Ayat 1
تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍۢ وَتَبَّ.(1)
May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he.(1) [Al-Masad: 1]
Section 01
Traditional understanding
Translation, tafseer from classical and modern scholars, transliteration, word-by-word grammar.
Translation Sahih International
May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he.(1)
Tafseer Abdullah Yusuf
Abu Lahab: "Father of Flame", was the nickname of an uncle of the Prophet, from his fiery hot temper and his ruddy complexion. He was one of the most inveterate enemies of early Islam. When the Prophet called together Quraysh and his own kith and kin to come and listen to his preaching and his warning against the sins of his people, the "Father of Flame" flared up and cursed the Prophet, saying "Perdition to thee!" According to the English saying, "the causeless curse will not come". His words were futile, but his power and strength were equally futile. The star of Islam rose higher and higher every day, and its persecutors dwindled in strength and power. Many of the leaders of persecution perished at Badr, and Abu Lahab himself perished a week after Badr, consumed with grief and his own fiery passions. Verse 3 was prophetic of his end in this very life, though it also refers to the Hereafter.
Tafseer Dr. Farooq Azam
Perish be the hands of Abu Lahab! And perished be he!
Tafseer Ibn Abbas
And from his narration on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said regarding the interpretation of Allah's saying (The power of Abu Lahab will perish): '(The power of Abu Lahab will perish) this is because when Allah said to His Prophet (pbuh) (And warn your tribe of near kindred [26: 214]) he called them and said: “Say: there is no god but Allah” and his uncle-the brother of his father from their mother's side-'Abd al-'Uzza whose agnomen was Abu Lahab said: “May you perish! Is this why you summoned us?” Allah then revealed His saying (The power of Abu Lahab will perish) He says: the hand of Abu Lahab is deprived of all good (and he will perish) he lost himself by rejecting belief in Allah's divine Oneness.
Tafseer Jalalain
Perish, ruined be, the hands of Abū Lahab, in other words, all of him — the use of ‘hands’ here to denote [all of] him is figurative, and is because most actions are performed by them; the statement is an invocation — and perish he!, may he be ruined! (this [tabba] is a predicate, as where one says, ahlakahu’Llāhu wa-qad halak, ‘God destroyed him and he indeed is destroyed’. When the Prophet threatened him with the chastisement, he said, ‘If what my brother’s son says is true, then I shall ransom [myself] from it with my wealth and sons!’; so the following was revealed:
Tafseer Ma’arif Ul-Quran
Name and Nickname of Abu Lahab Abu Lahab [Father of Flame] was the Nickname of 'Abd-ul-'Uzza, one of the sons of 'Abdul-Muttalib. As he was ruddy in complexion, he was nicknamed Abu Lahab [Father of Flame]. The Qur’an did not mention his real name, because it smacked of paganism, and the last element 'lahab' [Flame] in the nickname has also nexus with the flame of Hell. This person was the inveterate enemy and persecutor of the Holy Prophet, and violently opposed Islam. Whenever the Holy Prophet invited the people to Islamic Faith, he would stand up and cry lie to his message. [Ibn Kathir] Cause of Revelation ,, ,, 11 I - It is recorded in the two Sah;hs that when the verse; (Warn your closest relatives - 26:214) was revealed, the ~ol~ Prophet $& ascended the mount Safa and cried out to the tribe of Quraish in a manner that was known among them for warning of an attack by the enemy. Some narratives maintain that he called the different Makkan clans by name, the clan of BanC 'Abd Munaf, Banu 'Abdul-Muttalib and others. All the clans of Quraish gathered around him, and he said to them: 'If I were to tell you that the enemy is about to attack you in the morning or in the evening, would you believe me?' They all unanimously replied in the affirmative. Then he said: 'Verily, I am a Warner sent to you before the coming of a severe torment (as a result of disbelief or paganism). Abu Lahab then responded: 'Ruin may seize you ! Is it for this purpose that you have called us together?' and picked up a stone to hit him. Thus this Surah was revealed. Verse [111:1] (Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab, I and perish he!) The word yad literally means a 'hand'. Because hands play a very important role in all of human works and actions, often yad (hand) refers to the human person, as in the phrase (All this is due to what your hands have sent forth...22:10). Baihaqi has recorded on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas & that one day Abii Lahab said to the people that Muhammad says that such-and-such a thing will happen after death. Then, pointing to his hands, said that none of those things have come into these hands; then he addressed his hands and said: (Perish you! I do not see any of the things Muhammad said in you.) Therefore, the Qur'an attributes his destruction to his hands. The verb tabba is derived from tabab which means 'to perish'. In verse [I], the first sentence (Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab) is 2.Y in the form of a prayer invoking or imprecating destruction upon Abu Lahab, and the second sentence wa tabba is the declarative sentence prophesying the consequence of the invocation. The first sentence was invoked against him to satisfy the indignation of the Muslims, because when Abu Lahab imprecated destruction upon the Holy Prophet s, it was the desire of the Muslims that imprecation be invoked against him. Allah thus fulfilled their desire, and also informed them that the invocation has taken effect and he perished. Seven days after the battle of Badr, he developed a terrible case of plague because of which people avoided him. They regarded the disease as infectious and were afraid that it might be transmitted by contact, so they forced him to live in an isolated house, and they did not come into contact with him at all. He at last died in this state. His dead body lay untouched in his house for three days. When his body began to rot giving out unbearable stench, people taunted his sons, and they hired laborers to take it away and bury it. They dug a pit in the ground, pushed his body into it with a stick and covered it with stones. [Bayan-ul-Quran from Ruh].
