Surah lahab

UNDERSTANDING
SURAH
LAHAB OR
SURAH MASAD
Its meaning and message

SURAH LAHAB OR
SURAH MASAD
• 1. Perish the two hands of
Abu Lahab and perish he!
• 2. His wealth and his
children will not benefit
him!
• 3. He will enter a Fire full of
flames!
• 4. And his wife too, who
carries wood.
• 5. In her neck is a twisted
rope of Masad.

BACKGROUND
FOR
REVELATION
OF SURAH
Al-Bukhari recorded from Ibn `Abbas that the Prophet went out to the valley of
Al-Batha and he ascended the mountain. Then he cried out,
‫اه‬َ‫ح‬‫ا‬َ‫ب‬َ‫ص‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ي‬
O people, come at once! So the Quraysh gathered around
him. Then he said,
ُ‫ك‬ُ‫ح‬ِ‫ب‬َ‫ص‬ُ‫م‬ َّ‫ُو‬‫د‬َ‫ع‬ْ‫ل‬‫ا‬ َّ‫ن‬َ‫أ‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ُ‫ت‬ْ‫ث‬َّ‫د‬َ‫ح‬ ْ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ت‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ر‬َ‫أ‬ُُِ‫د‬َ‫ص‬ُ‫ت‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ت‬ُْْ‫ك‬َ‫أ‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬‫ي‬َِِّ‫م‬ُ‫م‬ ْ‫و‬َ‫أ‬ ْ‫م‬‫ي‬ِْ‫و‬
If I told you all that the enemy was going to attack you in the
morning, or in the evening, would you all believe me) They replied,
"Yes.'' Then he said,
ِ‫د‬َ‫ش‬ ٍ‫ب‬‫ا‬َ‫ذ‬َ‫ع‬ ْ‫َي‬‫د‬َ‫ي‬ َ‫ن‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ب‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬َ‫ل‬ ٌ‫ير‬ِ‫ذ‬َْ ‫ي‬ِِْ‫إ‬َ‫ف‬‫يد‬
Verily, I am a warner (sent) to you all before the coming of a severe
torment.) Then Abu Lahab said, "Have you gathered us for this May
you perish!'' Thus, Allah revealed,
﴿﴾ َّ‫ب‬َ‫ت‬َ‫و‬ ٍٍ۬‫ب‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ ‫ى‬ِ‫ب‬َ‫أ‬ ٓ‫ا‬َ‫د‬َ‫ي‬ ۡ‫ت‬َّ‫ب‬َ‫ت‬

PROPHECY
FULFILLED. A
MIRACLE OF
QURAN
We know that these verses were revealed in Mecca
It was announced that Abu Lahab and his wife will
roast in the fire of Hell, i.e. they will not believe in
the Truth.
Finally, many pagans of Mecca believed, indeed,
and some only apparently believed
Of those who believed neither truly nor apparently
were these two people.
This is one of the predictions of the Holy Qur’an
which came true.

MIRACLE OF
QURAN
• Part of the miracles in the Quran is the
prophesies of the quran
• The Quran says rome will dominate in ten
years, and this happened
• In this surah Allah says Abu Lahab will be
destroyed.
• Abu Lahab could have said La ilaha ilallah
• If he had said that, even if it was
sarcastically, he could say ‘your book is
saying I’m burning in hell but here I am
taking Shahadah and it’s supposed to
protect me against the hell fire. So your
book must be wrong.
• He had many years to take this
opportunity. He never did.
• This is part of the miracles of the Quran

KINSHIP
WITHOUT
FAITH IS OF
NO BENEFIT
Relationship even with the holy Prophet (S),
can be of no benefit when the person
lacks in Faith.
Believers show no closeness toward those who go
astray and never follow them in their wrong way,
even when they are their close relatives.
Abu Lahab was Prophet’s (S) uncle but, when he
opposed Islam, he was warned of Allah’s
punishment as other disbelievers.
Those who came from different races and
languages, when believed and practiced Islam
became closer to the Prophet (S).
According to a Hadith, the Prophet (S) said
about Salman Farsi, "Salman is of our Ahlul-Bait".

WHO WAS
ABU-LAHAB?
This man Abu Lahab was one of the uncles
of the Messenger of Allah (S).
His name was Àbdul-Ùzza bin Abdul-
Muttalib.
His surname was Abu Ùtaybah
He was only called Abu Lahab because of
the brightness of his face.
He used to often cause harm to the
Messenger of Allah.
He hated and scorned him and his religion.

