Verse 5
The Palm Fiber • makkah
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Commentary:
حمالة الحطب (the carrier of firewood). حطب is inf. noun from حطب (hataba) which means, he collected firewood, حطب به means he slandered him. They say ھو یحمل الحطب بین الناس i.e. he goes about spreading calumny or slander among the people (Lane & Aqrab).
امرأته (his wife) is syn. with زوج which among other things means, an associate, a comrade, wife (Lane).
Commentary:
The reference in the verse seems to be to Abu Lahab’s wife, Ummi Jamil who strewed the Holy Prophet’s path with thorns and went about spreading calumnies against him. The verse may also apply to people in Western democracies or in the Communist bloc who spread calumnies and false accusations against Islam and urge their leaders to break its power. The verse may also signify that these nations would be constantly engaged in manufacturing weapons for their own destruction.
The reference in the verse seems to be to Abu Lahab’s wife, Umm-e-Jamil who strew the Holy Prophet’s path with thorns and would go about spreading calumnies against him; Hatab also meaning calumny (Lane). The verse may also apply to those people who spread calumnies and false accusations against Islam and the Holy Prophet.