Lesson Nine
Fortress of Palm Fiber
(Al-Masad Surah )
In the Name of God, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful
1- "Failing were the hands of Abu Lahab, and so was he" .
2- "His wealth has not availed him, nor his gains."
3- "He shall suffer a flaming fire (Hell)."
4- "And so shall his wife, carrier of firewood."
5- "In her neck, there was a rope of palm fiber."
The evils that we can be safe from, if we seek refuge in our Provider and resort to our Creator have been clarified to us in ‘An-Nas’ and ‘Al-Falaq’ Fortresses; we have been acquainted with His Attributes in ‘Al-Ikhlas’ Fortress, so that – with such knowledge – we can attain an incentive which urges us to enter into His Presence, and a motive that drives us to resort to Him, now, in this noble Fortress, the Almighty God wanted to show us the necessity of resorting to Him and entering into His Presence. For this reason, He told us the results of shunning Him and described the state of being far from God. He says:
Verse no. 1
28. "Failing were the hands of Abu Lahab, and so was he."
"Failing were the hands of one" so-and-so means that they were unable to achieve the deeds they intended to do.
"Abu Lahab" is a man descended from Quraish. He was an uncle of the greatest Envoy (PBUH).
In pre-Islamic times, Abu Lahab was rich and wealthy. He used to lend people money and to get interest and usury on this. When God sent His messenger out with guidance and the right religion, Abu Lahab felt concerned about his worldly desires. This man stood against the Messenger (PBUH) and set to opposing him, thinking that he could repel what was right, or that he would be able to extinguish the Light of God. However, "Failing were the hands of Abu Lahab…" , that is, he fell short, and was unable to resist what was right, and his efforts came to nothing.
"…and so was he" : That is, he was faced with full and perpetual defeat. He could not refute what was right through his opposition, but on the contrary, his attempts entailed shame and defeat for him in the worldly life. Indeed, his deeds also brought defeat upon him in the other abode. In this way, he became one of the people of fire who will abide therein forever.
So, the whole meaning of the statement "Failing were the hands of Abu Lahab…" in short is that Abu Lahab failed to drive what was right away or refute it, and his opposition was useless and resulted nothing for him.
"…and so was he" , that is, he has fully and eternally made himself perish. He lost his life here and the honour he would have got had if he became a Muslim, and he also lost his life in the Hereafter and the bliss he would have enjoyed therein.
Verse no. 2
29. "His wealth has not availed him, nor his gains."
that is, when Abu Lahab amassed whatever money he was able to amass, and once he had opposed what he wanted to oppose, his reason was to protect his life and to continue enjoying the pursuit of his desires. However, when God’s Judgment came and he was found to deserve perdition, his wealth did not save him or help him at all. The deeds which he did in his life and which were to be gains out of it, could not protect him from God’s Judgment. So it was that torment afflicted him and misery befell him forever and ever.
Verse no. 3
30. "He shall suffer a flaming fire."
"Suffer" : experience pain or difficulty.
"Fire" refers to a substance shining and burning. The meaning intended here by the word "Fire" is the evil that was mixed with the spirit of Abu Lahab, and the burning lusts and wickedness that grew therein.
"Flaming fire" means a great burning and blazing fire.
What we understand of the verse "He shall suffer a flaming fire" is that the bad deeds which Abu Lahab did will be a flaming fire inside him at his death. The mean desires that arose in his spirit will burn him, and for him they will be an immaterial fire.
In such a case, his evil deeds will then become his fire and his torment. The vicious spirit of the opposer turns into their own immaterial fire which inflames and burns them.
Because of God’s Compassion, in order to treat his disease and his misery– which caused his spirit to experience such fire and painful torture – He gives orders to throw him into the Fire. The pain of this Fire would act as treatment for the spiritual fire that he is feeling, and its burning would serve to reduce the spiritual burning he is suffering.
We seek refuge in God from the state of people of Fire, as they suffer two kinds of fire. God says: "This is Jahannam (the fire of loss and evil deeds) which the criminals deny. They move between it and a temporal Fire in rotation." The Holy Qur‟an, Fortress 55, Ar-Rahman (The Mercy Giving), verse 43-44
Verse no. 4
31. "And so shall his wife, carrier of Firewood."
In this noble verse, there is a demonstration of the torment that will arise in the spirit of Abu-Lahab’s wife as well as what caused her such suffering.
God says: "And so shall his wife,…" that is, her spirit shall also be in hell at the hour of her death, and like her husband’s state, the malicious deeds that she perpetrated during her life will turn into a fire burning inside her.
Then the Almighty revealed what caused that to happen to her, saying "…carrier of Firewood" ; ―Firewood" is what comes from trees to be fuel for the fire, but ‘wood’ here is meant to refer to the deeds which this woman was carrying out. This specifically refers to her efforts to turn people away from God, and her instigation of efforts to inflame sedition against the Envoy (PBUH).
It was these deeds, this instigation and this sedition which were the wood she was carrying. This was what would ultimately draw those pains down upon her and put her in the same position as her husband, suffering what he suffered. Therefore, her spirit will completely become a flaming fire, causing her bitter torment and leading her to undergo everlasting Fire on Doomsday.
Verse no. 5
32. "In her neck, there was a cable of palm fiber."
The words "her neck" refer to the speech which passes through her neck, issuing from her spirit and chest and running down by her tongue.
The phrase "cable of palm fiber" aims to describe this connected and continuous speech as well as the spiritual state that existed inside her, specifically her intention and her determination to cause harm, her full resolution to oppose the Envoy (PBUH).
Therefore, what we understand of the verse: "In her neck, there was a cable of palm fiber" is that evil words were emanating from her spirit, running along her tongue and continuing like the continuity of a rope, and that these words were arising from a full intention and a firm determination inside her. They were like a well-knit rope which can hardly be cut.
If you, human, do not get close to your Provider or truly seek refuge in Him, you will certainly and undoubtedly do what Abu Lahab and his wife did, you will fall into what they fell into.
God says: "Whoever does good, does it for himself..." The Holy Qur’an, Fortress 41, Fussilat (Explained), verse 46
He also says:"And whoever strives hard, strives for the good of his own spirit only. Surely Allah is Self-Sufficient, in absolute independence of all the worlds." The Holy Qur‟an, Fortress 29, Al-‟Ankabut (The Spider), verse