(Revealed before Hijrah)
Date of Revelation and Context
By common consent this Surah was one of the first two or three Surahs which were revealed at Mecca. This and the preceding Surah (AI-Muzzammil) seem to be "twins" as they are so closely linked as regards the time of their revelation and their tone and tenor. The present Surah, in fact, complements the subject-matter of the preceding one. The Muzzammil of the previous Surah, immersed in devotional prayers and contemplation and passing through a period of intense preparation for the attainment of spiritual perfection, has become developed into the Muddaththir (destroyer of sin and vanquisher of the forces of evil, deliverer of mankind, their leader, guide and warner) of the present Surah. From that time onward, the Holy Prophet's life was no more his own. It was given to God. He preached the Divine Message with unswerving purpose, in the face of insult, opposition and persecution.
The Surah opens with a firm command to the Holy Prophet to stand up, proclaim the Truth he has and warn those who would not accept it-those whom wealth, power and position have rendered spiritually blind and deaf-that they would suffer punishment because they did not offer Prayers and did not feed the poor and because also that they indulged in vain pursuits. The Surah ends on the note that the Qur'an is but a reminder and an exhortation. He, who accepts its Message, accepts it for the good of his own soul and he, who rejects it, does so to his own detriment.
 بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم
[74:1] In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
 يَاأَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ
[74:2] O thou that has wrapped thyself with thy mantle![3159]
 قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ
[74:3] Arise and warn.
 وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ
[74:4] And thy Lord do thou magnify.
 وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ
[74:5] And thy heart[3160] do thou purify,
 وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ
[74:6] And uncleanliness[3161] do thou shun,
 وَلاَ تَمْنُنْ تَسْتَكْثِرُ
[74:7] And bestow not favours seeking to get more in return,
 وَلِرَبِّكَ فَاصْبِرْ
[74:8] And for the sake of thy Lord do thou endure patiently.
 فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِي النَّاقُورِ
[74:9] And when the trumpet is sounded,[3162]
 فَذَلِكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَوْمٌ عَسِيرٌ
[74:10] That day will be a distressful day.[3163]
 عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ غَيْرُ يَسِيرٍ
[74:11] For the disbelievers it will be anything but easy.
 ذَرْنِي وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيدًا
[74:12] Leave Me to deal with him whom I created alone,[3164]
 وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُ مَالاً مَمْدُودًا
[74:13] And then I gave him abundant wealth,
 وَبَنِينَ شُهُودًا
[74:14] And sons, abiding in his presence,[3165]
 وَمَهَّدْتُ لَهُ تَمْهِيدًا
[74:15] And I prepared for him all necessary things.
 ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ
[74:16] Yet he desires that I should give him more.
 كَلاَّ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ِلأَيَاتِنَا عَنِيدًا
[74:17] Certainly not![3166] for he has been hostile to Our Signs.
 سَأُرْهِقُهُ صَعُودًا
[74:18] I shall soon inflict on him an overwhelming hardship.
 إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ
[74:19] Lo! he reflected and calculated!
 فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ
[74:20] Ruin seize him![3167] how he calculated!
 ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ
[74:21] Ruin seize him again! how he calculated!
 ثُمَّ نَظَرَ
[74:22] Then he looked,
 ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ
[74:23] Then he frowned and scowled,[3168]
 ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ
[74:24] Then he turned away and was disdainful,
 فَقَالَ إِنْ هَذَا إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ
[74:25] And said, ‘This is nothing but magic handed down;
 إِنْ هَذَا إِلاَّ قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ
[74:26] ‘This is nothing but the word of man.’
 سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ
[74:27] Soon shall I cast him into the fire of Hell.
 وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سَقَرُ
[74:28] And what makes thee know what Hell-fire is?
 لاَ تُبْقِي وَلاَ تَذَرُ
[74:29] It spares not and it leaves naught.
 لَوَّاحَةٌ لِلْبَشَرِ
[74:30] It scorches the face.
 عَلَيْهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ
[74:31] Over it are nineteen angels.[3169]
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا أَصْحَابَ النَّارِ إِلاَّ مَلاَئِكَةً وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلاَّ فِتْنَةً لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَيَزْدَادَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِيمَانًا وَلاَ يَرْتَابَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَذَا مَثَلاً كَذَلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَمَا هِيَ إِلاَّ ذِكْرَى لِلْبَشَرِ
[74:32] And none but angels have We made wardens of the Fire. And We have not fixed their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve, so that those who have been given the Book may attain to certainty, and those who believe may increase in faith, and those who have been given the Book as well as the believers may not doubt, and that those in whose hearts is disease and the disbelievers may say, ‘What does Allah mean by such an illustration?’ Thus does Allah adjudge astray whom He pleases and guide whom He pleases. And none knows the hosts of thy Lord but He. And this is nothing but a Reminder for man.
 كَلاَّ وَالْقَمَرِ
[74:33] Nay, by the moon,
 وَاللَّيْلِ إِذْ أَدْبَرَ
[74:34] And by the night when it retreats,
 وَالصُّبْحِ إِذَا أَسْفَرَ
[74:35] And by the dawn[3170] when it shines forth,
 إِنَّهَا لَإِحْدَى الْكُبَرِ
[74:36] Verily, it is one of the greatest calamities.
 نَذِيرًا لِلْبَشَرِ
[74:37] A warning to man,
 لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوْ يَتَأَخَّرَ
[74:38] To him among you who wishes to advance or hang back.
 كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ
[74:39] Every soul is pledged[3171] for what it has earned;
 إِلاَّ أَصْحَابَ الْيَمِينِ
[74:40] Except those on the right hand.
 فِي جَنَّاتٍ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ
[74:41] They will be in Gardens asking one another
 عَنْ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
[74:42] Concerning the guilty ones.
 مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِي سَقَرَ
[74:43] ‘What has brought you into the Fire of Hell?’
 قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَ
[74:44] They will say, ‘We were not of those who offered Prayers,
 وَلَمْ نَكُ نُطْعِمُ الْمِسْكِينَ
[74:45] ‘Nor did we feed the poor.
 وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ الْخَائِضِينَ
[74:46] ‘And we indulged in objectionable talk with those who indulge therein.
 وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ
[74:47] ‘And we used to deny the Day of Judgment,
 حَتَّى أَتَانَا الْيَقِينُ
[74:48] ‘Until death[3172] overtook us.’
 فَمَا تَنْفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ الشَّافِعِينَ
[74:49] So the intercession of intercessors will not avail them.
 فَمَا لَهُمْ عَنْ التَّذْكِرَةِ مُعْرِضِينَ
[74:50] Now what is the matter with them that they are turning away from the exhortation,
 كَأَنَّهُمْ حُمُرٌ مُسْتَنْفِرَةٌ
[74:51] As if they were frightened asses
 فَرَّتْ مِنْ قَسْوَرَةٍ
[74:52] Fleeing from a lion?
 بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُؤْتَى صُحُفًا مُنَشَّرَةً
[74:53] Nay, every man among them desires to have open sheets[3173] of revelation given to him.
 كَلاَّ بَلْ لاَ يَخَافُونَ الآخِرَةَ
[74:54] Never! verily they fear not the Hereafter.
 كَلاَّ إِنَّهُ تَذْكِرَةٌ
[74:55] Never! verily this is an exhortation.
 فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ
[74:56] Let him, then, who will, remember it.
 وَمَا يَذْكُرُونَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ هُوَ أَهْلُ التَّقْوَى وَأَهْلُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ
[74:57] And they will not remember unless Allah so please[3174]. He alone is worthy to be feared and He alone is worthy to forgive.
