“and what he earned”

includes his children, as in the hadith: “His children are part of his earnings.” This has been cited as evidence that it is permissible to eat from one’s child’s wealth.

Then He declares:

“He will burn in a Fire.”

He thus foretells the loss of good and the onset of evil. The term al-siliyy denotes both entering the Fire and being burned.

As for His words:

“the carrier of firewood,”

if this is a metaphor for tale-bearing—because it kindles evil—then it is firewood for hearts. Yet it may be said: her sin is graver, and carrying tales is not described in terms of a rope around the neck. If, however, this describes her condition in the Hereafter, just as He describes her husband—he burns while she carries firewood to pile upon him, just as she helped him in his disbelief—then this is an instance of partners being gathered together. It contains a lesson for any two people who cooperate in sin, or in any particular sin or act of aggression.

The Quran would thus have covered all four possible configurations of a married couple: Abraham and his wife; this man and his wife; Pharaoh and his wife; or Noah and his wife, and Lot.

It is also tenable to interpret carrying firewood as tale-bearing in terms of carrying fuel in the Hereafter, as in the saying: “Whoever has two tongues,” and so on. And Allah knows best.