Tafseer Mufti Taqi Usmani
Abu Lahab was one of the uncles of the Holy Prophet When the Holy Prophet was directed by verse 26:214 to invite his clan to Islam, he ascended to the mount of Safa and cried out to the tribe of Quraish in a manner that was known among them for warning the tribe of an expected attack from an enemy. All the clans of Quraish assembled around him, and he said to them, “If I were to tell you that the enemy is about to attack you, would you believe me?” All of them replied in affirmative. Then he said, “I am a warner sent to you before a severe torment (if you continue worshipping idols.)” Abu Lahab responded, ‘Perish you! Is it for this purpose that you have called us together?’ This Surah was revealed in this background.
Tafseer Shaikh Ashiq Ilahi
The Holy Prophet's father Abdullah had ten brothers, all the children of his father Abdul Muttalib. One of these ten uncles of the Holy Prophet was called Abu Lahab. His real name was Abdul Uzza. When the Holy Prophet announced his Prophethood, Abu Lahab and his wife were among his staunchest opponents. When Allah revealed the verse: "Warn your closest relatives", The Holy Prophet mounted the hill of Safa and called various tribes of the Quraysh like the Banu Fahar, the Banu Adi, etc by name. Their response was so overwhelming that those who could not present themselves sent someone to represent them. When they had all gathered, he asked them, "Will you people believe me If I told you that an army of horsemen were advancing to attack you from behind this mountain?" They replied, "We shall certainly believe you. We have never known you to be untruthful "The Nabi (Prophet) then took the names of many relatives present and warned them about the life after death. The Holy Prophet then said to them,"Purchase your souls (by carrying out deeds that will save you from Hell). I cannot save you from Allah's punishment. O children of Abd Manaf I cannot save you from Allah's punishment. O Abbas bin Abdil Muttalib! I cannot save you from Allah's punishment. O (my aunt) Safiyya! I cannot save you from Allah's punishment. O Fatima the daughter of Muhammad! Ask whatever you please from my wealth. I cannot save you from Allah's punishment." Addressing the entire assembly, the Holy Prophet it recited the verse "He is but a Warner to you before the advent of a severe punishment." The Holy Prophet it then said to them, "I am warning you of a severe punishment do not believe in what I preach to you)." Thereupon Abu Lahab said, "May you be destroyed forever. Have you gathered us for this?" It was then that Surah Lahab was revealed, where Allah says, "May the hands of Abu Lahab be shattered and he be destroyed. Neither his wealth nor the things he earned shall avail him." [ Bukhari v. 2 p. 702] A narration of Muslim (v. 1 p. 14) states that the Holy Prophet addressed the Quraysh individually and collectively. Addressing the Banu Ka'b bin Luway, the Banu Murra bin Ka'b, the Banu Abdush Shams, Banu Abd Manaf and the Banu Hashim, he said, "Save yourselves from Hell I cannot save you from Allah's punishment." It was then that Abu Lahab said what he did and Surah Lahab was revealed. Abu Lahab received the title of "Abu Lahab" ("Father of flames") because he was very handsome and had a reddish complexion that resembled the colour of flames. When Abu Lahab cursed the Holy Prophet fUj u* it Allah Ta'ala used the word "Lahab" (flames, which was a source of pride to him) to describe the disgraceful punishment that he will suffer in the Hereafter. Allah describes the fire of Hell as "Dhdta Lahab" (translated above as' flaming fire) Allah Ta'ala says, "May the hands of Abu Lahab be shattered and he be destroyed." Allama Qastalani it has written that Abu Lahab's hands are mentioned here because he used his hands to throw stones at the Holy Prophet it, causing his blessed heels to bleed. Allah Ta'ala mentions that before entering the flaming fire, Abu Lahab will be destroyed. This occurred in this world when he developed a terrible case of small pox which made people avoid him. People were so afraid that the disease might be contagious that they forced him to live in an isolated house and they did not associate with him at all. He finally died in this state. His corpse lay untouched in the house for three days, eventually, when people started taunting his sons, they managed to get someone to place his body against a wall. They then stoned the corpse until it crumbled and was buried beneath the stones. ["Al Biddya wan Nihaya" v. 3 p. 309] "Ar Rowdhul Unf states that Abu Lahab's corpse was bound to a stake and cast down a pit. Thereafter,stones were thrown on top of it. There is presently a mountain near Makkah where tradition has it that Abu Lahab was thrown there. The mountain is also called the mountain of Abu Lahab.
