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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, 'Allahu ta’ālā 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: