Tafseer of The Traducer · Al-Humaza · 104:9
In extended columns.
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.
His saying: فِي عَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ (in outstretched columns) — the reciters (qurrāʾ) differed concerning its reading. The general body of reciters of Medina and Basra read it as فِي عَمَدٍ, with fatḥa on the ʿayn and the mīm. The general body of reciters of Kufa read it as "فِي عُمُدٍ", with ḍamma on the ʿayn and the mīm. Our view on this is that they are two well-known readings, each of which has been read by scholars among the reciters, and they are two correct dialectal forms. The Arabs inflect "ʿamūd" (column) in the plural form as "ʿumud" and "ʿamad", with both ḍamma on the two letters and fatḥa on the two letters. They do likewise with the plural of "ihāb" (a piece of leather/hide): they inflect it as "uhuban", with ḍamma on the alif and the hāʾ, and "ahaban", with fatḥa on both. The same applies to "al-qaḍm". Whichever of the two any reciter reads, he has done well.
The people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) differed concerning its meaning. Some of them said: إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِمْ مُؤْصَدَةٌ بِعَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ — meaning: shut and locked tight over them, and so it stands also in the reading of ʿAbdullāh, according to what has reached us.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning the reading of ʿAbdullāh: "إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِمْ مُؤْصَدَةٌ بِعَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ".
Others said: rather the meaning of this is that they have entered into columns, and then those columns have been outstretched over them with supports (biʿimād).
* Mention of who said this:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning فِي عَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ: he said: they have been brought into columns, and those columns have been outstretched over them with supports, and around their necks are chains, with which the doors have been shut.
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning فِي عَمَدٍ: in columns of iron, shackled therein, and those columns are of fire, burned by the Fire — they are of fire — مُمَدَّدَةٍ for them.
Others said: they are columns with which they are tormented.
* Mention of who said this:
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning فِي عَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ: "We used to relate that they are columns with which they are tormented in the Fire." Bishr said: Yazīd said: in the reading of Qatāda: عَمَدٍ.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Saʿīd, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning فِي عَمَدٍ مُمَدَّدَةٍ: he said: "A column with which they are tormented in the Fire."
The most fitting view in this matter is the view of the one who said that the meaning is: they are tormented with columns in the Fire — and Allah knows best how He torments them with it. No report has been transmitted to us that may serve as proof for the description of their punishment with it, nor has any indication been established for us by which we might determine its description. There is therefore no view in this matter that we hold to be valid other than what we have said. And Allah knows best.
End of the tafsīr of Surah Al-Humazah.