HE WAS
RICH BUT
SELFISH AND
STINGY
Abu Lahab was a stingy, materialistic man.
He was one of the four richest men of the
Quraysh, who owned one qintar (about 260 oz)
of gold each.
His love of wealth can be judged from the fact
that for the battle of Badr when all the Quraysh
chiefs went to fight, he did not go.
He sent `As bin Hisham to fight on his own
behalf. This was in lieu of the debt of four
thousand dirhams that he owed to him.
Thus, he contrived a plan to realize his debt, for
‘As’ had become bankrupt and there was no
hope to recover debt from him.

HE HAD DEEP HATRED AGAINST THE
PROHET
Throw filth into the house of the Prophet whenever the Prophet
read Quran
Sometimes when food was being cooked in the courtyard, they would throw filth
at the cooking pot. The Holy Prophet would come out and say: "O Bani Abdi
Manaf, what kind of neighborliness is it?
When Prophet's son, Qasim, passed away, Abu Lahab came out of his house
screaming dancing and saying ‘Batara Muhammadun’(Muhammed had his
cut off.
Two of the Holy Prophet's daughters were married to two of Abu Lahab's sons, Utbah and
When the Holy Prophet began to invite the people to Islam, Abu Lahab said to both his sons:"I
would forbid myself seeing and meeting you until you divorced the daughters of Muhammad

HOW DID
ABU LAHAB
WORK
AGAINST
THE
PROPHET
(SAW)
Rabi`ah bin `Abbad (RA)said "I saw the Prophet in the
market of Dhul-Majaz and he was saying,
‫وا‬ُ‫ل‬‫و‬ُ‫ق‬ ، ُ‫اس‬َّ‫ن‬‫ال‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ه‬ُّ‫ي‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ي‬:‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬ َ‫َل‬ُ‫ح‬ِ‫ل‬ْ‫ف‬ُ‫ت‬ ُ‫هللا‬ َّ‫َل‬ِ‫إ‬ َ‫ه‬‫وا‬
O people! Say there is no god worthy of worship except
Allah and you will be successful.
The people were gathered around him.
Abu-Lahab was there saying, "Verily, he is an apostate (from
our religion) and a liar!‘’
Abu-Lahab was following him (the Prophet) around
wherever he went.
So, I asked who was he and they (the people) said, "This is
his uncle, Abu Lahab.''

MISERABLE
DEATH OF
ABU LAHAB
News of the defeat in the battle of Badar reached
Makkah,
Abu-Lahab was so shocked that he could not survive
for more than seven days.
He became afflicted with malignant pustule and the
people of his house left him to himself, fearing
contagion.
No one came near his body for three days
After his death his body decomposed and began to
stink.

‫ب‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ا‬َ‫د‬َ‫ي‬ ْ‫َّت‬‫ب‬َ‫ت‬ٍ‫ب‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ ‫ي‬
َّ‫ب‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫و‬
PERISH THE
TWO HANDS
OF ABU
LAHAB
• Tabb is past tense verb of Tabba
• The past is associated with certainty
• Other meanings of Tabat:
1-Tabat = Halakat (die violently)
2-Tabat = Khasirat (To suffer loss)
3-Tabat = Khaabat (To go bad)
4-Tabat = Dhalat (To go to waste)
5-Tabat = Safarat min kuli Khair (To be
completely void of any good)

PERISHING
OF HIS
HANDS
MEANS
COMPLETE
FAILURE OF
HIS PLANS
It does not imply physical breaking of his
hands.
It means he failed in his plans for which he
has exerted his utmost.
Abu Lahab plan was to stop spreading the
message of Islam.
Quraysh were defeated in the Battle of Badr.
Islam was accepted by his own children.
This is how Abu Lahab ‘perished’

HIS WEALTH
AND HIS
CHILDREN
(KASAB) WILL
NOT BENEFIT
HIM!
• Ibn `Abbas(RA) and others have said:
“Kasab means his children.‘’
• Some commentators have taken
‘kasab’ in the meaning of the
earning.
• Ibn Mas`ud(RA) said,that when the
Messenger of Allah called his people
to faith, Abu Lahab said:
• "Even if what my nephew says is
true, I will ransom myself from the
painful torment on the Day of
Judgment with my wealth and my
children.''
ُ‫ه‬ُ‫ل‬‫ا‬َ‫م‬ ُ‫ه‬ْ‫ن‬َ‫ع‬ ٰ‫َى‬‫ن‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬َ‫ب‬َ‫س‬َ‫ك‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬ َ‫و‬

