1 (Surah Al-Masad) 1 <

Five verses, Meccan by consensus. }

Know that the Exalted One said: { }

Know that the Exalted One said: { And I did not create the jinn and humankind except to worship Me. } Then, in the Surah: { Say, O disbelievers! }, He clarified that the Prophet, peace be upon him, obeyed his Lord and explicitly negated the worship of partners and rivals, whereas the disbeliever disobeyed his Lord and occupied himself with worshipping rivals and equals. Thus, it is as if it were said: "Our God, what is the reward of the obedient, and what is the punishment of the disobedient?"

He replied: The reward of the obedient is the attainment of victory, conquest, and dominance in this world, and a great reward in the Hereafter, as indicated by the Surah: { When the victory of Allah comes }. As for the punishment of the disobedient, it is loss in this world and a mighty punishment in the Hereafter, as indicated by the Surah: { Perish!}

A parallel to this is His saying in the end of Surah Al-An'am: { And it is He who has made you successors on the earth and raised some of you above others in degrees, [to test you] in what He has given you. } So, it is as if it were said: "Our God, You are the Generous, free from stinginess, and the Capable, free from inability. So what is the reason for this disparity?" He replied: { That He may test you in what He has given you. }

So, it is as if it were said: "Our God, if the servant is sinful and disobedient, what is his state?"

He replied: In response: { Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty. } And if he is obedient and submissive, his recompense is that the Lord Almighty will be Forgiving of his sins in this world and Merciful and Generous in the Hereafter.

They mentioned several accounts regarding the reason for the revelation of this Surah:

The First Account: Ibn Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah used to conceal his mission in the early days of prophethood and prayed in the valleys of Mecca for three years until the verse { And warn your close relatives } was revealed. He ascended Mount Safa and called out, "O clan of Ghālib!" Ghālib came out to him from the mosque. Abu Lahab said, "Here is Ghālib coming to you, what do you have?" Then he called, "O clan of Lu'ayy!" Those who were not of Lu'ayy returned. Abu Lahab said, "Here is Lu'ayy coming to you, what do you have?" Then he called, "O clan of Murrah!" Those who were not of Murrah returned. Abu Lahab said, "Here is Lu'ayy coming to you, what do you have?" (Note: There seems to be a repetition/error in the source text here, likely intending to list the next clans). Then he called, "O clan of Kilāb," and after that, "O clan of Qusayy!" Abu Lahab said, "Here is Qusayy coming to you, what do you have?" The Prophet said, "Indeed, Allah has commanded me to warn my closest relatives, and you are the closest. Know that I possess for you neither a share in this world nor a portion in the Hereafter, except if you say, 'There is no god but Allah,' for which I will testify for you before my Lord." At that, Abu Lahab said, "Perish to you! Is this why you gathered us?" And the Surah was revealed.

The Second Account: It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ascended Mount Safa one day and called out, "O morning call!" Quraysh gathered around him, and they asked, "What is wrong with you?" He said, "If I informed you that the enemy would attack you in the morning or the evening, would you believe me?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Then I am a warner to you before a severe punishment." At that, Abu Lahab said what he said, and the Surah was revealed.

The Third Account: He gathered his uncles and served them food on a platter. They scorned it, saying, "One of us could eat a whole sheep." He said, "Eat," so they ate until they were full, and only a little of the food remained. Then they asked, "What do you have [to offer]?" He invited them to Islam, and Abu Lahab said what he said. It is narrated that Abu Lahab said, "What will I get if I embrace Islam?" He replied, "What the Muslims get." Abu Lahab asked, "Should I then be superior to them?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked, "Superior in what?" He replied, "Perish this religion where I and others are equal!"

The Fourth Account: Whenever a delegation visited the Prophet, they would ask about his uncle (Abu Lahab). They would say, "You know him best." He would tell them, "He is a sorcerer," so they would turn away without meeting him. A delegation came to him, and he told them the same thing. They said, "We will not leave until we see him." He replied, "We have been treating him for madness. Perish and ruin be upon him!" When the Prophet was informed of this, he grieved, and the Surah was revealed.

! 7 < { Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he! } . > 7 !

His saying, the Exalted: { Perish the hands of Abu Lahab } <

Surah Al-Masad: (1) Tabbat Yadā Abī Lahab...

Verse 1: {تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ} (Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!)

