في جيدِها حَبلٌ مِن مَسَدٍ

With a rope of palm fibre around her neck.

EXEGESIS

Jīd (neck) has a similar meaning to ʿunuq and raqabah. Linguists say that the difference between them is that jīd refers to the upper part of the neck, ʿunuq refers to the back or all of the neck, while raqabah is just the neck, which is sometimes used to refer to the human being as a whole as in 90:13: Freeing a slave (fakku raqabah).^{‎[1]Tahqiq, 2/158.}

EXPOSITION

There are different explanations as to why Umm Jamīl has been described as the one in whose neck there is a rope of palm fibre; this is detailed under Review of Tafsīr Literature. The most common reason is that she is described in such a way to notify her disgraceful attitude,^{‎[2]Tabrisi, 10/852.} as she would carry bunches of thorns and place them on the path of the Prophet.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

There are various views regarding why Umm Jamīl has been described as having a rope of palm fibre around her neck: 1. Ibn Abbas has said that around the neck of Umm Jamīl there will be a chain of metal in hell which is approximately seventy cubits, that enters from her mouth and comes out of her back, and will be wrapped around her neck in fire. This chain is referred to as masad because it is plaited.^{‎[3]Tabrisi, 10/852.} 2. Saʿīd ibn Musayyib said that Umm Jamīl had a valuable neckless, and she had said she would spend that necklace in enmity of the Prophet; and so, on the Day of Judgement, it will be a punishment around her neck.^{‎[4]Tabrisi, 10/852.} 3. It is a metaphor for the gossiping that she did, and for taking words from one person to another, causing envy and enmity among people. 4. On the Day of Judgement, she will be carrying the sins of many whom she misled on her shoulders.

[1] Tahqiq, 2/158.
[2] Tabrisi, 10/852.
[3] Tabrisi, 10/852.
[4] Tabrisi, 10/852.