عَمَُّْ ْ 1572 اَللَّهَب
تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ ﴿۱﴾ مَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ ﴿۲﴾ سَيَصْلَى نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ ﴿۳﴾
﴾1﴿ Tabbat yadaa abee Lahabinw-wa tabb
﴾2﴿ Maa aghnaa 'anhu maaluhoo wa ma kasab
﴾3﴿ Sa-yaslaa naaran zaata lahab
﴾1﴿ Perished be the hands of Abu Lahab, and he has perished
﴾2﴿ His wealth and whatever he earned did not benefit him
﴾3﴿ Soon he will enter a blazing fire
And this surah is also called "Surah Al-Masad" and "Surah Tabba."
Relevancy:
This surah corresponds with the previous surah in several ways:
The first connection is that the previous surah mentioned glad tidings. A question might arise: "What about the severe enemies who prevent people from accepting the religion?" This might make it seem that the glad tidings are not fully effective. In response, this surah gives the glad tiding of the destruction of such an enemy so that the obstruction is removed, and then people will enter the religion freely.
The second connection is that warning (takhwif) follows glad tidings, just as in the Qur'an, warnings and glad tidings are often mentioned one after the other.
Claim of this surah:
The warning (takhwif) in this surah is both worldly and in the Hereafter, given through the example of Abu Lahab.
Summary of the surah:
First, the worldly warning is mentioned in (1).
Then, it is stated that wealth and offspring cannot avert punishment in (2).
Next, the Hereafter's warning is given for both the man and the woman in (3).
Finally, the evil deeds and the state of that woman are described in (4).
[1] (تَبَّتْ) here means destruction and being devoid of all good. This expression is a curse (du‘a) of evil.
The mention of (يَدَا) "his hands" signifies the cause of his destruction, as he used his hands to throw stones at the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace). As narrated in Tarīq al-Muhāribī, cited in Rūh al-Ma‘ānī and Tafsīr al-Qurtubī, it is a general rule in the Qur’an, Hadith, and Arabic language that sins committed by a specific body part are attributed to that part. Many examples of this exist.
A hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Musnad Ahmad, and Sunan al-Tirmidhi, narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them), states:
When the verse (وَأَنذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ) "And warn your close relatives" was revealed, the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) climbed Mount Safa and called out:
"O Banu Fihr! O Banu ‘Adi!" (addressing the clans of Quraysh).
They gathered, and those who couldn't come sent messengers to find out what was happening. Abu Lahab and the rest of Quraysh arrived.
The Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) then said:
"Imagine if I were to tell you that an enemy cavalry is advancing through this valley to attack you—would you believe me?"
They all replied: "Yes, we have never known you to lie."
Then he said:
"I am warning you of a severe punishment (calling you to monotheism before it arrives)."
Abu Lahab responded to the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace):
"May you perish for the rest of this day! Is this why you gathered us?"
Who was Abu Lahab?
His name (kunyah) was Abu Lahab, and his real name was ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. He was the paternal uncle of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace).
Why is his kunyah (Abu Lahab) mentioned instead of his real name?
There are several reasons for this:
1. He was widely known by this name, making it the most recognized identifier.
2. His face was reddish, resembling a flame, hence the name "Lahab" (flame).
3. Allah Almighty did not want to mention a name associated with shirk (‘Abd al-‘Uzza, meaning "servant of al-‘Uzza," a pagan idol) in the Qur’an.
Why was Abu Lahab specifically mentioned while other enemies of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) were not?
1. He was the fiercest opponent who constantly obstructed the Prophet’s mission, as mentioned earlier.
2. His mention highlights specific qualities that were not present in other enemies at that time:
He was from Quraysh (a noble tribe).
He was a Hashimite (from the Prophet’s clan).
He had a beautiful appearance.
He was wealthy.
His wife and children supported him in his opposition.
This conveys a message: Even if a person possesses noble lineage, beauty, wealth, and status in the world, if they oppose the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace), their ultimate fate is destruction in both this world and the Hereafter.
"(وَتَبَّ)" - Two Levels of Destruction
First, the destruction of his hands was mentioned.
Then, his complete destruction was declared.
The Story of Abu Lahab’s Death
According to Tafsir al-Qurtubi, narrated by Abu Rafi‘, who was the freed slave of Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him):
After the Battle of Badr, Abu Lahab was afflicted with a disease called "‘Adasa" (a form of smallpox).
He died within seven nights of contracting it.
His body lay abandoned for three days as even his own sons refused to bury him due to the fear of infection.
As his corpse began to rot, they threw it far away to prevent the disease from spreading.
Later, with the help of some villagers, they carried his body to the outskirts of Makkah, leaned it against a wall, and covered it with stones.
(May Allah protect us from such a fate – al-‘iyādh billāh!)
[2] (مَالُهُ) - His Wealth
This indicates that Abu Lahab was wealthy. However, wealth did not benefit him in two ways:
His status as a rich man did not grant him any special protection or honor.
His wealth could not be used to ransom him or save him from punishment.
Both of these possibilities are negated in this verse.
(كَسَبَ) - His Earnings
The word "كَسَبَ" (earnings) is general and includes:
His children – This is based on a hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud, which states:
"A person's child is part of their earnings."
His social status, influence, and followers.
His plots and schemes against the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace).
His wealth earned through trade and business.
Any actions he considered good – It is reported that when the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) was born, Abu Lahab freed his slave girl out of happiness.
The word "كَسَبَ" encompasses all these things, yet none of them benefited him.
[3] This is a warning (takhwif) related to the Hereafter.