Surah # 111 - Al Lahab

(Arabic: سورة لهب) - (meaning 'the father of flame') also called as Surah Al Masad

(Arabic: سورة المسد‎) -Meaning "a rope of palm fibre"

This is the 111th Surah of the Quran with 5 verses.

      PERIOD OF REVELATION

Narrated Ibn Abbas: When the Verse:- 'And warn your tribe of near-kindred(26:214), was revealed, the Prophet (pbuh) ascended the Safa (mountain) and started calling, "O Bani Fihr! O Bani `Adi!" addressing various tribes of Quraysh tribe till they were assembled.

Abu Lahab and other people from Quraish came and the Prophet (pbuh) then said, "Suppose I told you that there is an (enemy) cavalry in the valley intending to attack you, would you believe me?"

They said, "Yes, for we have not found you telling anything other than the truth." He then said, "I am a warner to you in face of a terrific punishment."

Abu Lahab said (to the Prophet) "May your hands perish all this day. Is it for this purpose you have gathered us?" Then it was revealed: "Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he! His wealth and his children will not profit him...."

       THEME

In this Surah, Allah condemns Abu lahab (uncle of prophet Muhammad Pbuh) and his wife Umm Jamil.

In Makkah Abu Lahab was the next door neighbor of the Prophet. Their houses were separated by a wall. Besides him, Hakam bin As (Father of Marwan), Uqbah bin Abi Muait, Adi bin Hamra and Ibn al-Asda il-Hudhali also were his neighbors.

These people did not allow him to have peace even in his own house. Sometimes when He was performing the Prayer, they would place the goat's stomach on him; sometimes when food was being cooked in the courtyard, they would throw filth at the cooking pot.

The Prophet Muhammad salallaahu 'alaihi wasallam would sometimes come out and say: "O Bani Abdi Manaf, what kind of neighborliness is it?"

Abu Lahab's wife, Umm Jamil (Abu Sufyan's sister), had made it a practice to cast thorns at his door in the night so that when he or his children came out of the house at dawn, they should run thorns in the foot.

When the Prophet’s son Qasim ibn Muhammad (died 605) passed away, Abu Lahab came out of his house screaming and dancing. And he says Batara Muhammadun – Muhammed has had his lineage cut off.

On account of these very misdeeds this man was condemned in this Surah by name. And as for his wife, the PALM FIBRE rope in Hellfire shall be twisted around her neck. For she took great pride in wearing an ostentatious necklace.

   COMMENTARY

When the  Messenger's own uncle was taken to task publicly the people understood that there was no room for preference or partiality in their faith. A non-relative could become a near and dear one if he believed, and a near relation becomes a non-relative if he disbelieved. Thus, there is no place for the ties of blood in religion.

SubhanAllah!