Surah Al-Humazah

About Surah Al-Humazah

The Arabic name of Surah Al-Humazah is الهمزة. Al-Humazah means “The Slanderer” or “The Backbiter” (quran.com: “The Traducer”). The name comes from the first verse. It is a Makki surah, revealed in Makkah before the Prophet’s migration to Madinah. All commentators agree that it is Makki and among the earliest revelations. In the revelation-order list used by quran.com, it is number 32 of 114. In the order of the Mushaf it comes after Surah Al-’Asr and before Surah Al-Fil.

Main Themes of Surah Al-Humazah

The surah condemns certain evils of character and shows why the Hereafter must exist for justice to be done.

• A condemnation of habits common among materialistic hoarders of wealth in pre-Islamic Arabia, which people already knew to be wrong.
• Their end in the Hereafter is described in a way that leads the listener to see it as a just outcome.
• Because such people often seem to thrive in this world, the Hereafter becomes necessary for justice.
• Read after Az-Zalzalah, Al-’Adiyat, Al-Qari’ah, At-Takathur and Al-’Asr, it shows how the basic beliefs of Islam were taught in early Makkah.

Learn Surah Al-Humazah with Tajweed

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