Surah 111
Al-Masad
المسد
5 verses · Meccan
Key structural observations
- Tabbat then wa-tabb repeat the same root: the hands are named, then the judgement reaches Abū Lahab himself (1).
- The first mā denies the help of wealth; the second introduces what was earned. Māluhu and mā kasab are united in powerlessness before the judgement (2).
- Lahab moves from the man’s designation to that of fire. Past forms of judgement precede sa-yaṣlā, announcing future punishment (1, 3).
- The wife enters through wa-mraʾatuhu and is described as ḥammālata l-ḥaṭab. Wood follows fire in neighbouring verses (3–4).
- Fī jīdihā places the neck first, then names the rope and its material. The passage moves from Abū Lahab’s hands to his wife’s neck, two distinct people (1, 5).