Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Meccan surah serves to condemn the wealthy elite who practice slander, backbiting, and hoarding of wealth out of denial of the Hereafter. Its core purpose is to warn them of the inevitable punishment of a Fire that violently penetrates the heart, which contains their corrupt belief.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed to address the specific behavior of a group of wealthy Quraysh chiefs (e.g., Al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf) who made it their mission to verbally abuse, ridicule, and slander the early Muslims, believing their wealth would protect them.

Chronology: It is counted as the 32nd surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Qiyāmah and before al-Mursalāt.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known as: "Sūrat al-Humazah" (The Slanderer/Backbiter) as well as "Sūrat Waylun li-kulli humazah" (Woe to Every Slanderer), based on its opening; also "Sūrat al-Ḥuṭamah" (The Crusher) [4].

Ayah Count: 9 ayahs by consensus.

Surah Overview:

• The Curse: Pronouncing a curse upon the slanderers and backbiters. [1]
• The Vice of Avarice: Condemning the behavior of those who hoard wealth and count it repeatedly, believing it will grant them immortality or protection. [2-3]
• The Final Punishment: Warning the arrogant that they will be cast into the Crushing Fire, which reaches the hearts. [4-7]
• Eternal Imprisonment: Concluding with a description of the Fire as a massive, towering structure in which the condemned will be eternally enclosed. [8-9]