‫َا‬‫ن‬ ٰ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬ْ‫ص‬َ‫ي‬َ‫س‬َ‫ات‬َ‫ذ‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ر‬
ٍ‫ب‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬
HE WILL
ENTER A FIRE
FULL OF
FLAMES!
• The ayah speaks about the future
dreadful consequence for Abu-Lahab
• When the past tense is used it means,
something that will happen very soon
(or something that will happen in this
world/dunya)
• Maeaning of Verse: Very soon he will be
cast into a flame which has the quality
of red flame or flickr.
• This is an attack against him – you like
to be called by flames? Then that’s what
you’ll get.
• The letter ‘soon’ is used here as a threat
and warning

THE WIFE OF
ABU LAHAB
“UMMI-
JAMEEL”
His wife was among the leading women of the Quraysh
She was known as Umm Jamil.
Her name was `Arwah bint Harb bin Umayyah
She was the sister of Abu Sufyan.
She was supportive of her husband in his disbelief, rejection and
obstinacy.
Therefore, she will be helping to administer his punishment in the
fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment. Thus, Allah says,
ُ‫ه‬ُ‫ت‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ر‬ ۡ‫ٱم‬َ‫و‬‫ۥ‬َ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َّ‫م‬َ‫ح‬ِ‫ب‬َ‫ط‬َ‫ح‬ۡ‫ٱل‬•‫ى‬ِ‫ف‬‫ا‬َ‫ه‬ِ‫د‬‫ي‬ ِ‫ج‬َ‫ح‬ٌٌٍ۬۬ۡ‫ب‬‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ِ‫د‬ََِّّ‫م‬
Who carries wood. In her neck is a twisted rope of Masad.
She will carry the firewood and throw it upon her husband to
increase his torment in hell

THE WORD
IMRA’AH
There are two words for wife in the Quran.
Imra’ah and Zawj
Functions of marriage are: one to increase good in
society/decrease evil, and two have children.
When any of theses things is missing Allah uses
Imra’ah.
And when they’re both there he uses Zawj.
In this situation, they have harmony and children
but were source of evil
They didn’t increase good in society so Allah uses
the word Imra’ah
Because the word Wamra’atuhu is marfoo’
This means the ayah is saying: He will be cast into
a flame and so will his wife
َ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َّ‫م‬َ‫ح‬ ُ‫ه‬ُ‫ت‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ر‬ْ‫ام‬َ‫و‬ِ‫ب‬َ‫ط‬َ‫ح‬ْ‫ل‬‫ا‬

THE WORD
HAMALATA
The word is mansoob (has fatha)
There are 16 reasons why a word can have a fatha
on it
One of the reasons is shatm –
condemnation/curse/anger
This is a way of Allah mentioning her in disgust and
the disgust is captured in the fatha
Allah uses hamaalah instead of hamilah to indicate
that she will keep on carry it
It’s also used to indicate one’s profession
The slave girls who use to bring in the wood were called hamaalat al-hadab.
Umm Jamil use to think of her self as being way over them. Allah degrades her
and brings her down as if to say I don’t care of your status in society. If you
mess with the Prophet then you don’t deserve anything like that
ْ‫ل‬‫ا‬ َ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬َّ‫م‬َ‫ح‬ِ‫ب‬َ‫ط‬َ‫ح‬

َّ‫م‬َ‫ح‬ ُ‫ه‬ُ‫ت‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ر‬ْ‫ام‬ َ‫و‬‫ب‬َ‫ط‬َ‫ح‬ْ‫ال‬ َ‫ة‬َ‫ل‬‫ا‬
AND HIS
THE CARRIER
OF FIREWOOD
________________
________________
________________
________________
___
• It literally means the carrier of wood. The
commentators have given several meanings to
it:
 She used to place thorns at the Prophet’s
door in the night; therefore, described as
carrier of the wood.
She used to carry evil tales and slander from
one person to another in order to create
hatred between them; therefore, she has been
called the bearer of wood idiomatically.
Sa`id bin Jubair says, the one who is loading
himself with the burden of sin
She will do this in the Hereafter, i.e. she will
bring and supply wood to the fire in which
Abu Lahab would be burning.

