You are currently viewing Surah Al-Lahab (Surah Al-Masad) – Cause of Revelation, Story of Abu Lahab, and Lessons

Surah Al-Lahab (Surah Al-Masad) – Cause of Revelation, Story of Abu Lahab, and Lessons

سورة المسد / سورة اللهب – مكية – آياتها 5

Surah Al-Lahab (also known as Surah Al-Masad) is one of the most powerful chapters in the Qur’an, revealing the fate of one of Islam’s most hostile enemies, Abu Lahab. This Surah carries a strong message about the consequences of arrogance, disbelief, and hostility towards the message of Allah.


📜 Cause of Revelation

According to authentic narrations recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, when the verse “وَأَنذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ” (Warn your closest relatives – Qur’an 26:214) was revealed, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ climbed Mount Safa and called the people of Quraysh together, warning them of the coming punishment if they rejected Allah’s message.

He asked:

“If I were to tell you that the enemy is about to attack you in the morning or evening, would you believe me?”
They all replied, “Yes.”

The Prophet ﷺ then said:

“I am a warner to you before a severe punishment.”

At this, Abu Lahab, the Prophet’s uncle and one of his fiercest opponents, arrogantly replied:

“May you be ruined! Is this why you called us together?”

He even picked up a stone to throw at the Prophet ﷺ. In response, Allah revealed Surah Al-Lahab, announcing Abu Lahab’s doomed fate.


🔥 Who Was Abu Lahab? – Name and Nickname

Abu Lahab’s real name was ‘Abd al-‘Uzza, the son of Abdul-Muttalib. Because of his reddish complexion and glowing face, he was nicknamed Abu Lahab (“Father of Flame”). The Qur’an did not use his real name because it contained a reference to a pagan deity (‘Uzza), and instead used his nickname — which also matched the imagery of the flames of Hell where he would be punished.

Abu Lahab was notorious for his open hostility toward the Prophet ﷺ and Islam. Whenever the Prophet ﷺ invited people to Islam, Abu Lahab would follow him and loudly reject his message, often insulting and spreading lies about him.

💡 Key Lessons from Surah Al-Lahab

  1. Arrogance and enmity towards the truth lead to destruction.

  2. Lineage or social status cannot save a person from Allah’s punishment. Abu Lahab was the Prophet’s uncle, yet his kinship could not protect him.

  3. Opposition to Allah’s message harms no one except the rejecter.

  4. The Qur’an’s prophecies are true. Abu Lahab’s fate was sealed in revelation and fulfilled exactly as foretold.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful.

تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ ‎

Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he! 

تَبَّتْ

Perish [Quran]

Verb

تَبَّتْ is a past tense verb

تَبَّ يَتُبُّ تَبّاٍ ت ب ب 

يَدَآ 

Hand

nounيَدَانِ loses it’s ن, changing to يَدَآ due to it being a possessed nounي د ي

أَبِي

the father of

Nounالأَبِي loses it’s definite article, becoming أَبِي due to it being a possessed nounأ ب و

لَهَبٍ

flame, ardour of fire, fiery temper

Noun ل ه ب

وَ

and, also, but, whilst, at, together, with

Particle

Particle of linking

حَرْفُ عَطْفٍ

 

مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ

Neither his wealth benefited him, nor what he earned.

مَا

Not

Particle

Negative particle

مَا النَّافِيَةِ

 

أَغْنَىٰ

He fulfills the needs, enrich, render one wealthy

Verb

Form IV

أَغْنَى يُغْنِي اِغْنَاءٌغ ن ي

عَن

Particle

Particle of pulling down

حَرْفُ جَرٍّ

A preposition meaning Off, of, from, about, because, away from, out of, in spite of, concerning, on account of (seperation, compensation, transition, succession, remoteness), instead of, for, after, with, on the authority of 

هُ

Him 

His

he

Pronoun

Attached pronoun

ضَمِيْرٌ مُتَّصِلٌ

 
مَالُ noun

المَالُ loses it’s definite article, changing to مَالُ due to it being a possessed noun

Riches, Wealth, Substance, Possession

م و ل

مَا المَوْصُوْلِ

 مَا المَوْصُوْلِ is a conjunctive, relative pronoun meaning that, which, that which, whatsoever, as, as much, as much as, in such a manner as, as for as, any kind, when, how 

كَسَبَ

He earned, gained, did, accomplished, acquired

verbكَسَبَ يَكْسِبُ ك س ب

سَيَصْلَىٰ نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ

He will soon enter a Fire, full of flames, 

سَ

will

particle

Particle of futurity 

حَرْفُ اسْتِقْبَالٍ

It is considered to be an abbreviation of سَوْفَ and is prefixed to an imperfect verb to denote the meaning of future and is often used in conjunction with other prefixes such as فَ

 

يَصْلَى

he (will) burn in

verb

صَلِيَ  Past tense verb    فِعْلٌ مَاضٍ

 يَصْلَى  Present and future tense verb  فِعْلٌ مُضَارِعٌ

ص ل ي

نَارًا

Fire, burning flame, heat, war

noun ن و ر

ذَاتَ

possessing

noun

Demonstrative pronoun 

اِسْمُ الْإِشَارَةِ

 

لَهَبٍ

flame, ardour of fire, fiery temper

Noun  

وَامْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ

and his wife as well, -the wicked carrier of firewood. 

امْرَأَتُ

wife of

possessed nounالامْرَأَةُ loses it’s definite article, changing to امْرَأَتُ due to it being a possessed nounم ر أ

حَمَّالَةَ

Woman who carries much or frequently, portress

nounالحَمَّالَةَ loses it’s definite article, becoming حَمَّالَةَ due to it being a possessed nounح م ل

الحَطَبِ

Fire-wood

Slander

nounالجمع : أحطابح ط ب

فِي جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍ

. Around her neck, there is (a collar of iron, like) a well-twisted rope.

فِي

Particle

حَرْفُ جَرٍّ

in, into, amongst, in company with, during, with, of, for, for the sake of, upon, concerning, after, in comparison, about, among, on account of, respecting, by the side of, on, by, against, according to, in respect of 

جِيْدِ

nounجمع أجياد 

حَبْلٌ

rope

nounالجمع : أحبالٌ 

مَسَدٍ

To twist a fibre of a cord strongly

nounالجمع : أمساد و مِساد 

Book a FREE Trial Class

Book your FREE trial class through our Contact Us page, or chat with us on WhatsApp.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.