Abu Lahab and Hadith

A common argument traditionalists make to claim the necessity of Hadith is how we would know who Abu Lahab was without Hadith. This argument is fallacious on two fronts.

Reason #1 – Hadith provides little detail about Abee Lahab

Firstly, let’s look through the Kutub al-Sitta ( كُتُب ٱلسِّتَّة ), the six most highly esteemed collection of Hadith, to see what is stated about Abu Lahab. There is only a single story about Abu Lahab that gives any insight into who he was. Below is the narration based on at-Tirmidhi, which is the same general narration we find in other collections.

Ibn Abbas narrated: “One day the Messenger of Allah ascended As-Safa and called out: ‘O people! Come at once!’ So the Quraish gathered before him. He said: ‘I am a warner for you before the coming of a severe punishment. Do you think that if I informed you that the enemy was preparing to attack you in the evening or in the morning, would you believe me?’ So Abu Lahab said: ‘Is it for this that you gathered us? May you perish?’ So Allah, Blessed is He and Most High, revealed: Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, perish he.”

حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ صَعِدَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ عَلَى الصَّفَا فَنَادَى ‏”‏ يَا صَبَاحَاهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَاجْتَمَعَتْ إِلَيْهِ قُرَيْشٌ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ إِنِّي نَذِيرٌ لَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ أَرَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ أَنِّي أَخْبَرْتُكُمْ أَنَّ الْعَدُوَّ مُمَسِّيكُمْ أَوْ مُصَبِّحُكُمْ أَكُنْتُمْ تُصَدِّقُونِي ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ أَبُو لَهَبٍ أَلِهَذَا جَمَعْتَنَا تَبًّا لَكَ ‏.‏ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ‏: ‏ ‏(‏ تبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ ‏)‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3363
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:3363

That said, this narration tells us almost nothing about who he was and provides even less information than what we find about him in the Quran. From Sura 111 Thorns (Al-Massad / المسد ), we can determine that Abu Lahab was in opposition to the prophet.

[111:1] Condemned are the works of Abee Lahab, and he is condemned.

تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍۢ وَتَبَّ

[111:2] His money and whatever he has accomplished will never help him.

مَآ أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُۥ وَمَا كَسَبَ

[111:3] He has incurred the blazing Hell.

سَيَصْلَىٰ نَارًۭا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍۢ

[111:4] Also his wife, who led the persecution.

وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ حَمَّالَةَ ٱلْحَطَبِ

[111:5] She will be (resurrected) with a rope of thorns around her neck.

فِى جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌۭ مِّن مَّسَدٍۭ ٥

It is worth noting that the expression “hammaalat al-ḥaṭab” ( حَمَّالَةَ ٱلْحَطَبِ ), in 111:4, is a figurative expression that literally means the bearer of firewood, but figuratively means “an instigator”, “slanderer”, or “an enabler of the opposition”. Below is taken from Lanes Lexicon.

This shows that Abu Lahab and his wife were not just opposing the prophet during his life but were the ones providing the fuel to his opposition.

We see a similar expression in the following verse.

[5:64] The Jews even said, “GOD’s hand is tied down!” It is their hands that are tied down. They are condemned for uttering such a blasphemy. Instead, His hands are wide open, spending as He wills. For certain, your Lord’s revelations to you will cause many of them to plunge deeper into transgression and disbelief. Consequently, we have committed them to animosity and hatred among themselves until the Day of Resurrection. Whenever they ignite the flames of war, GOD puts them out. They roam the earth wickedly, and GOD dislikes the evildoers.

وَقَالَتْ الْيَهُودُ يَدُ اللَّهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُوا بِمَا قَالُوا بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ يُنفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا وَأَلْقَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ الْعَدَاوَةَ وَالْبَغْضَاءَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ كُلَّمَا أَوْقَدُوا نَارًا لِلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا اللَّهُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

So the Hadith provides nothing that we cannot conclude from the Quran alone regarding Abee Lahab.