IN HER NECK
IS A TWISTED
ROPE OF
MASAD
• Al-Jawhari said, "Al-Masad refers to fibers, it is
also a rope made from fibers or palm leaves.
• It is also made from the skins of camels or their
furs.
• It is said (in Arabic) Masadtul-Habla and
Amsaduhu Masadan, when you tightly fasten its
twine.
• Mujahid said,
• ﴿ََِّّ‫م‬ ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ٌٌٍ۬۬ۡ‫ب‬َ‫ح‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ه‬ِ‫د‬‫ي‬ ِ‫ج‬ ‫ى‬ِ‫ف‬﴾ ِ‫د‬
• In her neck is a twisted rope of Masad.) "This
means a collar of iron.'' Don't you see that the
Arabs call a pulley cable a Masad
• In Hell she would have a rope of palm fiber round
her neck instead of that necklace upon which she
used to take pride so arrogantly.

ABU LAHAB'S
WIFE
INTENDED TO
HARM
THE
PROPHET
(SAW)
• Asma' bint Abi Bakr (RA)said, "When
﴿ٍٍ۬‫ب‬َ‫ه‬َ‫ل‬ ‫ى‬ِ‫ب‬َ‫أ‬ ٓ‫ا‬َ‫د‬َ‫ي‬ ۡ‫ت‬َّ‫ب‬َ‫ت‬ was revealed, the one-
eyed Umm Jamil bint Harb came out
wailing.
• She had a stone in her hand.
• She was saying, `He criticizes our
father, and his religion is our scorn, and
his command is to disobey us.
• ' The Messenger of Allah was sitting in
the Masjid (of the Ka`bah) and Abu
Bakr was with him.
• When Abu Bakr saw her he said, `O
Messenger of Allah! She is coming and
I fear that she will see you.’

INVISIBLE
VEIL
AROUND THE
PROPHET
(SAW)
• The Messenger of Allah replied,
• Verily, she will not see me. Then he recited some
of the Qur’an:
َّ‫ٱل‬ َ‫ن‬ۡ‫ي‬َ‫ب‬ َ‫و‬ َ‫َك‬‫ن‬ۡ‫ي‬َ‫ب‬ ‫َا‬‫ن‬ۡ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ج‬ َ‫ان‬َ‫ء‬ ۡ‫ر‬ُ‫ق‬ۡ‫ٱل‬ َ‫ت‬ۡ‫أ‬َ‫ر‬َ‫ق‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬ َ‫و‬‫ا‬َ‫ج‬ ِ‫ح‬ ِ َ‫ر‬ ِ‫ر‬َ ۡ‫َۡأ‬ِ‫ب‬ َ‫ون‬ُ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ۡ‫م‬ُ‫ي‬ َ‫َل‬ َ‫ِين‬‫ذ‬‫ا‬ ً۬‫ور‬ُ‫ت‬ۡ‫س‬َّ‫م‬ ‫ا‬ً۬‫ب‬
• And when you recite the Qur'an, We put between
you and those who believe not in the Hereafter,
an invisible veil.) (17:45)
• So she advanced until she was standing in front of
Abu Bakr and she did not see the Messenger of
Allah.
• She then said, `O Abu Bakr! Verily, I have been
informed that your friend is making defamatory
poetry about me.’
• Abu Bakr replied, `Nay! By the Lord of this House
(the Ka`bah) he is not defaming you.’
• So she turned away saying, `Indeed the Quraysh
know that I am the daughter of their leader.''' Al-
Walid

LESSONS LEARNED
1. Enemies of
Islam who
unjustly
accuse the
Prophet
(SAW) will be
punished by
Allah in this
world and the
Hereafter.
2- Kinship to a
righteous
person will
not benefit if
there are no
faith and
righteous
deeds.
3- Wealth and
children will
be of no
benefit to
save from
Allah’s
chastisement
for the hateful
enemies of
Islam
3. Married
couple should
be partners in
good and
virtue rather
than sin and
evil.

FOUR DIFFERENT KINDS OF DISBELIEVERS
1-A friendly disbeliever
Mu’tem bin adiyy
Abu Taleb
• 2. A noble enemy
He does show animosity, but if he had become Muslim, he would have been amazing
• Abu Jahl
• 3.Wretched enemy but nothing personal against the Prophet
Utbah ibn Rabiah (the great debater)
Waleed ibn Mugheerah (poet)
• 4. Hates Islam and hates the Prophet- Abu Lahab

FOUR DOMESTIC SITUATIONS FOR WOMEN
• 1. A wonderful woman with a wonderful wali (guardian)
Maryam
• 2. A wonderful woman with a terrible wali (guardian)
• Asiyah – wife of Firown
• 3. A terrible woman but a wonderful wali (guardian)
• Wives of Lut and Nuh
• 4. A terrible woman with a terrible wali (guardian)
• Umm Jamil

Surah lahab

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Surah lahab