Tafseer of The Traducer · Al-Humaza · 104:1
Woe to every scorner and mocker
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the words of Allah, exalted be His praise and sanctified be His names: وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ (1)
Allah the Exalted means by His words:
وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ — the valley that flows with the discharge and pus of the inhabitants of the Fire — لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ : that is to say: for everyone who slanders the people, defames them, and hates them, as Ziyād al-Aʿjam said:
"You profess your friendship to me when you meet me, lying therein — but when I am absent, you are the one who spreads calumny and besmirches."
By al-lumaza is meant: the one who criticizes the people and reviles them.
In accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes too have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Masrūq ibn Abān related to me, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of a man whom he did not name, on the authority of Abū al-Jawzāʾ, who said: I asked Ibn ʿAbbās: "Who are those with whom Allah has begun with destruction?" He said: "They are those who go about with gossip, who drive friends apart, and who seek out the worst faults."
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of a man from the people of Baṣra, on the authority of Abū al-Jawzāʾ, who said: I asked Ibn ʿAbbās: "Who are those whom Allah has called to destruction?" — Then he mentioned something similar to the narration of Masrūq ibn Abān.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mahrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ : he said: "The humaza is the one who eats the flesh of the people, and the lumaza is the one who reviles."
However, a divergent opinion has also been transmitted from Mujāhid, namely what Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ : he said: "The humaza is the one who reviles, and the lumaza is the one who eats the flesh of the people."
Masrūq ibn Abān al-Ḥaṭṭāb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid — to the same effect.
A third opinion, divergent from both, has also been transmitted from him, namely what Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Yaḥyā related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ : he said: "The one is he who eats the flesh of the people, and the other is he who reviles." This indicates that the one who transmitted this narration had become confused about the explanation of the two words, and that is why the transmitters have passed down differing versions from him as I have described.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ : "The humaza is the eating of the flesh of the people, and the lumaza is the reviling of them."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mahrān related to us, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Abī ʿArūba, on the authority of Qatāda, who said: "The humaza is the one who eats the flesh of the people, and the lumaza is the one who reviles them."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mahrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Khuthaym, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ : he said: "Destruction for everyone who reviles and slanders."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mahrān related to us, on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar, on the authority of al-Rabīʿ, on the authority of Abū al-ʿĀliya, who said: "The humaza is the one who mocked him to his face, and the lumaza is the one who does it behind his back."
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, who said: "He mocked him and slandered him with his tongue and his eyes, ate the flesh of the people and reviled them."
Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both together — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, who said: "The humaza is with the hand, and the lumaza is with the tongue."
And others have said the following about this: Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning the words of Allah وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ : "The humaza is the one who mocked the people with his hand and struck them with his tongue, and the lumaza is the one who slandered them with his tongue and criticized them."
There is disagreement about the meaning of His words وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ : some said that by this a particular man among the polytheists (mushrikīn) was meant. Some of those who took this position said: it is Jamīl ibn ʿĀmir al-Jumaḥī. Others said: it is al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq.
* Mention of who said that by this a particular polytheist was meant:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning his words وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ : he said: "A polytheist (mushrik) who slandered the people and mocked them."
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both together — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of a man from the people of al-Raqqa, who said: "It was sent down concerning Jamīl ibn ʿĀmir al-Jumaḥī."
Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, concerning his words هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ : he said: "It is not specific to one person; it was sent down concerning all of Banū ʿĀmir." — Warqāʾ said: "Al-Raqqāshī asserts this."
Some of the scholars of Arabic said: this belongs to the type in which the Arabs mention the name of something general while meaning a single person, as when one says in common speech, if a man says to someone: "I shall never visit you again": "Everyone who does not visit me, I shall not visit him either" — whereby the one who says that means the reply to his companion who had said: "I shall never visit you again."
Others said: no, what is meant is everyone who possesses this characteristic, and there is no particular intent toward any specific one.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both together — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning the words of Allah وَيْلٌ لِكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُمَزَةٍ : he said: "It is not specific to one person."
The correct position on this matter is to say: Allah extended His words over everyone who deals out calumny and slanders — everyone who has the characteristic with which this described one is described, his fate is his fate, whoever among the people he may be.
