1تَبَّت يَدا أَبي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّMir Ahmed AliMay1 perish both the hands of Abu-Lahab, may perish (he himself),‘Abu-Lahab’, i.e., the father of the flames whose name was Abdul-Uzza, was a man of a fiery temperament. The Holy Prophet as commanded by God gathered all his relatives to announce for the first time openly, that he was the apostle of God. Abu-Lahab was also in the assembly, for he was the uncle of the Holy Prophet (he was a cousin of Abdul Muttalib, the Holy Prophet’s grandfather). When the Holy Prophet addressing the assembly asked “If I tell you that there is a huge army of an enemy camping at the foot of this mountain on the other side of it, will ye believe me?” The whole assembly unanimously said “Certainly we will believe, for thou hast never told a lie.” “Then” said the Holy Prophet “I have come from God as a Warner to preach the Unity of the Lord!” Hearing this Abu-Lahab exclaimed “Perdition to thee! Was it for this thou summoned us all?” This verse refers to the heavenly curse invoked on the two hands of Abu-Lahab with which he raised the stone to throw it on the Holy Prophet. Abu-Lahab was one of the worst enemies of the Holy Prophet for preaching Islam. Once Abu-Lahab was found going behind the Holy Prophet passing through the market-place called ‘Zul-Mujaz’ shouting behind, to the people not to listen to the Holy Prophet saying that he was a mad man and pelting stones on him, the Holy Prophet walked with bleeding wounds in his heels. Abu-Lahab died a week after the defeat of Meccans at Badr with some contagious disease and since his body gave out an unbearable foul smell, was left unburied for three days and a last some slaves were hired to bury it. The verse prophesies perdition for Abu-Lahab both in this life and in the hereafter.Abu-Lahab and his wife being specifically mentioned as the cursed ones among the enemies of Islam, is just to emphasise that no relationship whatsoever even with the Holy Prophet can be of any avail when the person lachs in faith. It is well said: Certainly did cause fall to Abu-Lahab, the noble Shirk, polytheism. And certainly raised Salman-e-Farsi—his Islam—to the state of being one of the Holy Ahlul-Bait (A.P.)