Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL HUMAZAH [1]

1. Woe to every Humazah Lumazah. 2. Who has gathered wealth and counted it. 3. He thinks that his wealth will make him last forever! 4. But no! Verily, he will be thrown into Al-Hutamah. 5. And what will make you know what Al-Hutamah is 6. The fire of Allah, Al-Muqadah, 7. Which leaps up over the hearts. 8. Verily, it shall Mu'sadah upon them, 9. In pillars stretched forth.) Al-Hammaz refers to (slander) by speech, and Al-Lammaz refers to (slander) by action. This means that the person finds fault with people and belittles them. An explanation of this has already preceded in the discussion of Allah's statement,

(Hammaz, going about with slander) (68:11) Ibn `Abbas said, ”Humazah Lumazah means one who reviles and disgraces (others).'' Mujahid said, ”Al-Humazah is with the hand and the eye, and Al-Lumazah is with the tongue.'' Then Allah says,

(Who has gathered wealth and counted it.) meaning, he gathers it piling some of it on top of the rest and he counts it up. This is similar to Allah's saying,

(And collect (wealth) and hide it.) (70:18) This was said by As-Suddi and Ibn Jarir. Muhammad bin Ka`b said concerning Allah's statement,

(gathered wealth and counted it.) ”His wealth occupies his time in the day, going from this to that. Then when the night comes he sleeps like a rotting corpse.'' Then Allah says,

(He thinks that his wealth will make him last forever!) meaning, he thinks that gathering wealth will make him last forever in this abode (the worldly life).

(But no!) meaning, the matter is not as he claims, nor as he reckons. Then Allah says,

(Verily, he will be thrown into Al-Hutamah.) meaning, the person who gathered wealth and counted it, will be thrown into Al-Hutamah, which is one of the descriptive names of the Hellfire. This is because it crushes whoever is in it. Thus, Allah says,

(And what will make you know what Al-Hutamah is The fire of Allah, Al-Muqadah, which leaps up over the hearts.) Thabit Al-Bunani said, ”It will burn them all the way to their hearts while they are still alive.'' Then he said, ”Indeed the torment will reach them.'' Then he cried. Muhammad bin Ka`b said, ”It (the Fire) will devour every part of his body until it reaches his heart and comes to the level of his throat, then it will return to his body.''

(Verily, it shall Mu'sadah upon them.) meaning, covering, just as was mentioned in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Balad (see 90:20). Then Allah says,

(In pillars stretched forth. ) ”Atiyah Al-`Awfi said, ”Pillars of Iron.'' As-Suddi said, ”Made of fire.'' Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas, ”He will make them enter pillars stretched forth, meaning there will be columns over them, and they will have chains on their necks, and the gates (of Hell) will be shut upon them.'' This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Humazah, and all praise and thanks are due to Allah.