سورة المسد

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ امْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ [And his wife, the bearer of fuel] — she was Umm Jamil, daughter of Sakhr; she used to carry tales against the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and convey his words to the disbelievers. حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ means she used to gather wood, thorns and brushwood and scatter them on the path of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: There are four groups who, in spite of the sufferings of the people of Hell themselves — who drink from the boiling water of Hell — cause even further harm to them, and their cries of "woe" and "destruction" are raised loud. Some of the people of Hell ask others: What is the sin of these four groups, whose torment adds to our suffering on top of all our own affliction? One of them is hung in a coffin of blazing fire, another has his intestines drawn out and drags them behind him, another has pus and blood flowing from his mouth, and the last is eating the flesh of his own body. They ask the one in the fiery coffin: What is the crime of this one, far from the mercy of Allah, whose torment troubles us on top of all our wretchedness and torment? They reply: This one, far from the divine mercy, at the time of his death had upon his neck the wealth of people, and he had no ability to repay it. Then they ask the one whose intestines are being dragged: What is the crime of this cursed one, whose distressing state has added to our suffering and the intensity of our torment? They reply: This one, deprived of divine mercy, was a person who did not care where urine fell upon his body (he did not observe purity from impurity). Then they ask the one from whose mouth pus and blood is flowing: What has this one done and what is his sin, that he too troubles us together with all our own afflictions? They say: "This one used to mock people and used foul words, attributing them to others and recounting them." Then they ask the one who is eating the flesh of his own body: What has this one, far from the divine mercy, done? For along with all the wretchedness we have from our own sins, we also suffer from his torment. They say: "This one, deprived of the divine mercy, used to eat the flesh of people (through backbiting) and to carry tales." Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: وَ امْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ [And his wife, the bearer of fuel].

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Jabir ibn Yazid narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) that he said: One night the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) performed the prayer and recited "تَبَّتْ یَدَا أَبِی لَهَبٍ وَ تَبَّ [Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he]." It was said to Umm Jamil, the wife of Abu Lahab: Last night Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) was repeatedly denouncing you and your husband in his prayer. Umm Jamil went out after the Prophet, saying: "If I see him, I will tell him off." She was calling out: "Who can point out Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) to me?" Finally she reached the noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), while Abu Bakr was sitting with him beside a wall. Abu Bakr said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Move aside — this is Umm Jamil, and I fear she will say something unpleasant to you." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "She does not see me and will not see me." Umm Jamil arrived and stood over their heads and said: "O Abu Bakr! Have you not seen Muhammad?" He said: "No." Then Umm Jamil left. Imam Muhammad Baqir (peace be upon him) said: "A yellow veil was placed between the two of them."