Tafseer Tafheem Ul-Quran
His real name was 'Abd al-'Uzza, and he was called Abu Lahab on account of his glowing, ruddy complexion. Lahab means the flame of fire, and Abu Lahab the one with a flaming, fiery face. His being mentioned here by his nickname (Kunyat), instead of his real name, has several reasons. First, that he was better known by his nickname than by his real name; second, that the Qur'an did not approve that he should be mentioned by his polytheistic name `Abd al 'Uzza (slave of 'Uzza); third, that his kunyat goes well with the fate that has been described of him in this Surah.
Some commentators have translated tabbat yada Abi Lahab to mean: "May the hands of Abu Lahab be broken", and tabby to mean: “may he perish" or "he perished". But this, in fact, was not a curse which was invoked on him, but a prophecy in which an event taking place in the future, has been described in the past tense, to suggest that its occurrence in the future is certain and inevitable.
In actual fact, at last the same thing happened as had been foretold in this Surah a few years earlier. Breaking of the hands obviously does not imply breaking of the physical hands, but a person's utterly failing in his aim and object for which he has exerted his utmost. And Abu Lahab indeed had exerted his utmost to defeat and frustrate the message of Islam presented by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). But hardly seven or eight years after the revelation of this Surah most of the big chiefs of Quraish, who were a party with Abu Lahab in his hostility to Islam, were killed in the Battle of Badr. When the news of the defeat reached Makkah, he was so shocked that he could not survive for more than seven days. His death occurred in a pitiable state. 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, until the body decomposed and began to stink. At last, when the people began to taunt his sons, according to one tradition, they hired some Africans, who lifted his body and buried it.
According to another tradition, they got a pit dug out and threw his body into it by pushing it with wood, and covered it up with earth and stones. His utter failure became manifest when the religion which he had tried his utmost to impede and thwart, was accepted by his own children. First of all, his daughter, Darrah, migrated from Makkah to Madinah and embraced Islam; then on the conquest of Makkah, both his sons, `Utabh and Mu`attab, came before the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) through the mediation of Hadrat `Abbas, believed and took oath of allegiance to him
Some commentators have translated tabbat yada Abi Lahab to mean: "May the hands of Abu Lahab be broken", and tabby to mean: “may he perish" or "he perished". But this, in fact, was not a curse which was invoked on him, but a prophecy in which an event taking place in the future, has been described in the past tense, to suggest that its occurrence in the future is certain and inevitable.
In actual fact, at last the same thing happened as had been foretold in this Surah a few years earlier. Breaking of the hands obviously does not imply breaking of the physical hands, but a person's utterly failing in his aim and object for which he has exerted his utmost. And Abu Lahab indeed had exerted his utmost to defeat and frustrate the message of Islam presented by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). But hardly seven or eight years after the revelation of this Surah most of the big chiefs of Quraish, who were a party with Abu Lahab in his hostility to Islam, were killed in the Battle of Badr. When the news of the defeat reached Makkah, he was so shocked that he could not survive for more than seven days. His death occurred in a pitiable state. 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, until the body decomposed and began to stink. At last, when the people began to taunt his sons, according to one tradition, they hired some Africans, who lifted his body and buried it.
According to another tradition, they got a pit dug out and threw his body into it by pushing it with wood, and covered it up with earth and stones. His utter failure became manifest when the religion which he had tried his utmost to impede and thwart, was accepted by his own children. First of all, his daughter, Darrah, migrated from Makkah to Madinah and embraced Islam; then on the conquest of Makkah, both his sons, `Utabh and Mu`attab, came before the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) through the mediation of Hadrat `Abbas, believed and took oath of allegiance to him
Transliteration
Ayah 1
Tabbat yada abee lahabin watabba
Word-by-word
Ayah 1
| # | Arabic | Pronunciation | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | تَبَّتْ | Tabbat | Perish | ت ب ب |
| 2 | يَدَآ | yada | (the) hands | ي د ي |
| 3 | أَبِى | abee | (of) Abu | أ ب و |
| 4 | لَهَبٍ | lahabin | Lahab | ل ه ب |
| 5 | وَتَبَّ | watabba | and perish he | ت ب ب |
Section 02
Cross-references
Similar verses elsewhere in the Qur’an and authentic ahadith narrated about this ayah.
