Perish ruined be the hands of Abū Lahab in other words all of him — the use of ‘hands’ here to denote all of him is figurative and is because most actions are performed by them; the statement is an invocation — and perish he! may he be ruined! this tabba is a predicate as where one says ahlakahu’Llāhu wa-qad halak ‘God destroyed him and he indeed is destroyed’. When the Prophet threatened him with the chastisement he said ‘If what my brother’s son says is true then I shall ransom myself from it with my wealth and sons!’; so the following was revealed
