Al-Masad (The Palm Fiber)

Surah Al-Masad (Chapter 111)

📖 In Arabic:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ
مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ
سَيَصْلَىٰ نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ
وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ حَمَّالَةَ ٱلْحَطَبِ
فِى جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌۭ مِّن مَّسَدٍۢ

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📘 Translation (Sahih International):

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

1. Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!

2. His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained.

3. He will [enter to] burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame.

4. And his wife [as well] — the carrier of firewood.

5. Around her neck is a rope of [twisted] palm fiber.

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🔍 Overview and Context:

🔸 Name of the Surah:

• “Al-Masad” means "palm fiber rope", referring to the punishment of Abu Lahab's wife.

• It’s also called Surah Lahab, after Abu Lahab, the Prophet’s uncle and a fierce enemy of Islam.

🔸 Background:

• Abu Lahab (real name: ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā) was an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

• Despite being family, he viciously opposed the Prophet and Islam from the beginning.

• When the Prophet called his tribe to Islam publicly (on Mount Ṣafā), Abu Lahab shouted:

  “May you perish! Is this why you gathered us?”
  (Ref: Sahih Bukhari)

This surah was revealed in response to his insults and hostility.

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🧠 Verse-by-Verse Explanation:

1. تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ

“Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!”

• A curse and condemnation of Abu Lahab’s actions and person.

• “Perish his hands” means his efforts are ruined, and he will be destroyed.

2. مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ

“His wealth will not benefit him, nor what he earned.”

• Abu Lahab was very wealthy, and thought his wealth would save him.

• But in the Hereafter, his wealth is useless.

3. سَيَصْلَىٰ نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ

“He will burn in a fire of blazing flame.”

• “Lahab” means flame — a play on his name.

• He will be punished with a fire fitting his behavior — burning, intense, humiliating.

4. وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ حَمَّالَةَ ٱلْحَطَبِ

“And his wife — the carrier of firewood.”

• His wife, Umm Jamil (Arwā bint Ḥarb), was also hostile.

• She used to spread slander and possibly lay thorny branches in the Prophet’s path.

• “Carrier of firewood” metaphorically means she fed the fire of hatred and conflict.

5. فِى جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌۭ مِّن مَّسَدٍۢ

“Around her neck is a rope of palm fiber.”

• Symbol of humiliation and punishment.

• She will be bound with a rough, coarse rope as part of her torment.

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🔥 Key Lessons from Surah Al-Masad:

✅ 1. Blood ties do not guarantee salvation.

• Even a close relative of the Prophet is condemned for disbelief and hostility.

• Each person is judged by their faith and deeds, not family connections.

✅ 2. Wealth and power are worthless in the afterlife.

• Abu Lahab thought his money and status would save him — they did not.

• True protection comes from faith, not materialism.

✅ 3. Hostility to truth has consequences.

• Abu Lahab and his wife actively fought against Islam.

• This surah serves as a permanent warning to those who oppose God’s message out of arrogance.

✅ 4. The Qur’an predicted his fate — and he lived 10 more years.

• Remarkably, Abu Lahab never embraced Islam — not even to challenge the Qur’an’s prediction.

• This surah is seen as a miraculous proof of the truth of Islam.

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📚 Tafsir Insight – Ibn Kathīr:

"This is one of the clearest signs of the Qur'an's miraculous nature. For if Abu Lahab had pretended to become a Muslim, he could have undermined the credibility of this surah. But he never did — and died as a disbeliever."

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📌 Summary Chart:

Person	Action	Punishment
Abu Lahab	Rejected Islam, insulted the Prophet	Burning in a flaming fire
His wife (Umm Jamil)	Spread hatred, mocked the Prophet	Rope of palm fiber around neck

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🕋 In Conclusion:

Surah Al-Masad is short, powerful, and direct. It teaches:

• Truth over tribalism

• Faith over family status

• That arrogance against truth leads to ruin