Tafseer of The Palm Fibre · Al-Masad · 111:1
May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of the words of Allah, the Exalted, whose praise is glorified and whose names are sanctified: تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ (May the hands of Abū Lahab perish, and perished is he.) — (111:1)
Allah, the Exalted, whose remembrance is glorified, says: Perished are the hands of Abū Lahab, and perished is he. By His words تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ He means: his deeds are lost. Some of the scholars of Arabic said: His words تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ are a supplication of Allah against him.
As for His words وَتَبَّ — that is a statement of fact. It is reported that in the reading of ʿAbd Allāh this reads: "tabbat yadā Abī Lahabin wa-qad tabb." The use of "qad" in it indicates that it is a statement of fact. This is compared to one person's saying to another: "May Allah destroy you" and "Truly, He has destroyed you," and "May He make you righteous" and "Truly, He has made you righteous."
With what we have said concerning the meaning of تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ the scholars of exegesis are in agreement.
Mention of those who said this:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ: that is to say: lost and perished.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning the words of Allah تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ — he said: al-tabb is loss. He said: Abū Lahab asked the Prophet ﷺ: "What do I get, O Muḥammad, if I believe in you?" He said: "What the Muslims get." Abū Lahab said: "Am I then not better than they?" He said: "What do you seek?" He said: "Perished is this religion, perished!" — that I and these people should be equal. Then Allah revealed: تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ — He says: because of what their hands have done.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ — he said: perished are the hands of Abū Lahab and perished is he.
It is said that this sūra was revealed concerning Abū Lahab, because when وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الأَقْرَبِينَ was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ, he gathered his kinsfolk for the daʿwa, and Abū Lahab said to him: "Perish you for the rest of the day! Is it for this that you have gathered us?"
Mention of the reports transmitted concerning this:
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Abū Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of ʿAmr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: One day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ climbed al-Ṣafā and called out: "Yā ṣabāḥāh!" The Quraysh gathered around him and said: What is the matter with you? He said: "How would it be if I were to tell you that an enemy would attack you in the morning or in the evening — would you not believe me?" They said: Yes. He said: "Then I am a warner to you, standing before a severe punishment." Abū Lahab said: "Perish you for the rest of the day! Is it for this that you have gathered us?" Allah then revealed: تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ — to the end of it.
Abū al-Sāʾib related to me, saying: Abū Muʿāwiya related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of ʿAmr, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, likewise.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Ibn Numayr related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: When وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الأَقْرَبِينَ was revealed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood upon al-Ṣafā and called out: "Yā ṣabāḥāh!" The people gathered around him, some coming themselves and others sending a messenger. He said: "O Banū Hāshim, O Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, O Banū Fihr, O Banū... O Banū — how would it be if I were to tell you that there are horsemen at the foot of this mountain" — that is to say: who intend to attack you — "would you then believe me?" They said: Yes. He said: "Then I am a warner to you, standing before a severe punishment." Abū Lahab said: "Perish you for the rest of the day! Is it for this that you have gathered us?" Then was revealed: تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Abū Usāma related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of ʿAmr ibn Murra, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: When this verse was revealed: وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الأَقْرَبِينَ and the sincere ones among them from his kinsfolk, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out and climbed al-Ṣafā and called out: "Yā ṣabāḥāh!" They said: "Who is it that calls?" They said: Muḥammad. They gathered around him. He said: "O Banū So-and-so, O Banū So-and-so, O Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, O Banū ʿAbd Manāf." They gathered around him. He said: "How would it be if I were to tell you that there are horsemen coming forth at the foot of this mountain — would you then believe me?" They said: We have never caught you in a lie. He said: "Then I am a warner to you, standing before a severe punishment." Abū Lahab said: "Perish you! Is it for this that you have gathered us?" Then he stood up, and this sūra was revealed: "Tabbat yadā Abī Lahabin wa-qad tabb" — thus did al-Aʿmash read — to the end of the sūra.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, concerning his words تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ — he said: When the Prophet ﷺ summoned him and others — and Abū Lahab was the uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, and his name was ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā — he named them, and Abū Lahab said: "Perish you! Have you summoned us for this?" Then Allah revealed: تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ.
