فِى جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍۭ 5
Translations
Around her neck is a rope of [twisted] fiber.
Transliteration
Fī jīdihā hablun min masad
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes a rope of palm fiber around the neck of Abū Lahab's wife, Umm Jamīlah, on the Day of Judgment as a sign of her punishment. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Ṭabarī explain this as a concrete depiction of the humiliation and torment awaiting those who opposed the Prophet ﷺ and his message. The rope symbolizes both her spiritual bondage due to her enmity toward Islam and the physical manifestation of divine punishment in the Hereafter.
Revelation Context
Sūrah Al-Masad was revealed in Mecca as a direct response to the hostility of Abū Lahab (the Prophet's uncle) and his wife toward the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the early Muslim community. This surah explicitly names the disbelievers and their fate, making it unique among the surahs of the Quran. Verse 5 specifically addresses the punishment of Umm Jamīlah, who was known for her fierce opposition and for spreading thorns on the Prophet's path.
Related Hadiths
Hadith in Sunan Ibn Mājah and other collections mentions that Umm Jamīlah used to carry firewood to throw on the path of the Prophet ﷺ, directly referenced in verse 4 of this surah. Additionally, various hadiths emphasize the severe punishment awaiting those who actively opposed the Prophet and the message of Islam.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that opposition to God's message and His Prophet carries severe eternal consequences, serving as a deterrent against hostility toward Islam. It also affirms that divine justice is absolute and that no amount of worldly power or position shields one from accountability before Allah on the Day of Judgment.
Related Ayahs
ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَـٰذَا ٱلَّذِى كُنتُم بِهِۦ تُكَذِّبُونَ
Then it will be said [to them], "This is what you used to deny."
وَقَالُوا۟ لَن تَمَسَّنَا ٱلنَّارُ إِلَّآ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَةً ۚ قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَن يُخْلِفَ ٱللَّهُ عَهْدَهُۥٓ ۖ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And they say, "Never will the Fire touch us, except for [a few] numbered days." Say, "Have you taken a covenant with Allāh? For Allāh will never break His covenant. Or do you say about Allāh that which you do not know?"
وَوُضِعَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبُ فَتَرَى ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَـٰوَيْلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّآ أَحْصَىٰهَا ۚ وَوَجَدُوا۟ مَا عَمِلُوا۟ حَاضِرًا ۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا
And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one.
قُلْ تَرَبَّصُوا۟ فَإِنِّى مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْمُتَرَبِّصِينَ
Say, "Wait, for indeed I am, with you, among the waiters."