Surah Al-Masad
المسد
Surah Al-Masad is a 5-verse Meccan surah condemning Abu Lahab, the Prophet's uncle and fierce opponent, together with his wife.
- Meaning
- The Palm Fiber
- Surah
- 111 of 114
- Verses
- 5
- Revealed in
- Mecca
- Found in
- Juz 30
What Surah Al-Masad is about
Surah Al-Masad, "The Palm Fiber", also called Surah Lahab or Tabbat, is the only surah that names a specific opponent of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Abu Lahab was the Prophet's own uncle, yet he and his wife were among his most hostile enemies in Mecca.
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report the occasion. When the Prophet ﷺ was told to warn his near relatives, he climbed the hill of Safa and called the clans of Quraysh together. When he warned them of a coming punishment, Abu Lahab replied, may you perish, is this what you gathered us for. The surah answers him.
Verse 1 declares that the hands of Abu Lahab have perished, and he has perished. Verse 2 says his wealth and what he earned did not help him. Verse 3 says he will burn in a flaming fire, a play on his nickname, which means father of flame. Verses 4 and 5 describe his wife as the carrier of firewood, with a rope of palm fiber around her neck. Commentators explain that she spread thorns in the Prophet's path or spread gossip against him.
Main themes
Family ties do not save
Abu Lahab was the Prophet's uncle, yet kinship gave him no protection. What counts is how a person responds to the truth.
Verses 1–3Wealth cannot help
Verse 2 says his money and gains were of no use to him. The surah ties back to a recurring theme of the final juz.
Verse 2A partner in hostility
His wife is condemned with him, pictured carrying firewood with a rope of palm fiber. The image reflects her role in harming the Prophet ﷺ.
Verses 4–5
Verses to know
تَبَّتۡ يَدَآ أَبِي لَهَبٖ وَتَبَّ ﴿١﴾ مَآ أَغۡنَىٰ عَنۡهُ مَالُهُۥ وَمَا كَسَبَ ﴿٢﴾
1Condemned are the hands of Abee Lahab, and he is condemned. 2His wealth did not avail him, nor did what he acquired.
A direct answer to Abu Lahab's insult at Mount Safa, reported in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. It is the only place the Quran condemns a contemporary opponent by name.
وَٱمۡرَأَتُهُۥ حَمَّالَةَ ٱلۡحَطَبِ ﴿٤﴾ فِي جِيدِهَا حَبۡلࣱ مِّن مَّسَدِۭ ﴿٥﴾
4And his wife—the firewood carrier. 5Around her neck is a rope of thorns.
The image of the firewood carrier with a rope of palm fiber, which gives the surah its formal name, Al-Masad.
Surah Al-Masad in Arabic and English
All 5 verses, with the Arabic, a transliteration to help you read it aloud, and the English translation by Talal Itani.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
- 1
تَبَّتۡ يَدَآ أَبِي لَهَبٖ وَتَبَّ
Tabbat yada abee lahabin watabba
Condemned are the hands of Abee Lahab, and he is condemned.
- 2
مَآ أَغۡنَىٰ عَنۡهُ مَالُهُۥ وَمَا كَسَبَ
Ma aghna AAanhu maluhu wama kasaba
His wealth did not avail him, nor did what he acquired.
- 3
سَيَصۡلَىٰ نَارٗا ذَاتَ لَهَبٖ
Sayasla naran thata lahabin
He will burn in a Flaming Fire.
- 4
وَٱمۡرَأَتُهُۥ حَمَّالَةَ ٱلۡحَطَبِ
Waimraatuhu hammalata alhatabi
And his wife—the firewood carrier.
- 5
فِي جِيدِهَا حَبۡلࣱ مِّن مَّسَدِۭ
Fee jeediha hablun min masadin
Around her neck is a rope of thorns.
Surah Al-Masad PDF
The whole surah on printable pages: Arabic, transliteration and English side by side. Free to download, print and share.
Questions about Surah Al-Masad
Who was Abu Lahab?
Abu Lahab, whose name was Abd al-Uzza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, was the Prophet's uncle and one of his fiercest opponents in Mecca. His nickname means father of flame.
Why was Surah Al-Masad revealed?
Sahih al-Bukhari reports that when the Prophet ﷺ gathered Quraysh at Mount Safa to warn them, Abu Lahab cursed him, and this surah was revealed in response.
Is Surah Lahab the same as Surah Al-Masad?
Yes. The 111th surah is known as Al-Masad, Al-Lahab and Tabbat. It has 5 verses and was revealed in Mecca.
Who is the carrier of firewood in Surah Al-Masad?
She is Abu Lahab's wife, Umm Jamil. Commentators say she placed thorns in the Prophet's path or spread slander against him.