وَامرَأَتُهُ حَمّالَةَ الحَطَبِ

And his wife [too], the firewood carrier.

EXEGESIS

Imraʾatuhu (his wife) refers to Abū Lahab’s wife, Umm Jamīl, who was the sister of Abū Sufyān. She showed great enmity towards the Prophet. It is reported that she was part of the group who plotted to kill the Prophet. She was also known to be one of the gifted poetesses of the Age of Ignorance.^{‎[1]Ibn Tayfūr, Balāghat al-Nisāʾ, p. 40.}

Ḥammālat al-ḥaṭab (the firewood carrier) is an adverbial expression, asserting the state or the habit of Umm Jamīl. It could be understood literally or figuratively. Literally, it may refer to what she used to do – she would gather thorny firewood and throw them onto the path where the Prophet used to pass. Figuratively, it may indicate that she was adding fuel to the animosity against the Prophet. It may also mean that she was gathering firewood for the fire of the hell in which she was going to be entered.

Abū Muslim reports from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr that ḥammālat al-ḥaṭab means the one who carries sins,^{‎[2]Tabrisi, 10/852.} similar to what the Quran states in 6:31: And they will bear their burdens on their backs. Look! Evil is what they bear!

EXPOSITION

The wife of Abū Lahab was Umm Jamīl, the daughter of Ḥarb and the sister of Abū Sufyān. Ibn Abbas narrates that this woman would collect thorns and wood and would place them in the path of the Messenger of God, so whenever he would go to the mosque he would get injured.^{‎[3]Tabrisi, 10/852.} He further narrates that she would gossip among the people and through that she would cause disunity and fights amongst them.^{‎[4]Tabrisi, 10/852.}

According to some exegetes,^{‎[5]Nemuneh, 27/422.} the first meaning is more representative of the situation although it is also possible to combine the different interpretations.

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. In a long letter to Muʿāwiyah before the Battle of Ṣiffīn, Imam Ali (a) compares certain individuals in the two opposite camps. He says: ‘In spite of our old established honour and our well known superiority over your people, we did not stay away from mixing with you, and married and got married [among you] like equals, although you were not so. And how could you be so when [the position is that] among us is the Prophet while among you is the belier [Abū Jahl], among us is the Lion of Allah [Ḥamzah] while among you is the Lion of the Allies [against the Prophet, Abū Sufyān], among us are the two masters of the youth of paradise [al-Hasan and al-Husayn] while among you are the children of hell, among us is the choicest of all the women of the world [Fatimah (s)] while among you is the bearer of firewood [Umm Jamīl], and many more distinctions on our side and shortcomings on your side.’^{‎[6]Nahj, letter 28.}

[1] Ibn Tayfūr, Balāghat al-Nisāʾ, p. 40.
[2] Tabrisi, 10/852.
[3] Tabrisi, 10/852.
[4] Tabrisi, 10/852.
[5] Nemuneh, 27/422.
[6] Nahj, letter 28.