Reason #2 – Knowing Who Abee Lahab Is Not a Requirement for Salvation

The second reason this kind of argument for the necessity of Hadith fails is that even if we didn’t know who Abu Lahab was, it would have no bearing on our salvation. God provided us everything we need to be redeemed in His perfect, fully detailed, complete book, the Quran. If certain information is omitted from this book, it is for one of three reasons:

1. It is not essential for our salvation
2. It is embedded inside the Quran, and we have to look more critically and ask God to increase our knowledge (5:101, 20:114)
3. It is already commonly known and does not need to be explained

A perfect example of the first item, information not explicitly stated in the Quran that is not important for our salvation, can be found in the following verse from Sura 18. This verse discusses the exact number of people in the cave, and the verse informs us that this information is not pertinent to the lesson being conveyed, so don’t bother inquiring about it.

[18:22] Some would say, “They were three; their dog being the fourth,” while others would say, “Five; the sixth being their dog,” as they guessed. Others said, “Seven,” and the eighth was their dog. Say, “My Lord is the best knower of their number.” Only a few knew the correct number. Therefore, do not argue with them; just go along with them. You need not consult anyone about this.

 سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلَـٰثَةٌ رَّابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةٌ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ رَجْمًۢا بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةٌ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ قُل رَّبِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ بِعِدَّتِهِم مَّا يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ فَلَا تُمَارِ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا مِرَآءً ظَـٰهِرًا وَلَا تَسْتَفْتِ فِيهِم مِّنْهُمْ أَحَدًا

So if specific details are not mentioned in the Quran, which is not embedded inside the text nor is commonly known, then it is not necessary for our salvation, and therefore God did not include it in the Quran.

For example, plenty of people mentioned in the Quran are not precisely identified in either the Quran or the Hadith. For instance, neither the Quran nor the Hadith clarifies which Pharaoh opposed Moses, who was Haman, or which ruler in history was Zul Qarnain. We can speculate on this information, but you will not find it explicitly stated in the Quran or the Hadith.

Therefore, if traditionalists claim that the Hadith is necessary in order to know historically who the people mentioned in the Quran are, then the fact that it is absent in its ability to identify these other individuals shows that this is a failing argument for the requirement of Hadith besides the Quran.

Upholders of Hadith Fail the test of faith

The reality is that God did not forget to include in His book any information we need to make it back to Paradise. To imply that we need another text in addition to the Quran in order to be redeemed would be to deny God’s own words in His book.

[6:38] All the creatures on earth, and all the birds that fly with wings, are communities like you. We did not leave anything out of this book. To their Lord, all these creatures will be summoned.

وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا طَائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلَّا أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ مَا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَبِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُونَ

Everything we need for our salvation is already in the Quran and the Hadith provides nothing that we cannot get from the Quran itself regarding matters of redemption. Yet the only thing that Hadith provides is a test to see who believes in God’s absolute words in the Quran when He tells us that this book is complete and should be our only source of religious law, and who chooses to chase after other sources.

[6:112] We have permitted the enemies of every prophet—human and jinn devils—to inspire in each other fancy words, in order to deceive. Had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. You shall disregard them and their fabrications.
[6:113] This is to let the minds of those who do not believe in the Hereafter listen to such fabrications, and accept them, and thus expose their real convictions.

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الْإِنْسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ
 وَلِتَصْغَىٰ إِلَيْهِ أَفْئِدَةُ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ وَلِيَرْضَوْهُ وَلِيَقْتَرِفُوا مَا هُمْ مُقْتَرِفُونَ

[6:114] Shall I seek other than GOD as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed? Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt.
[6:115] The word of your Lord is complete, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.

 أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مُنَزَّلٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ
 وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

[6:116] If you obey the majority of people on earth, they will divert you from the path of GOD. They follow only conjecture; they only guess.

 وَإِنْ تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