously belongs to a category entirely different from the two mentioned in verse 1.
This is a metonym for the tendency to attribute an almost "religious" value to the acquisition and possession of material goods and facilities - a tendency which precludes man from giving any real importance to spiritual considerations (cf. note 1 on 102:1). My rendering of 'addadahu in the preceding verse as "[he] counts it a safeguard" is based on Jawhari's explanation of this term.
Al-hutamah - one of several metaphors for the otherworldly suffering comprised within the concept of "hell'" (see note 33 on 15:43-44).
I.e., originating in their hearts - thus clearly alluding to the spiritual nature of the "fire" in the sinners' belated realization of their guilt.
Lit., "in extended columns", i.e., overwhelming with despair.