SURAH AL-MASAD                                                                           سورة المسد      

Makkiyyan  by consensus.

Comprised of five (5) ayahs.

THE EXPLANATION

1.  {تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ}

Imam Al-Bukhariyy said:  Tabab (تباب) means 'loss’ and tatbib ( تتبيب) means 'destruction.   As-Samin in ^Umdat Al-Huffadh said: { تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ } means:  'Abu Lahab shall be continually in an entire loss.'  The hands (يَدَا) were specified in the ayah because they are the tools of doing work.  Allah said in Surah al-Hajj, 10: {ذَلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاكَ} which means:  [This is the result of what your hands have done] and his legs and tongue had performed too but were not mentioned.

Al-Bukhariyy narrated in his Sahih from Ibn ^Abbas that he said:  When Surah ash-Shu^ara', #214 (و انذر عشيرتك الاقربين) was revealed, the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, climbed Mount Safa and called out, “O sons of Fihr, O sons of ^Adiyy,” calling to the various tribes of Quraysh until they gathered and the one who could not come sent a representative to see what was happening.  Abu Lahab and Quraysh came.  The Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:

<<أرأيتكم لو أخبرتكم ان خيلا بالوادي تريد ان تغير عليكم أكنتم مصدقي؟ قالوا: نعم ما جربنا عليك الا صدقا, قال: فاني نذير لكم بين يدي عذاب شديد. فقال ابو لهب: تبا لك سائر اليوم الهذا جمعتنا؟! فنزلت {تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ (1) مَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ (2)}>>

 This means:  << “Were I to inform you that enemy horsemen are in the valley ready to raid you, would you believe me?”  They said, “Yes, for we have not experienced from you other than the truth.”  He said:  “Then I warn you of a great torture to befall you should you not believe.”

            Abu Lahab said:  “Tabban laka ( تباً لك)” which means:  'May you loose the rest of the day, is this why you gathered us?'  So the ayahs:

{تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ (1) مَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ (2)}

were revealed.>>

            Abu Lahab is ^Abd al-^Uzza Ibn ^Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet.  His wife is the one-eyed Umm Jamil, the sister of Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb.

            Al-Hakim narrated in Al-Mustadrak (adh-Dhahabiyy concurred and qualified as Sahih) that Lahab, the son of Abu Lahab, used to curse the Prophet. The Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, supplicated to Allah, saying :<< اللهم سلط عليه كلبك>> which means:  <<O Allah, send your dog after him.>> Lahab went out in a caravan to ash-Sham and landed in a certain location.  He said, 'I fear Muhammad’s supplication.'  The people said, ‘Nay,’ and they put down their luggage around him and sat to guard him. Soon after that a lion came, snatched Lahab, and took him away.

            The Hafidh Ibn Hajar said:  'Abu Lahab was mentioned in the Qur’an by his nickname instead of his given name (^Abd al-^Uzza ) because he was more known by (Abu Lahab) and because it is linked to the name of an idol.'  Then he said: 'Abu Lahab died after the battle of Badr which he did not attend.  Rather, he sent a replacement in his stead. However, when he heard what happened to Quraysh he died of melancholy thoughts.  Ibn Kathir alone recited lahb ( لهب) with a silent ha'.

2.  {مَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ}

The wealth Abu Lahab gathered and his gain of fame shall not take the torture of Allah away from him.  Mujahid said, 'the children and the man's offspring are included in the term kasab (كسب)'.  Hence, Abu Lahab's children and offspring, also, shall not take the torture of Allah away from him.

3.  {سَيَصْلَى نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ}

Abu Lahab shall burn in a strong fire that has a blazing flame.

4.  {وَامْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ}

Abu Lahab's wife was Umm Jamil, the daughter of Harb, the sister of Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb (the son of Harb), who is the father of Mu^awiyah.  Al-Bukhariyy said that Mujahid said:  Hammalatal hatab (حمالة الحطب) means, 'she spreads the tales to cause enmity.'  The Hafidh Ibn Hajar said:  Sa^id Ibn Mansur related from the route of Muhammad Ibn Sirin that he said:  The wife of Abu Lahab used to talebear to the mushriks, the blasphemers who associate partners with Allah, about Muhammad and his companions.'

            Al-Farra’ said:  She used to tale-bear and instigate issues to incite enmity among them and this action was given the name of Hammalatal hatab (حمالة الحطب) --literally, the carrier of the crackling wood for fuel.  Also other than that was said.

5.  {فِي جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِنْ مَسَدٍ}

Al-^Izz Ibn ^Abd as-Salam said:  It means:  “On the Day of Judgment and around her neck (جيدها فِي) there will be (حبل من مسد) an iron chain, seventy (70) cubits in length, and it will be twisted (مسد).”

            Al-Qurtubiyy said:  The ruling that Abu Lahab and his wife will remain everlastingly in Hellfire is contingent upon them remaining in a state of blasphemy until they die.  When they in fact died as blasphemers, what the Prophet had foretold came true. Thus this 'ayah contains a miracle for the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.