In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
The commentary on the book *Bitaqat al-Ta'rif*
*bi-Suwar al-Mushaf al-Sharif*
By Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Umar Nasif,
May Allah preserve him.
Surah al-Humazah.
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
And may peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers,
And upon his family and all his Companions.
We continue with our commentary on the introductory cards of the Qur'an,
And we have arrived at Surah al-Humazah.
With regard to it, we have three reflections.
The first reflection is similar to our earlier reflections
Concerning surahs dedicated to a single, distinct theme,
And this surah is likewise dedicated.
This indicates to us the gravity of this matter,
Which is a critical moral and educational issue:
Slander and backbiting (al-hamz and al-lamz).
Both corrupt the individual and society,
And are extremely harmful.
Backbiting has indeed been classified
Among the major sins—in fact, a scholarly consensus has been reported on that.
Thus, this surah was uniquely dedicated to it:
Faulting people to their faces and defaming them behind their backs.
This surah was singularly revealed concerning this,
Which clearly shows that it is an issue
Of paramount importance.
We also note that this surah
Was revealed
In Makkah before many of the legal rulings were instituted.
Thus, the prohibition of slandering and backbiting
Came before the prohibition of intoxicants
And before many matters of the Shariah that we tend to emphasize.
Although those are indeed important,
This matter is even more critical.
From this, I move to the second reflection,
Which is a call
To bring the message of this surah closer [to the youth],
Just as I have urged regarding several of the short surahs:
I call for conveying the meanings of this surah to the rising generation.
It is among the most essential topics for primary school students to study—
That they study this surah
In a manner that firmly instills within them a deep fear
Of mentioning anyone unfavorably,
Whether to their face or behind their back.
As for the third reflection, it concerns the opening of the surah.
It is mentioned in the book
That it opens
With an invocation/imprecation (du'a).
They stated that this is the ninth type among the categories of surah openings mentioned in *al-Itqan*.
Two other surahs share this style of opening with it:
Al-Mutaffifin—
"Woe to the defrauders"—
And al-Masad: "May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined."
These three openings—
*Wayl* (woe) occurring twice,
It being mentioned twice,
And *Tabbat* (ruined)—
Are among what al-Suyuti
And others have categorized
As an invocation/imprecation.
This is how they classified it.
However, the leading scholar—
The great master of the Arabic language, Sibawayh—
Has a statement that is well worth mentioning here.
He did not approve of this terminology,
Because supplication (du'a) in its origin
Is directed from the lower to the higher.
This appears to be the reason for the reservation
Held by Sibawayh, may Allah have mercy on him.
Sibawayh says:
"As for the statement of Exalted Majesty:
'Woe, that Day, to the deniers,'
And: 'Woe to the defrauders,'
It is inappropriate to say that this is an invocation here,
For speaking of it in such terms is unbefitting."
Meaning, in this context,
When doing Tafsir of the speech of Allah,
One should not say that it is an invocation/imprecation,
Because speaking of it as such is unbefitting,
And phrasing it in that manner is improper.
"Rather, the servants
Were addressed in their own idiom,
And the Qur'an was revealed according to their language and what they intended by it.
Thus, it is as though—and Allah knows best—
It was declared to them:
'Woe to the defrauders,'
And: 'Woe, that Day, to the deniers,'
Meaning: these are people for whom such an assertion is deservedly due.
For such speech
Is only said to a person deserving of evil and ruin.
Thus it is declared:
'These are among those who have fallen into evil and ruin,
And this outcome is inevitable for them.'
For it is an instruction from Allah to His servants
Concerning what such individuals deserve"—
I ask Allah for safety—
"And it is not in the nature of an invocation."
Sibawayh's statement
Is profound, refined, and compelling,
And he is a foremost authority in the Arabic language.
Meanwhile, what is mentioned in the book
Is the view held by groups of scholars.
And Allah is Most High and All-Knowing.
May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad,
And upon his family and all his Companions,
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.