Woe to every scorner and mocker

“Woe to every fault-finding backbiter”

The connection between Surah Al-‘Asr and Surah Al-Humazah is remarkable. While Surah Al-‘Asr establishes that every human being is in loss, Al-Humazah takes this concept further by describing those who are in the worst kind of loss.

This surah begins and ends with descriptions of hell, making it clear that we are dealing with the gravest of spiritual dangers.

The word ‎وَيۡلٌ‎ carries tremendous weight. It represents a curse so severe, so beyond ordinary description, that the Arabic language leaves it undefined and mysterious—indicated by the tanwin (nunation).

Some scholars describe wayl as a specific valley in hell so terrible that even hell itself is said to fear it. Others understand it as an expression of extreme frustration and anger. In the Quran, Allah uses this word to convey the highest degree of divine displeasure.

The two qualities described here—humazah and lumazah—are not two different types of people, but rather two manifestations of the same diseased personality. The construction “humazatin lumazah” (without a connecting “wa” between them) tells us these are two sides of the same coin.

The dominant understanding among scholars is that humazah refers to someone who attacks others behind their backs, while lumazah describes someone who insults people to their faces.

Some scholars note that humazah can include subtle forms of mockery: the way someone looks at you, their facial expressions, a dismissive gesture, or the contempt visible in their eyes. Lumazah, on the other hand, involves direct verbal attacks and disparaging remarks.

Umm Al-Mu’minin Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) used a beautiful methodology to understand these words—she looked at how Allah uses them elsewhere in the Quran.

When the Quran mentions “hamazat ash-shayatin” (the whisperings of the devils), it refers to secret whispers, suggesting humazah is about speaking behind someone’s back.

When hypocrites openly criticized the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the distribution of charity, the word “yalmizuka” (from lamz) was used, indicating lumazah refers to open criticism.

The root of humazah comes from the imagery of a powerful bow pulled tight. When it releases an arrow, it penetrates its target precisely and painfully at the point of impact.

This is someone who knows exactly what to say to wound another person, who targets their vulnerabilities with precision, stabbing at their dignity and self-worth.

Now we must ask: why does Allah begin by condemning this behavior rather than shirk, murder or theft? Because the dignity of the believer is sacred to Allah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) once stood before the Ka‘bah during tawaf and said:

He was pointing at the Ka‘bah—that house whose liberation was the entire mission of his prophethood—and declaring that a believer’s honor is more sacred to Allah than even the Ka‘bah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) continued: the believer’s wealth, blood, and honor are sacred. Then he said something profound about the third element: “We should think nothing but good about him.” Even our thoughts about other believers must be guarded.

This is why believers are described in the Quran as “humble before one another” (adhillah)—when you are truly humble before someone, you cannot think of criticizing them. You think only of your own shortcomings.

Consider also that when Aisha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) honor was attacked through slander, Allah revealed Quranic ayahs to defend her. She later reflected that she never thought herself worthy of having Allah’s own words revealed about her situation—perhaps a dream shown to the Prophet (peace be upon him), but not Quran.

Yet to protect her dignity, Allah sent the higher form of revelation. Meanwhile, to restore the Ka‘bah to Muslim hands, He sent the Prophet (peace be upon him) a dream.

The protection of a believer’s dignity warranted Quran; the liberation of the Ka‘bah warranted a vision. This shows us the weight Allah places on our treatment of one another.

When the Quran describes someone committing shirk or saying something blasphemous about Allah, it instructs us to respond with “Subhan Allah.” But when believers heard slander about Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), the Quran asked:

The same term used for blasphemy against Allah was used for an attack on a believer’s honor. The conversation should have stopped immediately with recognition that this is an offense against Allah Himself.

This helps us understand why wayl—why such severe anger—is directed at these people. When we hurt another believer, we commit a crime not merely against that person, but against Allah who honored them, who created them, who declared their dignity sacred.

Why do people become consumed with pointing out others’ flaws? Deep insecurity and lack of self-respect drive this behavior.

When you have no respect for yourself, when you see no dignity in your own character, the only way to feel superior is to push others down. You cannot elevate yourself, so you dedicate yourself to lowering others.

This is actually a manifestation of arrogance—kibr.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned that no one with even an atom’s weight of arrogance will enter Paradise. Arrogance means seeing yourself as better than others, and constantly criticizing others is precisely how that arrogance manifests.