“Wayl” means woe or ruin. Some say wayl is the name of a valley in Hell. In the Holy Quran, the word “ruin” is used for various categories of sinners. A description of them follows:
The utterly false and sinful: Allah the Almighty says, “Woe to every sinful liar.” (Surah al-Jathiyah, ayat 7)
Sooner or later, the downfall of the liar is inevitable.
Ruin for the disbelievers: The Holy Quran says, “(He is) Allah, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. And woe to the disbelievers from a severe punishment.” (Surah Ibrahim, ayat 2)
The essence of the ayat is that those who reject the blessing of the Quran and prefer to remain in darkness face ruin and catastrophe.
(Tafsir Fathul Qadir)
Those who slander to one’s face and behind one’s back: Allah the Almighty says, “Woe to every slanderer and backbiter.” (Surah al-Humazah, ayat 1)
The ayat uses two words, “humazah” and “lumazah.” According to most exegetes, humazah means gossip, that is, backbiting, and lumazah means finding fault and speaking ill to a person’s face. Both acts are grave sins. (Adwaul Bayan)
The hoarder of wealth who counts it again and again: Allah the Almighty says, “(Woe also to him) who amasses wealth and counts it over and over.” (Surah al-Humazah, ayat 2)
The meaning of the ayat is that whoever amasses wealth and counts it over and over, stores it up and arranges it carefully but does not spend in the way of Allah faces ruin. Ordinarily, hoarding wealth is not blameworthy. It becomes blameworthy when zakat is not paid on it, and charity is not given and it is not spent in the way of Allah.
Those negligent and inattentive in prayer: Allah the Almighty says, “So woe to those who pray, who are heedless of their prayer.”
(Surah al-Maun, ayat 4-5)
Those inattentive or negligent in prayer refers to people who do not pray at all, or who used to pray at first and then grew lazy, or who do not pray on time but rather pray whenever they please or habitually delay it, or who do not pray with humility (and devotion), and so on. All such failings fall under this meaning. It is therefore necessary to avoid such conduct in prayer.
Those who pray to be seen and refuse small acts of kindness: Allah the Almighty says, “(Woe also to those) who do it (offer prayer) to be seen, and withhold small kindnesses.” (Surah al-Maun, ayat 6-7)
Maun refers to small and trifling things. Such things, which are of some use to people or from which they can benefit. Ordinarily, neighbours regard such items as a matter of common decency between one another — such as a hoe, a spade or a cooking pot — all of these come under maun. Asking for such things from a neighbour when needed is not considered blameworthy. Anyone who refuses to give them is regarded as very miserly and base. According to some, maun in this ayat means zakat. The reason zakat is called maun is probably that, in amount, zakat is very small compared with the principal wealth — that is, one part in 40.
Those who deny the Day of Recompense: Allah the Almighty says, “Woe on that day to the deniers, who deny the Day of Recompense.”
(Surah al-Mutaffifin, ayat 10-11)
Those who bar the way of Allah: The Holy Quran says, “The (way of) Allah, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. And woe to the disbelievers from a severe torment. Those who prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter, and bar the way of Allah and seek to make it crooked; they are in grave error.” (Surah Ibrahim, ayat 2-3)
Those who create discord and conceal the truth: Allah the Almighty says, “Then the factions differed among themselves. So woe to the disbelievers from the scene of a tremendous day.” (Surah Maryam, ayat 37)
Those who fabricate lies about Allah: Allah the Almighty says, “Rather, We hurl the truth against falsehood, so it crushes it, and at once it vanishes. And woe to you for what you ascribe (to Allah).”
(Surah al-Anbiya, ayat 18)
Those who think the creation purposeless: Allah the Almighty says, “And We did not create the heaven and the earth and what is between them in vain. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to the disbelievers from the Fire.”
(Surah Sad, ayat 27)
Those whose hearts have hardened against the remembrance of Allah: The Holy Quran says, “Is one whose breast Allah has opened to Islam, so that he is upon a light from his Lord (like one whose heart is hardened)? So woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah. They are in manifest error.” (Surah az-Zumar, ayat 22)
Those who write a book with their own hands and claim it is the word of Allah: Allah the Almighty says, “So woe to those who write the book with their own hands, then say, ‘This is from Allah,’ to sell it for a paltry price. So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.” (Surah al-Baqarah, ayat 79)
Those who associate partners with Allah: Allah the Almighty says, “Say, ‘I am only a man like you. It is revealed to me that your God is but one God. So remain steadfast on the path to Him and seek His forgiveness. And woe to those who associate partners (with Him).’” (Surah Fussilat, ayat 6)
Those who give short measure and weight: Allah the Almighty says, “Woe to those who give short measure.”
(Surah al-Mutaffifin, ayat 1)
In Islam, giving short measure and weight is forbidden, and there is strong emphasis on weighing and measuring correctly. But the condemnation mentioned in the ayat is not confined to measure and weight alone; rather, whether through measure and weight, through counting, or by any other means, giving a recipient less than their due falls under this condemnation and prohibition and becomes forbidden.
A.M.
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