NAME: المدثر, Al-Muddathir.
Name taken from Verse 1 where there is a mention of the word ”Al-Muddathir”.
١ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ
1 O you who covers himself [with a garment],
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 Covered One/The Enrobed.
CHAPTER NUMBER: 74
SURAH MUDDATHIR TOTAL VERSES: 56
SURAH MUDDATHIR TOTAL WORDS: 256
TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 193
TOTAL LETTERS: 1,035
REVELATION PERIOD:
Meccan, Approx. 610 – 614 AD.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
God, Prophet Muhammad, Denier, Saood, Saqar, Disbelievers, The Companions Of The Right, People Of Paradise And Hell.
SURAH MUDDATHIR MAIN TOPICS:
God Orders Muhammad to Purify Himself and Stand up for The Assignment of Warning His People, Mention of Saood and Saqar (Places of severe Punishment in Hell), Saqar Has 19 Guards, Rewards & Punishment in Paradise & Hell.
SURAH MUDDATHIR KEY VERSES:
١٧ سَأُرْهِقُهُ صَعُودًا
17 I will cover him with arduous torment.
٢٦ سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ
26 I will drive him into Saqar.
٣٠ عَلَيْهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ
30 Over it are nineteen [angels].
٣١ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا أَصْحَابَ النَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَائِكَةً ۙ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَيَزْدَادَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِيمَانًا ۙ وَلَا يَرْتَابَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙ وَلِيَقُولَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ
31 And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve – that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is hypocrisy and the disbelievers will say, “What does Allah intend by this as an example?” Thus does Allah leave astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity.
SUMMARY OF TOPICS
1-7(God Says: O Muhammad(The Enrobed) Arise&Warn, Purify Yourself, Avoid Uncleanliness, And Do Not Favour Others In Order To Receive More, Be Patient), 9(Last Day Trumpet/Horn/Sur Will Be Blown), 11-17( Mention Of A Person Which God Granted Much Wealth, Sons, But An Enemy Of God’s Verses, For Him Punishment Of Saood Verse17), 18-26(He Planed Against Us, For Him Punishment Of Saqar Verse26), 26-30(What Is Saqar: Extreme Fire, Above It Are 19 Ninteen Keepers), 31(It’s Count 19 Is A Trial For Disbelievers), 32-37(Swear By Moon Night And Dawn, Hell Is Of Greatest Afflictions), 38 ( Every Soul Is Pledged For Its Deeds), 39-48(Except The Companions Of The Right, Dialogues Between People Of Paradise And Hell), 49-51( Mention Of Donkey And Lion: Then what is with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away As if they were alarmed donkeys Fleeing from a lion?)
SURAH MUDDATHIR BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACKGROUND
This Surah has 56 verses divided into 2 Rukus/Sections. It takes its name from verse 1: ” يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ,” (O you who covers himself [with a garment]) where the word “المدثر” meaning “The Enrobed” appears This Surah was revealed in Mecca during very early days of prophethood.
History, Ahadith and traditions tell us that the first revelation upon Muhammad was the first five verses of Surah Alaq but than there was a long interval and revelation stopped. This caused much pain and grief to the prophet. So much so that he tried to reach at the top of the hill to throw himself down, but just when he tried to do so Angel Gabriel appeared and told him that he truly was a prophet of God and the first experience of revelation was real and not his doubt or his mind’s creation. After the long interval first few verses of this Surah revealed and as per a tradition narrated in Bukhari
Book: Revelation – كتاب بدء الوحى
Global Id: 4 (3)
In-book reference: Book 1, Hadith 4
English translation: Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 3
قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ وَأَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَنَّ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأَنْصَارِيَّ، قَالَ ـ وَهُوَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ فَتْرَةِ الْوَحْىِ، فَقَالَ ـ فِي حَدِيثِهِ ” بَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي، إِذْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا، مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، فَرَفَعْتُ بَصَرِي فَإِذَا الْمَلَكُ الَّذِي جَاءَنِي بِحِرَاءٍ جَالِسٌ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ، فَرُعِبْتُ مِنْهُ، فَرَجَعْتُ فَقُلْتُ زَمِّلُونِي. فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ * قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ} فَحَمِيَ الْوَحْىُ وَتَتَابَعَ ”. تَابَعَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ وَأَبُو صَالِحٍ. وَتَابَعَهُ هِلاَلُ بْنُ رَدَّادٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ. وَقَالَ يُونُسُ وَمَعْمَرٌ ” بَوَادِرُهُ ”.
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah Al Ansari while talking about the period of pause in revelation reporting the speech of the Prophet “While I was walking, all of a sudden I heard a voice from the heaven. I looked up and saw the same angel who had visited me at the cave of Hira sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I got afraid of him and came back home and said, ‘Wrap me (in blankets).’ And then God revealed the following Holy Verses: ‘O you (i.e. Muhammad)! wrapped up in garments!’ Arise and warn (the people against Allah’s Punishment),… up to ‘and desert the idols.’ (74.1-5) After this, the revelation started coming strongly, frequently, and regularly.”
The Surah talks about self-preparedness for the coming hard work of the responsibility of prophethood. Then there is a warning for the unbelievers. Who rejected the word of God, and warns humankind to fear and glorify God. In this Surah is also the mention of Saood and Saqar (Places of severe Punishment in Hell) and about 19 Guards of Hell. Then verse 31 explains the mystery of the nineteen angels by depicting the number as a trial of faith. Genuine believers will not question it, as it is the word of God, and those whom God has led astray would be disturbed by doubts.
