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Read the surah · Surah 111

Al-Masadالمسد

The Palm Fibre · 5 verses · Meccan

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In plain wordsEditorial

An editorial summary of the translations. Not a translation or tafsir.

Five verses naming one man in the first verse — Abu Lahab — and declaring against him and against his wife. It takes its name from the palm fibre at verse 5.

AALAMIN Editor · signed 25 August 2026

not a scholar — what this signature means

I am not a scholar, and nothing here asks you to treat me as one. The plain words on this site are my restatement of what the five translations shown above say, together with counts derived from the text itself — nothing more. I sign them so that a named person is accountable for every sentence, not so you'll take my word for anything. The authority on this page is the text and its translators. If my words don't match theirs, mine are the ones that are wrong.

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Talal Itani · published 2012

Verse 1 of 5

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111:1

تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ

Easy-read · not authoritative

Easy-read (simplified)tabbat yadaa abee lahabin watabb

DIN 31635tabbat yadā ʾabī lahabin watabba

Condemned are the hands of Abee Lahab, and he is condemned.

Compare translations (4)

The power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

Abu Lahebs two hands shall perish, and he shall perish

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

LET the hands of ABU LAHAB perish,and let himself perish

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

The hands of Abu Laheb shall perish, and he shall perish

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

  • Talal Itani · 2012
  • Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
  • Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
  • John Medows Rodwell · 1861
  • George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

111:2

مَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُۥ وَمَا كَسَبَ

Easy-read · not authoritative

Easy-read (simplified)maa aghnaa 'anhu maaluhu wamaa kasab

DIN 31635mā ʾaġnā ʿanhu māluhu wamā kasaba

The translators word this verse differently

His wealth did not avail him, nor did what he acquired.

Compare translations (4)

His wealth and gains will not exempt him

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

His wealth shall not avail him, nor what he has earned

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

His wealth and his gains shall avail him not

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

His riches shall not profit him, neither that which he hath gained

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

  • Talal Itani · 2012
  • Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
  • Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
  • John Medows Rodwell · 1861
  • George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

111:3

سَيَصْلَىٰ نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ

Easy-read · not authoritative

Easy-read (simplified)sayaslaa naaran dhaata lahab

DIN 31635sayaṣlā nāran ḏāta lahabin

The translators word this verse differently

He will burn in a Flaming Fire.

Compare translations (4)

He will be plunged in flaming Fire

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

He shall broil in a fire that flames

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

Burned shall he be at the fiery flame

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

He shall go down to be burned into flaming fire

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

  • Talal Itani · 2012
  • Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
  • Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
  • John Medows Rodwell · 1861
  • George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

111:4

وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ حَمَّالَةَ ٱلْحَطَبِ

Easy-read · not authoritative

Easy-read (simplified)wamra'atuhu hammaalata l-hatab

DIN 31635wamraʾatuhu ḥammālata l-ḥaṭabi

And his wife-the firewood carrier.

Compare translations (4)

And his wife, the wood-carrier

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

and his wife carrying faggots

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

And his wife laden with fire wood

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

and his wife also, bearing wood

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

  • Talal Itani · 2012
  • Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
  • Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
  • John Medows Rodwell · 1861
  • George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

111:5

فِى جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍۭ

Easy-read · not authoritative

Easy-read (simplified)fee jeedihaa hablun min masad

DIN 31635fī ǧīdihā ḥablun min masadin

Around her neck is a rope of thorns.

Compare translations (4)

Will have upon her neck a halter of palm-fibre

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

on her neck a cord of palm fibres

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

On her neck a rope of palm fibre

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

having on her neck a cord of twisted fibres of a palm-tree

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

  • Talal Itani · 2012
  • Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
  • Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
  • John Medows Rodwell · 1861
  • George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

Arabic textTanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) ·Uthmani, Version 1.1·Tanzil Project ·Creative Commons Attribution 3.0·retrieved 24 Aug 2026

Qur'anic text from the Tanzil Project. Copyright (C) 2007-2026 Tanzil Project License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Source: tanzil.net · Updates: tanzil.net/updates/ https://tanzil.net/updates/

Translations Edward Henry Palmer, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired

Edward Henry Palmer, English translation of the Qur'an ·1880 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026

Translations George Sale, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired

George Sale, English translation of the Qur'an ·1734 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026

Translations John Medows Rodwell, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired

John Medows Rodwell, English translation of the Qur'an ·1861 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026

Translations Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran·Public domain — copyright term expired

Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran ·1930 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026

Translations Talal Itani, ClearQuran·Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

Talal Itani, ClearQuran ·ClearQuran, "God" edition, EPUB·Talal Itani / ClearQuran.com ·Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International·retrieved 7 Sep 2026

Translation by Talal Itani, ClearQuran.com https://clearquran.com