Know that regarding the word {تَبَّتْ} (Tabbat), there are several opinions:

1. Destruction/Ruin (الهلاك):
   • Tabab means ruin. From this is the saying of the Arabs: "A young woman who is tābah" (i.e., ruined by old age).
   • It is supported by the Almighty's saying: {وَمَا كَيْدُ فِرْعَوْنَ إِلَّا فِي تَبَابٍ} (And the plot of Pharaoh was nothing but in ruin).
   • This is further supported by the Bedouin who, when his family broke the fast during Ramadan days, said: "I am ruined and have ruined others." The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not deny this, indicating his truthfulness. If abandoning an action (like fasting) leads to ruin, then in the case of Abu Lahab, he abandoned true belief, true speech, and true action, while simultaneously embracing false belief, false speech, and false action. Therefore, it is logical that the meaning of ruin befell him.

2. Loss/Deprivation (الخسران):
   • Tabbat means he was deprived, and tiyāb (the root concept) is loss leading to ruin.
   • This is supported by the verse: {وَمَا زَادُوهُمْ غَيْرَ تَتْبِيبٍ} (And they added to them nothing but loss), as confirmed by another verse stating "nothing but loss."

3. Disappointment/Failure (خابت):
   • Ibn Abbas said: Abu Lahab used to repel people from the Prophet (PBUH) by claiming the Prophet was a sorcerer. People would turn away before meeting him because Abu Lahab was the chief of the tribe and held a fatherly status, so he was not suspected. When this Surah was revealed and people heard it, he became enraged and showed intense enmity, causing him to become suspected. Consequently, his word regarding the Messenger was no longer accepted. Thus, his effort failed and his goal was thwarted.
   • The mention of the hand (يد) might be because he used to strike the shoulder of anyone who approached him, saying: "Go away rightly, for he is mad." It is customary for one who turns someone away from a place to place his hand on their shoulder and push them away.

4. Defeat (غلبت):
   • According to 'Ata, Tabbat means he was defeated, because he believed his hand (influence) would be supreme, and that he would expel the Prophet from Mecca and humiliate him.

5. Emptiness/Futility (صفرت):
   • According to Ibn Waththab, his hands became empty of all good.

Regarding the significance of mentioning the Hand (اليد): There are several interpretations:

1. It refers to his intention to take a stone to throw at the Messenger of Allah. Tariq al-Muharibi narrated that he saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in the marketplace saying, "O people, say 'There is no god but Allah' and you will succeed," while a man stood behind him throwing stones, having already wounded the Prophet's heels, saying, "Do not obey him, for he is a liar." When asked who this was, the people replied: "Muhammad and his uncle, Abu Lahab."
2. The two hands refer to the entirety of his actions, as in {ذَلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ يَدَاكَ} (That is because of what your hands have earned), and the saying, "Your hands are either open or closed." Also, {مِمَّا عَمِلَتْ أَيْدِينَا} (from what Our hands have wrought). This interpretation is strengthened by the subsequent phrase {وَتَبَّ}.
3. His hands perished, meaning his religion and his worldly life, both in this world and the Hereafter. This is because one hand draws benefit, and the other repels harm, or because the right hand is the weapon and the left is the shield.
4. It is narrated that when the Prophet invited him during the day and he refused, at nightfall, the Prophet went to his house, following the Sunnah of Noah, to invite him at night as he had been invited during the day. When the Prophet entered, Abu Lahab said, "Have you come to apologize?" The Prophet sat before him like a needy person and invited him to Islam, saying, "If shame prevents you, answer me now and be silent." Abu Lahab replied, "I will not believe in you until this goat believes in you." The Prophet (PBUH) asked the goat, "Who am I?" The goat replied, "The Messenger of Allah," and its tongue was loosed praising him. Envy overcame Abu Lahab; he seized the goat's hand and tore it apart, saying, "Woe to you! Magic has affected you." The goat replied, "Rather, woe to you!" The Surah was then revealed accordingly: {تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ} concerning his tearing the goat's hand.
5. Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated that Abu Lahab used to say: "Muhammad promises me things I do not see happening, claiming they occur after death. He has not put anything in my hands concerning that." Then he would blow into his hands and say: "Woe to you two! I see nothing in you." Then the Surah was revealed.

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Regarding the phrase: {وَتَبَّ} (and perish he!)

