NAME: المزمل, Al-Muzzammil.
Name taken from Verse 1 where there is a mention of the word ”Al-Muzzammil”.
١ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ
1 O you who wraps himself [in clothing],
But It does not mean that this name is the actual topic discussed in the whole Surah. It is just a reference and mark/symbol to distinguish this Surah from others as is with most other Surahs of Quran. While there are diversified topics discussed in these Surahs.
ENGLISH NAME: The Enwrapped One.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 73
SURAH MUZZAMMIL TOTAL VERSES: 20
SURAH MUZZAMMIL TOTAL WORDS: 200
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 158
TOTAL LETTERS: 854
REVELATION PERIOD:
Meccan, Approx. 610 – 615 AD.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, Prophet Muhammad, Deniers, Moses, Believers.
SURAH MUZZAMMIL MAIN TOPICS:
God Orders Muhammad to Be Ready for The Future Assignment And Recite/Work On Quran More In The Night, In The End Of Surah Seeing His Hardship God Eases Muhammad That Don’t Labour Himself Much.
SURAH MUZZAMMIL KEY VERSES:
١ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ
1 O you who wraps himself [in clothing],
٢ قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
2 Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little –
٥ إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا
5 Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word.
١١ وَذَرْنِي وَالْمُكَذِّبِينَ أُولِي النَّعْمَةِ وَمَهِّلْهُمْ قَلِيلًا
11 And leave Me with [the matter of] the deniers, those of ease [in life], and allow them respite a little.
١٧ فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْمًا يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَانَ شِيبًا
17 Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a Day that will make the children white- haired?
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1-5(God Says: O Muhammad(The Enwrapped) Stand/Pray At Night, Half Or Little Less Or More, Slowly Recite The Quran, Soon We Will Put A Heavy Word/Responsibility On You), 6 ( Night Is Good For This Purpose Than Day), 8-9(Disconnect From Everywhere And Focus On Your Task), 11(Deniers Are Always Those Given Much In Life, God Will Handle Them), 12-13(For Them Are Chains, Food Which Chokes), 15-16(God Sent Muhammad Same Way As He Sent Moses To Pharaoh), 17(The Last Day Will Turn Children Grey Haired), 20(Concession Given To Muhammad and Believers That Don’t Labour Yourself Much And Recite At Night What Is Easy For You And For Your Companions)
SURAH MUZZAMMIL BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACKGROUND
This Surah has 20 verses divided into 2 Rukus/Sections. It takes its name from verse 1: “يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ,” (O you who wraps himself) where the word “المزمل” meaning “The Enwrapped One” appears. This Surah was revealed in Mecca most probably during the early days of Muhammad’s proclamation of his prophethood. But Many commentators believe that the last verse 20 was revealed in Madina. There are three reasons for that: First, the verses 1-19 are short in length, and verse 20 is almost like a paragraph. This is a general trend in the Quran that the Meccan verses are much shorter than the Madni verses. Secondly, in it are the commands of fight of which there could be no question at Mecca where handfuls of Muslims were under severe persecution and third and Lastly in it is also the command of Zakat which was become obligatory after Hijrah to Madina.
In the first 11 verses, Prophet was commanded to get ready for the heavy task and responsibility that God entrusted on him. He is commanded to recite and work on Quran almost half of the night and then in verse 20 there is a relaxation both for Prophet and for believers that they may recite that much of Quran that is easy for them, but now they are instructed to establish prayer and Zakat. Which again shows that this verse might be revealed after much interval and now the situation of Muslims would have changed much that they could easily establish 5 times prayer in their community and Zakat as well.
