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Abu Lahab (Arabic: أبو لهب, meaning Father of Flame) (c. death 624) was one of the enemies of Islam at Muhammad's time, condemned by name in the Qur'an in sura Al-Masadd. His full name was Abd-al-Uzza, but he was called Abu Lahab because his cheeks were always red or inflamed. His wife was Umm Jamil, who gave him two sons, Utbah ibn Abu Lahab and Utaybah bin Abu Lahab.
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When Muhammad claimed he was instructed by God to spread the message of Islam openly, he was told by the Qur'an to warn his kinsfolk about the punishment of God. In doing so, Muhammad climbed Mount Safa and shouted: Wa sabahah! which means "O calamity of the morning!" This alarm in Arabia was raised by the person who noticed early at dawn an enemy tribe advancing against his tribe. So when Muhammad did this, people asked who was the one who made the call. They were told that it was Muhammad. When all the people assembled, Muhammad addressed the clans by name. "O Bani Hashim, O Bani Abdul Muttalib... etc., If I were to tell you that behind this hill there is an enemy about to attack you, would you believe me?" The people responded that they would, since Muhammad was known to be honest. Muhammad continued and said "Then I warn you that you are heading for a torment." Before anybody could speak, Abu Lahab said: "Woe be on you the rest of the day! Is that what you summoned us for?" Another tradition recalls Abu Lahab picking up a stone to throw at Muhammad.
Once Abu Lahab asked Muhammad: "If I were to accept your religion, what would I get?" Muhammad replied: "You would get what the other believers would get." Abu Lahab responded: "Is there no preference or distinction for me?" In which Muhammad replied, "What else do you want?" Abu Lahab replied back: "May this religion perish in which I and all other people should be equal and alike!"
Due to his hostility towards Islam, Muslims believe that Allah had sent down a sura, Al-Masadd (The Palm Fiber, Flame). Its English translation by Sahih International.[1]
In the name of God, the most passionate, the most merciful (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم)
Muhammad was protected somewhat by the influence of his family, but even he was subjected to such abuse; while he was praying near the Kaaba, Abu Lahab threw the entrails of a sacrificed goat over him.
The first people to reach Mecca with the news of the Quraysh defeat in the Battle of Badr were al-Haysuman and Abdullah, al-Khuzai's son, who bewailed the fact that so many of their chieftains had fallen on the battlefield. In the large tent of Zamzam, the converts Abu Rafi, former slave of ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib freed by Muhammad and Abbas' wife, Lubaba bint al-Harith (Umm Fadl) sat sharpening their arrows. They had both been overjoyed to hear the news of Muhammad's victory, however, they felt it was more prudent to restrain their happiness.
As they sharpened the arrows, Abu Lahab who had not taken part in the encounter but sent al-As in his place entered. His face looked as black as thunder as he sat himself down at the other end of the tent with his back toward Abu Rafi. Not long after Abu Lahab heard some others in the tent saying, "Abu Sufyan, Al Harith's son has returned," whereupon he looked up, saw his nephew and called him. A small crowd gathered around the two as Abu Sufyan told his uncle, "The facts are the Quraysh met our enemy and turned their backs. They put us to flight taking prisoners as they pleased, I cannot blame our tribesmen because they faced not only them but men wearing white robes riding piebald horses, who were between heaven and earth. They spared nothing and no one had a chance."
When Umm Fadl and Abu Rafi heard the news of the men in white riding between heaven and earth, they could no longer contain their happiness and Abu Rafi exclaimed for all to hear, "They were angels!" Abu Rafi's outburst was more than Abu Lahab could bear, in a raging fury he forced Abu Rafi, who was frail, to the ground and struck him over and over again. Umm Fadl grabbed hold of a tent pole that lay nearby and with all her might hit her brother-in-law's head with it crying out. "Do you think that you can abuse him just because Abbas is away!" She wounded him so severely that his head was split open and laid bare part of his skull. The wound was never to heal, it turned septic and its poison spread rapidly through his entire body erupting into open pustules that caused his death within the week.
When he died, his family, fearing that they might be afflicted with disease -- for they feared the plague, and his condition resembled it -- were hesitant to bury him and so they left his decaying body decomposing in his home for two or three nights. It was only when someone rebuked them strongly saying, "It is disgraceful, you should be ashamed of yourselves to leave your father to rot in his house and not bury him from the sight of men!" that they did something. With great reluctance and from a safe distance, his sons threw water over his body, then removed his corpse and left it by a wall on a high piece of ground outside Mecca and threw stones over it until it was completely covered.
Abu Lahab's slave 'Ursa Thuwaybah al-Islamiah fed Muhammad milk. After she informed him that his brother's wife Aminah had given birth to a son Abu Lahab freed her due to his happiness, and was rewarded by having his punishment reduced.[2]
It is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad said;
“When Abu Lahab died, some of his family members saw him in a dream in a very terrible state. They asked him what he experienced so far and what happened in the grave. He replied, After parting from you, I have not found any rest, good or relief. However because I released Thuwaybah, I get water every Monday from the finger with which I pointed for her to go free and I feel some comfort."—Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62: Kitabun Nikaah (Wedlock, Marriage), Hâdith Number 38.[3]
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