There is consensus among the scholars that Sūrah al-Humaza is a Makkan Sūrah, and contains nine verses. The content is clearly Makkan, as it deals with a specific event from early Islamic history. Some historians state that this was the thirty-second Sūrah to be revealed.
As an early Makkan Sūrah, Sūrah al-Humaza is short and powerful. It focuses on some of the arrogant leaders of the Quraysh and their evil qualities. The core focus is on their qualities of slandering and backbiting. These two sins were used as tools of propaganda against Islam during those early days. In fact, they are still used as tools of propaganda against Islam today.
The Arrogant Leaders
The elite of the Quraysh included several arrogant and wealthy individuals. These men regarded themselves as better than everybody else, and scoffed at the believers for not being as wealthy or as powerful as them. The elite would gather in their meeting place and backbite about the believers. They would invent all kinds of propaganda and slander to spread about the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his followers.
The leading conspirators, regarding whom this Sūrah was revealed were Walīd b. al-Mughīrah and Umayyah b. Khalaf. Walīd and Umayyah were wealthy businessmen who didn’t need to work every day. They had amassed a lot of wealth, because of which they had a lot of time on their hands. So while the average Makkan was out earning their wages, these men sat around conspiring against Islam.
They invented various slanders that spread throughout Makkah. They called the Prophet (peace be upon him) a magician and mad man. They accused him of seeking power and leadership. They accused the believers of breaking family ties. They warned against the messenger and his message.
The irony of destiny is that not only did they fail to stop the spread of Islam, but their own offspring eventually converted to Islam. Umayyah’s son Ṣafwān was one of the late converts to Islam after the conquest of Makkah. Walīd’s son Walīd was one of the early converts to Islam in the Madinan Era. But the greatest of these conversions was Walīd’s other son Khālid. Although Khālid converted to Islam a lot later than his brother, he become one of the most important companions and a key figure in Islamic military history.
The petty efforts of the Quraysh to stop the spread of Islam through slander and backbiting eventually backfired. These individuals were lost to history, while their own offspring became leading figures in the spread of Islam across the globe. Today there are many figures trying to stop the spread of Islam through slander and propaganda. Perhaps their own offspring will also become leading callers to Islam.
The Sins of the Tongue
Slander and backbiting are not small sins. These are among the most dangerous deeds of the tongue. Slander means to invent lies about people and spread it. Backbiting means to spread unsavory information about others, even if it is true. Islam has prohibited both of these acts as they are the cause of great evil and harm in society.
Whenever someone wishes to undermine another, they often choose one of two routes; either they dig up dirt on the individual and spread it, or they invent a rumor about the individual and spread it. The reason why these are often the first strategies adopted is because they are very effective in ruining people’s lives.
How many innocent people have had their careers and reputations ruined by the spread of slander? And how many struggling sinners have been embarrassed and humiliated by having their sins exposed? There is no benefit in speaking about the faults of others, except when it is necessary to warn others against their harm or oppression. In most cases, slander and backbiting are simply the tools of malicious people, who intend nothing but harm to the other.
The Quran and Hadīth are full of warnings against slander and backbiting. These are listed as among the most dangerous of sins because of the impact they have on society. A single rumor could ruin a person’s life and no amount of seeking forgiveness would be able to undo the harm caused to the other. This is why it is crucial to hold our tongues and avoid spreading any information that is harmful.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 10
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “Blessed is one who controls his tongue, whose house is spacious, and who weeps for his sins.”
al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ 2398
The believer is very careful about anything they say about others. The believer refrains from idle speech, talking bad about others, and spreading gossip. His tongue is constantly remembering Allah, preaching truth, and spreading beneficial knowledge. There is no room in the heart or on the tongue of the believer for the filth of slander.
A Severe Warning
The bulk of this Sūrah is a warning to these pagans, and anyone who follows in their footsteps, about the Hellfire. Allah warns of a severe crushing punishment in the Afterlife for those who dedicated their lives to slandering the messenger and his message. Columns of fire will engulf such an individual and surround him from every side, crushing him over and over again for all eternity.
Rejecting the message of Islam is already an unforgiveable sin, if someone dies upon it. To go further and to slander the religion and spread lies about it is an even greater evil. The people who dedicate their lives to spreading lies against Allah can expect no mercy in the Afterlife. They gave up that right when they took up the work of the devil and dedicated their lives to propaganda and slander.
These verse may have been revealed about the leaders of the Quraysh, but they apply to every individual who slanders Islam until the end of time. Slandering an innocent person is a major sin. To slander Islam and its messenger is among the greatest acts of disbelief. So Woe to every slanderer and backbiter!