Section 03
Articles & resources
Long-form articles, scientific commentary, and historical context linked from the legacy archive.
Articles
Misconceptions
- Is there anything to prove that the punishment in Hell will be reduced for Abu Lahab.html
- Is there anything to prove that the punishment in Hell will be reduced for Abu Lahab.html
- What is the ruling on the imam saying in his Qunoot du‘aaO Allah send one of Your dogs against him.html
- What is the ruling on the imam saying in his Qunoot du‘aaO Allah send one of Your dogs against him.html
Section 04
Audio & video lectures
18 videos · 8 audio lectures from contemporary scholars.
Dr Israr Ahmed Urdu
Surah Lahab
Video · youtube
Dr Israr Ahmed Urdu
Surah Lahab
Video · youtube
087 - Tafseer Surat Al Masad - Sh Abu Bakr Zoud
Sh Abu Bakr Zoud
Video · youtube
087 - Tafseer Surat Al Masad - Sh Abu Bakr Zoud
Sh Abu Bakr Zoud
Video · youtube
Tafsir al-Masad & al-Ikhlas - Mohammad Elshinawy
Mohammad El Shinawy
Video · youtube
Tafsir al-Masad & al-Ikhlas - Mohammad Elshinawy
Mohammad El Shinawy
Video · youtube
The Result of Abu Lahab When he instulted Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - Mufti Menk
Ismail Ibn Musa Menk
Video · youtube
The Result of Abu Lahab When he instulted Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - Mufti Menk
Ismail Ibn Musa Menk
Video · youtube
Tafseer of Surah 111 - Lahab - Nouman Ali Khan
Nouman Ali Khan
Video · youtube
Tafseer of Surah 111 - Lahab - Nouman Ali Khan
Nouman Ali Khan
Video · youtube
Surah Al-Lahab / Al-Masadd | Nouman Ali Khan Lectures | Ilustrated Tafsir Quran Juz Amma (Juz 30)
Nouman Ali Khan
Video · youtube
Surah Al-Lahab / Al-Masadd | Nouman Ali Khan Lectures | Ilustrated Tafsir Quran Juz Amma (Juz 30)
Nouman Ali Khan
Video · youtube
Tafseer تفسير - Surah Al-Masad (Lahab) - Nouman Ali Khan Part 1/2
Nouman Ali Khan
Video · youtube
Tafseer تفسير - Surah Al-Masad (Lahab) - Nouman Ali Khan Part 1/2
Nouman Ali Khan
Video · youtube
Tafseer تفسير - Surah Al-Masad (Lahab) by Nouman Ali Khan Part 2/2
Nouman Ali Khan
Video · youtube
Tafseer تفسير - Surah Al-Masad (Lahab) by Nouman Ali Khan Part 2/2
Nouman Ali Khan
Video · youtube
In Depth Analysis & Tafseer of Surah 111 Lahab / Masad by Nouman Ali Khan
Nouman Ali Khan
Video · youtube
In Depth Analysis & Tafseer of Surah 111 Lahab / Masad by Nouman Ali Khan
Nouman Ali Khan
Video · youtube
Riyadul Haqq – The Father of the Flame A Tafsir of Surat ‘l Lahab
Riyadul Haqq
Audio lecture
Riyadul Haqq – The Father of the Flame A Tafsir of Surat ‘l Lahab
Riyadul Haqq
Audio lecture
Navaid Aziz – Tafseer Juz E Amma Tafsir Surat Al Masad
Navaid Aziz
Audio lecture
Navaid Aziz – Tafseer Juz E Amma Tafsir Surat Al Masad
Navaid Aziz
Audio lecture
Get To Know – 26 Surah Al-Masad
Surah Al-Masad
Audio lecture
Get To Know – 26 Surah Al-Masad
Surah Al-Masad
Audio lecture
Quran Weekly
Quran Weekly
Audio lecture
Quran Weekly
Quran Weekly
Audio lecture
References
- Tafseer — Abdullah Yusuf
- Tafseer — Dr. Farooq Azam
- Tafseer — Ibn Abbas
- Tafseer — Jalalain
- Tafseer — Ma’arif Ul-Quran
- Tafseer — Mufti Taqi Usmani
- Tafseer — Shaikh Ashiq Ilahi
- Tafseer — Tafheem Ul-Quran
- Translation — Sahih International
- Hadith collections — 14 narrations from Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and others (see Cross-references)
- Quranic cross-references — 6 parallel verses
- Linked articles — 8 long-form pieces
