Surah Lahab (Masad) Meaning in Hindi & English, Word by Word
Surah Lahab — also called Surah Masad — is about one man and his wife, named directly in the Quran. Its meaning: "The power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish. His wealth and gains will not exempt him. He will be plunged in flaming Fire, and his wife, the wood-carrier, will have upon her neck a halter of palm-fibre."
Most short surahs speak in general terms — "man", "those who believe", "the disbelievers". This one is different. It names a real person from the Prophet's own family. That makes it one of the most story-like surahs in the last part of the Quran.
Who was Abu Lahab?
Abu Lahab was an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Instead of supporting his nephew, he became one of the fiercest opponents of Islam in Makkah. His wife, too, is mentioned in this surah.
"Abu Lahab" was a nickname, meaning roughly "father of flame" — abū is "father" and lahab is "flame". Keep that in mind as you read, because the word lahab comes back in verse 3, where it describes the Fire. The man known as "father of flame" is told of a fire dhāta lahab — "of flame".
The lesson is not about family pride. Being the Prophet's own uncle did not help Abu Lahab at all. What counts is belief and deeds, not whose relative you are.
Surah Lahab meaning in English and Roman Urdu (verse by verse)
The power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish.
Abu Lahab ke donon haath toot gaye aur woh (khud) halaak barbaad ho gaya
Surah Al-Masad · 111:1
His wealth and gains will not exempt him.
Na to us ka maal us ke kaam aaya aur na us ki kamaai
Surah Al-Masad · 111:2
He will be plunged in flaming Fire,
Woh anqareeb jald hi bhadakne wali aag mein jaayega
Surah Al-Masad · 111:3
And his wife, the wood-carrier,
Aur us ki biwi bhi (jaayegi,) jo lakdiyaan dhone wali hai
Surah Al-Masad · 111:4
Will have upon her neck a halter of palm-fibre.
Us ki gardan mein post chhaal khajoor ki bati hui rassi hogi
Surah Al-Masad · 111:5
Surah Lahab meaning in Hindi: "Abu Lahab ke dono haath toot gaye aur woh barbaad ho gaya. Na uska maal uske kaam aaya, na uski kamaai. Woh jald hi bhadakti aag mein jaayega, aur uski biwi bhi, jo lakdiyaan dhone wali hai. Uski gardan mein khajoor ki chhaal ki bati hui rassi hogi."
You'll notice the two translations of verse 1 look different. The Roman Urdu stays close to the words: haath toot gaye — "hands broke". Pickthall renders the sense instead: "the power of Abu Lahab will perish" — in Arabic, as in Urdu, a person's "hands" can stand for what he does and holds.
Surah Lahab word by word
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning | In the book |
|---|---|---|---|
| تَبَّتْ | tabbat | perished, are ruined | — |
| يَدَآ | yadā | the two hands (of) | word #145 yad (hand) — 120 times |
| أَبِى | abī | father (of) | word #238 ab — 46 times |
| لَهَبٍ | lahab | flame | — |
| وَتَبَّ | wa tabba | and he perished | — |
| مَآ | mā | not | word #13 mā (not) — 973 times |
| أَغْنَىٰ | aghnā | availed, helped | — |
| عَنْهُ | ʿanhu | him (from him) | word #21 ʿan + hu |
| مَالُهُۥ | māluhu | his wealth | word #90 māl — 86 times |
| وَمَا | wa mā | and what | wa + word #7 mā (what, that which) |
| كَسَبَ | kasaba | he earned | word #95 — 62 times |
| سَيَصْلَىٰ | sa-yaṣlā | he will burn (enter) | — |
| نَارًا | nāran | a fire | word #165 nār — 145 times |
| ذَاتَ | dhāta | having, of | word #242 dhū — 156 times |
| وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ | wa-mraʾatuhu | and his wife | word #453 imraʾa — 26 times |
| حَمَّالَةَ | ḥammālata | carrier (of) | — |
| ٱلْحَطَبِ | al-ḥaṭab | the firewood | — |
| فِى | fī | in, on | word #4 |
| جِيدِهَا | jīdihā | her neck | — |
| حَبْلٌ | ḥabl | a rope | — |
| مِّن | min | of | word #1 |
| مَّسَدٍۭ | masad | palm fibre | — |
Spot the two mā's in verse 2. The first means not (mā aghnā — "did not avail"), and the second means what (wa mā kasab — "and what he earned"). Same spelling, two jobs. Context always tells you which.
"His wealth did not help him" — a phrase that echoes
Verse 2 says Abu Lahab's māl (wealth) and his kasb (earnings) did not save him. Almost the same words appear in Surah Al-Haqqah, in a scene of the Day of Judgement:
My wealth hath not availed me,
Mere maal ne bhi mujhe kuch nafa na diya
Surah Al-Haqqah · 69:28
Mā aghnā ʿanhu māluh — "his wealth did not avail him". Mā aghnā ʿannī māliyah — "my wealth did not avail me". Once you know mā (not) and māl (wealth), you'll recognise both verses instantly. This is how Quran vocabulary pays off: learn a word in one surah, and it unlocks lines in others.
What Surah Lahab teaches
- Relationships don't replace faith. Abu Lahab was family to the Prophet ﷺ, and it did not help him.
- Wealth and status don't save anyone. Māl and kasb, the two things people rely on most, are named — and dismissed.
- Opposing the truth has consequences, for the one who does it and for those who help him in it.
When is Surah Lahab commonly recited?
It is one of the short surahs many people learn as children and recite in namaz after Surah Al-Fatiha. It sits between Surah An-Nasr and Surah Al-Ikhlas, so people who recite the last surahs in order will pass through it often.
A namaz tip: listen for your "known" words
In this surah, the words you are most likely to already know are yad (hand), ab (father), māl (wealth), nār (fire) and imraʾa (wife) — five concrete, picture-words. When you recite it in namaz, let each one bring its picture: two hands, a father, wealth, fire, a wife. You'll follow the story even without knowing every word.
Read next
The next surah in the Mushaf is Surah Ikhlas — a striking contrast, from one man's end to Allah's oneness. For the surah just before it, see Surah Nasr meaning. If picture-words like yad and nār help you, Quran vocabulary for beginners is a good next step, and words about the Akhirah in the Quran covers nār and its family.
All the numbered words above — yad, ab, māl, kasaba, nār, imraʾa — are taught with a real verse and Roman Urdu meaning in 600 Words of the Quran.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Abu Lahab?
Abu Lahab was an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ who strongly opposed his message.
What does 'Tabbat yada abi lahab' mean?
Pickthall: 'The power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish.' The Roman Urdu reads: Abu Lahab ke donon haath toot gaye aur woh (khud) halaak ho gaya. 'Yada' literally means 'the two hands'.
Why is it called both Surah Lahab and Surah Masad?
Surahs are often named after a word in them. 'Lahab' (flame) appears in verses 1 and 3; 'masad' (palm fibre) is the last word of verse 5.
How many verses are in Surah Lahab?
Surah Al-Lahab (also called Al-Masad) is the 111th surah of the Quran and has 5 verses.