3159. Tadaththara or lddaththara means, he wrapped himself with a garment. Daththarahu
means; he destroyed or obliterated him or it; he covered him with a warm garment. Daththara al-Tairu means, the bird adjusted, or put in order its nest. Tadaththara al-Farasa means, he leaped upon and rode the horse. Tadaththar al-'Aduwwa means, he vanquished the enemy (Lane). According to the different meanings of the root-word, Al-Muddaththir would mean, the effacer or obliterator; the reformer or the one who adjusts or puts things in order; the vanquisher; the one who is about to leap upon and ride the horse. The word has also been interpreted as one entrusted with bearing the heavy load of the responsibilities of a Prophet (Qadir). The word also means, one adorned with the best natural powers and qualities and prophetical dignity (Ruh al-Ma'ani). All these epithets quite fitly apply to the Holy Prophet.
3160. Thiyab means, clothes; dependents or followers of a person; the wearer's body or self (Lane & Steingass). The Holy Prophet is enjoined that before entering upon his great mission he should prepare a body of followers, pure of heart, conduct and reputation. Or, the verse may mean that he should himself become paragon of piety, righteousness and of pure conduct.
3161. Al-Rujz also meaning idol-worship (Lane), the verse may be taken as enjoining the Holy Prophet to spare no pains to exterminate idolatry.
3162. The verse means; when a Divine Reformer-God's bugle-by which God summons men to Himself-makes his appearance and calls men to God.' Or, the verse may refer to the Holy prophet's own call to his people.
3163. 'A hard day' signifies the Day of Resurrection or, the day of the final defeat of disbelief and the complete triumph of Truth.
3164. The words also mean: 'Leave Me to deal alone with him whom I created,' or 'Leave Me to deal with him who, on account of the great wealth, power and position, God has bestowed upon him, thinks himself to be peerless among his compatriots, Wahid also meaning unique, incomparable' (Lane). Though this and the following several verses apply to every arrogant and conceited disbeliever, they may particularly apply to Walid bin Mughirah, who was an outstanding personality among the Quraish, and was known among his fellow citizens by such high sounding titles as "unique" and "fragrance of the Quraish." He was extremely handsome and was well-known for his elegant poems and other accomplishments. He had ten to thirteen sons and was a very rich man.
3165. The verse may mean that Walid's sons also commanded respect like him. They, too, were offered a distinguished place in the assemblies which he attended. Or, Walid was so rich that his sons always kept company with him, not wanting to go anywhere to earn their living.
3166. The word, Kalla, is used to reject the request of a person and to reprimand him for making it (Lane).
3167. The reference is particularly to Walid bin Mughirah. Ruin continued to dog his footsteps. Three of his sons-Walid, Khalid and Hisham accepted Islam, others perished before his eyes. He suffered heavy financial losses and ultimately died in poverty and disgrace.
3168. When the Qur'an was read to him Walid frowned and scowled in disdain and went away in high huff.
3169. Man has been endowed with nine major senses, i.e., the seven exteroceptive senses; one proprioceptive sense of position in space and one enteroceptive sense arising from internal organs relating to sensations of hunger, thirst, etc. These coupled with their nine spiritual counterparts together with the guardian or the controlling sense, i.e.; the will power which dominates and controls all these different faculties of human nature, are the nineteen guardians of Hell. Or, the number "nineteen" may be a great Divine secret specially concerning the People of the Book of which the significance and reality will be disclosed in God's own time and will make them acknowledge the truth of the Quranic teaching and will add greatly to the certainty of faith of the believers. Who dare claim to know all the Divine secrets?
3170. 'The dawn' may also signify the Holy Prophet's great Deputy, the Promised Messiah and the 'departing night' may mean the night of spiritual darkness that would begin to depart after his appearance.
3171. Every soul shall remain in pledge unless it will have paid for the sins it had committed, i.e., unless it will have been cleansed of sins after having suffered punishment for them.
3172. Yaqin means, certainty; security; death (Aqrab).
3173. The reference here may be to the impudent demand of disbelievers mentioned elsewhere in the Qur'an that they would not believe unless the Holy Prophet should bring down a Book for them from Heaven which they should read (17:94).
3174. The disbelievers will not benefit by the Qur'an unless they make their own will conform to the Will of God; i.e., unless they subordinate all their desires to the Divine Will (76:3 1).
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