104 - Sūrat al-Humazah

In the name of Allah (who is) Rahmān (and) Rahīm.

[For explanation, see Sūrat al-Fātiha: 1]

1

Woe (waylun: an expression implying chastisement) to every backbiter, [who is a] slanderer, frequently engaging in backbiting and slander, that is to say, defamation - this was revealed regarding those who slandered the Prophet "sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam" and the believers, the likes of Umayya b. Khalaf, al-Walīd b. al-Mughīra and others -

2

who amasses (read jama'a or jamma'a) wealth and counts it over, keeping count of it and stores it aside as a provision against the [unforeseeable] calamities of time.

3

He thinks, in his ignorance, that his wealth will make him immortal, never to die.

4

Nay! - a repudiation - He will surely be flung (la-yunbadhanna is the response to an omitted oath), that is, he will be hurled down, into the Crusher, that crushes everything that is thrown into it.

5

And what will show you, [what] will make known to you, what the Crusher is?

6

[It is] the fire of Allahu ta’ālā, kindled, set ablaze,

7

which peers over the hearts, to burn them - the pain of which is much more severe than any other because of the delicate nature [of the heart].

8

Lo! it will be closed in (mu'sada or mūsada) on them ('alayhim, 'on them': the plural pronoun takes into account the [plural] import of kull, 'every'),

9

in outstretched (mumaddadatin is an adjective qualifying the preceding [noun, 'amadin]) columns (read 'umudin or 'amadin), and will therefore be inside the columns.