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This is a continuation of a series on the structure and organization of the Quran. The goal is to help the reader appreciate the amazing coherence of Allah’s 
word and dismantle the myth of the “random” and “unorganized” Quran.
سُورَة المَسَد
Sūrat al-Masad
Sūrat al-Masad (The Palm-Fiber) is a unique sūrah in that it is wholly dedicated to the condemnation of two individual disbelievers from the time of the Messenger ﷺ; his uncle, Abu Lahab, and Abu Lahab’s wife.1 It was revealed towards the end of the Makkan period, at the height of the persecution the Muslims were experiencing.
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It is one of the shortest suwar and appears to be organized in a ring structure.
| A – May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, and he himself perish! (1) |
| B – Neither his wealth nor worldly gains will benefit him (2) |
| C – He will burn in a flaming Fire, (3) |
| B’ – and his wife, the carrier of firewood, (4) |
| A’ – around her neck will be a rope of palm-fiber [in Hell]. (5) |
Connections
[A]/[A’] – The sūrah begins with the immediate condemnation of the uncle of the Messenger ﷺ, Abu Lahab. On the opposite end of the sūrah lies the condemnation and punishment for Abu Lahab’s disbelieving wife. In the case of Abu Lahab, Allah ﷻ mentions his “hands” and for the wife, her “neck.”
[B]/[B’] – In [B], Allah ﷻ tells us that the wealth and actions of Abu Lahab will not protect him from the Fire. In [B’], his wife is told the same thing. “The carrier of firewood” actually holds multiple meanings which describe both her livelihood and her actions.2 On one hand, it tells of her job wherein she used to transport firewood for people. On the other, it is a reference to how she used to drop wood and kindling in the path of the Messenger ﷺ to obstruct his path. Taken together, neither her wealth nor her actions will benefit her.
[C] – The center contains the main thesis of the sūrah. Abu Lahab (and his wife) have been condemned to the Fire for their insolence towards the Messenger ﷺ. Abu Lahab is actually the nickname of the uncle and translates to “the father of the flame,” which is a reference to his handsomeness and reddish skin tone. In an ironic usage of the word, Allah ﷻ uses the same word, “lahab (flame)” to describe the Flame which Abu Lahab is destined to enter.
In summary, the sūrah appears to be organized as so:
| A – May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, and he himself perish! | A – Condemnation of Abu Lahab; reference to his hands |
| B – Neither his wealth nor worldly gains will benefit him | B – Wealth and actions will not help him |
| C – He will burn in a flaming Fire, | C – Ironic usage of his name to condemn Abu Lahab to the fire |
| B’ – and his wife, the carrier of firewood, | B’ – wealth and actions will not help his wife |
| A’ – around her neck will be a rope of palm-fibre. | A’ – Condemnation of his wife; reference to her neck |
And Allah ﷻ knows best.
[If the study of the Quran’s structure interests you, please check out Heavenly Order for many more examples of the Quran’s amazing organization and coherence]
Related:
– Structural Cohesion In The Quran [A Series]: Surah Al Fatihah – MuslimMatters.org
– Structural Cohesion In The Quran [A Series]: Surah Al Ikhlas – MuslimMatters.org
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