Perished the two hands of Abu Lahab, and perished he also.
The real name of Abu Lahab, who was a paternal uncle of the Messenger, was Abdul Uzza, which means the servant of the idol Uzza. Because he had a flame-colored complexion, he was called Abu Lahab, meaning father of flame. When the Messenger Muhammad began proclaiming Allah as the single Deity, Abu Lahab accompanied him wherever he went, interrupting the mission by saying that he was preaching a new religion and rejecting the gods such as Latha, Uzza, and Manatha, whom their forefathers had worshiped. After the death of the Messenger’s grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, another paternal uncle, Abu Talib, assumed guardianship of the Messenger. Because of the propagation of the Truth, the Quraishees declared a complete boycott against the Prophet and the believers. On the instruction of Abu Lahab, the prices of food items were raised so that the people under Abu Talib could not afford them. During that period, believers were forced to survive by drinking water soaked from leather sandals, having no leaves even to eat. Among all Quraishees of the Messenger’s tribe, Abu Lahab alone showed such hostility toward the Messenger. It was during this time that the verse “Perished the two hands of Abu Lahab, and perished he also” was revealed. As foretold, during the Battle of Badr, which occurred years later under the leadership of Abu Jahl, many Quraishee chiefs were killed. Abu Lahab, who was ill in Mecca at that time, became deeply distressed upon hearing the news and died tragically within ten days. This verse shows that not only Abu Lahab, but anyone who opposes Adhikr will surely be destroyed along with his schemes. See explanation 34: 48–49; and 108: 3.