111:1. May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, and may he perish!

111:2. Neither his wealth nor his gains will avail him.

111:3. He will bum in a blazing fire

111:4. and so will his wife, the carrier of firewood.

111:5. On her neck will be a rope of palm fibres.

Abu Lahab was the paternal uncle of the Prophet (ﷺ); he was extremely hostile and tried his utmost to harm the Prophet (ﷺ), for he had no fear of Allah or respect for ties of kinship. May Allah curse him.

Allah criticised him in these harsh terms, which are a source of disgrace for him until the Day of Resurrection. Allah says:

﴾May the hands of Abu Lahab perish﴿ that is, may he be wretched and doomed

﴾and may he perish﴿ and never prosper.

﴾Neither his wealth﴿ that he has with him and that caused him to transgress ﴾nor his gains will avail him﴿; none of that could ward off any of the punishment of Allah from him when it befalls him.

﴾He will bum in a blazing fire﴿ that is, fire will surround him on all sides, him and ﴾]his wife, the carrier of firewood﴿.

She also tried her utmost to harm the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She and her husband cooperated in sin and transgression, as she planned for evil and tried her hardest to cause harm to the Messenger (ﷺ). She carried on her back burdens of sin like one who gathers firewood and prepares a rope ﴾of palm fibres﴿ on his neck to carry it.

It may be that what is meant is that in hell she will carry fuel for her husband’s punishment, wearing around her neck a rope of palm fibres.

Whatever the case, this soorah is one of the amazing signs of Allah, for Allah revealed this soorah when Abu Lahab and his wife had not yet died, and stated that they would inevitably be punished in the fire, which implied that they would not become Muslim. And events unfolded as foretold by the Knower of the unseen and the seen.

This is the end of the commentary on Soorat al-Masad.

All praise and thanks are for Allah, and may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad Clip. his family, and his Companions abundantly until the Day of Judgement.