Explanations are simplified from tafsirs by Ibn Kathir, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Spot an inaccuracy? Let us know.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
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1
١
tabbat yadā abī lahabin watabba
May the hands of Abū Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he.
2
٢
mā aghnā ʿanhu māluhu wamā kasaba
His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained.
3
٣
sayaṣlā nāran dhāta lahabin
He will [enter to] burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame
4
٤
wa-im'ra-atuhu ḥammālata l-ḥaṭabi
And his wife [as well] - the carrier of firewood.
5
٥
fī jīdihā ḥablun min masadin
Around her neck is a rope of [twisted] fiber.
Surah Al-Masad (The Palm Fiber) — Full Text
Ayah 1
تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ
May the hands of Abū Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he.1
Abu Lahab was the Prophet's own uncle, and when the Prophet gathered his people on a mountain to warn them about God's punishment, Abu Lahab stood up and said "May you perish! Is this why you called us here?" So God turned those exact words right back on him — may his hands perish and may he perish. It's a powerful moment: the very curse Abu Lahab threw at the Prophet became his own destiny. Being family didn't give him a pass, and his arrogance sealed his fate.
Ayah 2
مَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُۥ وَمَا كَسَبَ
His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained.
Abu Lahab was wealthy and had many children, and he actually bragged that even if what the Prophet said was true, he'd just buy his way out of punishment on Judgment Day. This verse shuts that down completely — none of his money or his kids could save him. It's a timeless reminder that wealth and status mean absolutely nothing when it comes to your standing with God. You can't swipe your way out of accountability.
Ayah 3
سَيَصْلَىٰ نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ
He will [enter to] burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame
Here's the irony: Abu Lahab's nickname literally means "Father of Flame" because of his bright, ruddy complexion — and now he's told he'll be thrown into a fire full of flames. The very thing he was known for in this world became a preview of what awaited him. His pride, his cruelty toward the Prophet, and his rejection of the truth all led him to the same fire he was metaphorically named after.
Ayah 4
وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ حَمَّالَةَ ٱلْحَطَبِ
And his wife [as well] - the carrier of firewood.1
Abu Lahab's wife, Umm Jamil, was just as toxic — she used to scatter thorns and sharp branches on the paths where the Prophet would walk, trying to physically hurt him. She was also known for spreading rumors and gossip to stir up hatred against him. Being described as "the carrier of firewood" captures both her literal cruelty and her role as someone who constantly fueled the flames of conflict and persecution.
Ayah 5
فِى جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍۭ
Around her neck is a rope of [twisted] fiber.
The surah ends with a vivid image: around her neck will be a rope of twisted palm fiber — or as some explain it, a chain of iron in the Hereafter. In this life, she proudly carried her bundles of thorns to harm the Prophet, with the rope slung around her neck. In the next life, that same rope becomes her punishment. The tools of her cruelty become the instruments of her own downfall — a fitting end for someone who chose hatred over truth.