The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 5) — Page 570
CH. 111 AL-LAHAB 3. "His wealth and what he has earned shall avail him not. 4864 4. Soon shall he burn in a flaming fire;4865 5. And his wife the carrier of the firewood. 4865A 6. Round her neck shall be a halter of twisted palm-fibre. 4866 ٣٦ "3:11; 58:18. burn with rage at seeing Islam progressing, and their own wealth, power and possessions (c) perishing before their very eyes. 4864. Commentary: This verse appropriately may also apply to the wealthy western powers who have great material resources at their disposal. The words "his wealth" may mean the wealth produced in their own countries, and "what he has earned" may signify the riches they have earned by exploiting weaker nations and despoiling them of their natural resources. 4865. Commentary: The expression may also mean, one who invents something which produces fire and flames, or one who is himself consumed in the flames of fire. In this sense, the verse may be interpreted as predicting the destruction of the two major political Blocs of the latter days by their own fire-producing weapons, such as atom bombs and other nuclear weapons. The verse also shows that the day of reckoning for these nations is not far off. It seems to have already arrived. PT. 30 مَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ سَيَصْلَى نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ وَامْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ في جَيْدِهَا حَبْلُ مِنْ قَسَين 4865A. Commentary:. (the carrier of firewood) حمالة الحطب is inf. noun from (hataba) which means, he collected firewood, abmeans he slandered him. They sayi. e. he goes about spreading calumny or slander among the people (Lane & Aqrab). زوج his wife) is syn. with) امرأته which among other things means, an associate, a comrade, wife (Lane). Commentary: The reference in the verse seems to be to Abū 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. 3466 4866. Commentary: Though apparently free, these nations will be so strongly tied to