Day 27 – Sūrat al-Humazah

Brief Info
Sūrat al-Humazah No. 104. Revealed in Makkah, 9 verses. This sūra is about those whose sole perspective of life is gaining wealth and hoarding it.

Merits of reciting the Sūra
Imam al-Sādiq ‘alayhims-salām has said: Whoever recites al-Humaza in the obligatory prayers, poverty will be far from him, sustenance will be close to him and evil death will be averted from him.

Note: Such a reward could be for those who stay away from the qualities condemned in this sūra.

Synopsis of contents
1) Condemnation of those who amass wealth and scorn others (verses 1-3)
2) The consequences of such actions in the Hereafter (verses 4-9)

Some Lessons from the Sūra
1) Greed for wealth is an intoxication that can be deadly.
2) Evil qualities left unchecked lead to other negative qualities. Love of amassing wealth leads to scorn of those who do not have wealth.
3) Wealth gives the delusion of security.
4) The end of such people will be disgrace and suffering.

Select verses for memorization in Arabic and English.
104:1-3 – Woe to every scorner and mocker, who collects wealth and [continuously] counts it.  He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal.

Activity for self-study
Wealth and possessions are tests for the human being. It is easy to get obsessed with them and think of it as a support and guarantee. The Quran warns about the love of wealth in many places. Check 18:46, 34:37, 63:9 and 64:15.

Sources
Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirazi (Ed.) Tafsir Namūnehttps://www.al-islam.org/enlightening-commentary-light-holy-quran-vol-20/surah-shams-chapter-91; M. H. Shakir, Holy Qur’an Translation; Ali Quli Qarai, The Qur’an With a Phrase-by-Phrase English.

Past lessons of Sūra Familiarization available at:
www.academyofislam.com/resources/quran/surafamiliarization/

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