There are several interpretations:

1. It is an expression of supplication against him, like the verse: {قُتِلَ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ} (Perish man! What made him ungrateful?).
2. It is a statement of fact, meaning it has already happened and occurred. This is supported by the recitation of Ibn Mas'ud: Wa qad taba (And he has perished).
3. Both are statements of fact, but the first refers to the ruin of his deeds, and the second refers to the ruin of his self. The reasoning is that a person strives for the benefit of his self and his deeds; thus, Allah informed him that he is deprived of both.
4. {تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ} means his wealth. This is supported by the saying dhāt al-yad (possessing wealth). {وَتَبَّ} refers to himself, similar to {خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ} (they lost themselves and their families), which is the view of Abu Muslim.
5. {تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ} means his self, and {وَتَبَّ} means his son, 'Utbah. It is narrated that 'Utbah ibn Abi Lahab went to Sham with some Quraysh men. When they were about to return, 'Utbah told them: "Convey to Muhammad from me that I have disbelieved in the star when it sets." It is narrated that he said this to the Prophet's face and spat in his face, being extreme in his enmity. He then prayed: "O Allah, unleash upon him one of Your dogs." Terror struck 'Utbah's heart, and he remained cautious. One night, while traveling near dawn, his companions told him: "The camels are doomed!" They kept urging him until he dismounted, terrified, and arranged the camels around him like a tent. Allah sent a lion upon him and cast tranquility upon the camels. The lion moved among them until it devoured and tore him apart.
   • Objection: If this Surah was revealed before this incident, how can {وَتَبَّ} be interpreted as a past event referring to this future occurrence?
   • Answer: Because it was within Allah's knowledge that this would happen.
6. {تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ} means he did not recognize the right of his Lord, and {وَتَبَّ} means he did not recognize the right of the Messenger.

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Inquiries regarding the Verse:

Answer:

1. The Kunya might sometimes function as a proper name. This is supported by the recitation of those who read: Tabbat yadā Abū Lahab (like saying 'Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib or Mu'āwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān), where their Kunya is their name.
2. As for the meaning of veneration, there are several responses:
   • If it is a name, it is exempt from implying veneration.
   • His name was 'Abd al-'Uzzā, and he abandoned it for his Kunya.
   • Since he was destined for the Fire, which has flames (Lahab), his state matched his Kunya, making it appropriate to mention him by it, just as one says Abū al-Sharr (Father of Evil) for the wicked.
   • He was given this Kunya because his cheeks were flushed and radiant (talahhub), so it might have been used mockingly and contemptuously.

Answer:

1. Abu Lahab was preventing people from approaching Muhammad (PBUH) by claiming he was mad, and people did not suspect him because he was like a father figure to the Prophet. This acted as a barrier to delivering the message. Therefore, the Messenger confronted him directly until Abu Lahab's anger intensified, and he showed extreme enmity. Due to this enmity, he became suspected when criticizing Muhammad, and his word was no longer accepted regarding him.
2. Wisdom dictated that if Muhammad (PBUH) were to compromise or be lenient in matters of religion with anyone, it would be with his uncle, who stood in the place of his father. Since this leniency was not granted, all hopes were cut off, and everyone knew that he would not compromise with anyone regarding religious matters whatsoever.
3. The reason you mentioned seems contradictory: his status as an uncle demands great compassion. Since the situation reversed, and great enmity arose, it was inevitable that he deserved great severity.

Answer:

1. The kinship of the uncle demands the preservation of respect. For this reason, Allah did not command the Prophet to say it, lest he directly insult his uncle. In contrast, the disbelievers in the other Surah were not his uncles.
2. The disbelievers in Surah Al-Kafirun attacked Allah, so Allah commanded: "O Muhammad, answer them: {قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ}." In this Surah, they attacked Muhammad, so Allah commanded: "Be silent; I will insult them for you: {تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ}."
3. Since they insulted you, remain silent so that you fall under the saying: {وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا} (And when the ignorant address them, they say, "Peace"). If you remain silent, I will respond on your behalf. It is narrated that someone was abusing Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr remained silent. The Messenger (PBUH) began to repel and rebuke the insulter. When Abu Bakr started to respond, the Messenger fell silent. Abu Bakr asked why. The Prophet replied: "When you were silent, the Angel was responding for you. When you began to respond, the Angel departed, and Satan came."

Know that this is a reminder from Allah that whoever refrains from verbally confronting the foolish, Allah will defend, support, and aid him.

Answer:

1. Abu 'Ali suggested that Lahab and Lahab (with a quiescent Hā’) are two linguistic variations, like sham'un and sham'un (wax) or nahr and nahr (river). However, they all agreed on the open Hā’ (Lahab) in {نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ} and {وَلَا يُغْنِي مِنَ اللَّهَبِ}, which indicates that the open Hā’ is the more prevalent pronunciation.
2. Others said that they agreed on the open Hā’ in the second instance to conform to the rhyme of the verses (the Fawāṣil).

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Verse 7: {مَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ} (His wealth and what he earned availed him nothing.)

Regarding the Almighty's saying: {مَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ}...