بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Muzzammil 73:16
The Enshrouded One · Juz 29 · Page 574
فَعَصَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُ أَخۡذٗا وَبِيلٗا ١٦
But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We seized him with a ruinous seizure.
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Commentary on 73:10–18
The Command to be Patient with the Harms of the Disbelievers and a Discussion of what They will rece
Allah commands His Messenger to be patient with what the foolish who reject him among his people say. Allah also commands him to keep away from them in a nice way. This means in a way that is not blameworthy. Then Allah says to him, as a threat and a warning to his people - and He (Allah) is the Most Great, Whose anger nothing can stand before,
وَذَرْنِى وَالْمُكَذِّبِينَ أُوْلِى النَّعْمَةِ
(And leave Me alone to deal with the deniers, those who are in possession of good things of life.) meaning, `leave Me to deal with the rich rejectors, who own great wealth.' For verily, they are more able to obey than others besides them, and they are requested to give the rights (to people) because they have what others do not have.
وَمَهِّلْهُمْ قَلِيلاً
(And give them respite for a little.) meaning, for a little while. This is as Allah says,
نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَى عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ
(We let them enjoy for a little, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.) (31:24) Thus, Allah says,
إِنَّ لَدَيْنَآ أَنكَالاً
(Verily, with Us are Ankal,) and these are fetters. Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Tawus, Muhammad bin Ka`b, `Abdullah bin Buraydah, Abu `Imran Al-Jawni, Abu Mijlaz, Ad-Dahhak, Hammad bin Abi Sulayman, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ibn Al-Mubarak, Ath-Thawri and others have all said this.
وَجَحِيماً
(and Jahim.) This is a blazing fire.
وَطَعَاماً ذَا غُصَّةٍ
(And a food that chokes,) Ibn `Abbas said, "This means it will get stuck in the throat and it will not enter or come out."
وَعَذَاباً أَلِيماًيَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الاٌّرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ
(and a painful torment. On the Day when the earth and the mountains will (Tarjuf) shake,) meaning, they will quake.
وَكَانَتِ الْجِبَالُ كَثِيباً مَّهِيلاً
(And the mountains will be a heap of sand poured out.) meaning, they will become like hills of sand after they had been firm rocks. Then they will be utterly destroyed and nothing will remain of them. This will occur until the entire earth becomes a flat land and no curvature will be seen in it. Thus, there will be no valleys and no hills. This means that no part of it will be low or elevated.
Your Messenger is like the Messenger to Fir`awn, and You know what happened to Fir`awn
Then addresses the disbelievers of the Quraysh, and along with them the rest of mankind,
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولاً شَهِداً عَلَيْكُمْ
(Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger to be a witness over you,) meaning, witnessing your deeds.
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولاً شَهِداً عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولاً - فَعَصَى فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَهُ أَخْذاً وَبِيلاً
(as We did send a Messenger to Fir`awn. But Fir`awn disobeyed the Messenger; so We seized him with a severe punishment.)
أَخْذاً وَبِيلاً
(severe punishment) Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi, and Ath-Thawri said that this means severe. This means, `you should beware of denying this Messenger, lest you be afflicted by that which befell Fir`awn. Allah seized him with the seizing of One Mighty and Powerful.' This is as Allah says,
فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الاٌّخِرَةِ وَالاٍّوْلَى
(So Allah seized him with punishment for his last and first transgression.) (79:25) `Therefore, you will be even more deserving of destruction and ruin if you deny your Messenger, because your Messenger is more noble and a greater than Prophet Musa, the son of `Imran.' This has been reported from Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid.
The Threat of the Day of Judgement
Allah says,
فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْماً يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَنَ شِيباً
(Then how can you proctect yourselves from the punishment, if you disbelieved, on a Day that will make the children gray-headed) Ibn Jarir quoted in the recitation of Ibn Mas`ud: "How can you, O people, fear a Day that makes the children grey-headed, if you disbelieve in Allah and do not testify to Him" So the first interpretation would mean, `how can you attain safety for yourselves from the Day of this great horror if you disbelieve' It could imply the meaning, `how can you all attain piety if you disbelieve in the Day of Judgement and reject it.' Both of these meanings are good. However, the first interpretation is closer to the truth. And Allah knows best. The meaning of Allah's statement,
يَوْماً يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَنَ شِيباً
(On a Day that will make the children gray-headed) is that this will happen due to the severity of its horrors, its earth- quakes and its distur- bing confusion. This is when Allah will say to Adam, "Send a group to the Fire." Adam will say, "How many" Allah will then reply, "From every thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine to the Fire, and one to Paradise." Then Allah says,
السَّمَآءُ مُنفَطِرٌ بِهِ
(Whereon the heaven will be cleft asunder) Al-Hasan and Qatadah both said, "This means, because of it (the Day of Judge- ment), due to its severity and its horror." Then Allah says,
كَانَ وَعْدُهُ مَفْعُولاً
(His promise is certainly to be accomplished.) meaning, the promise of this Day will be fulfilled. This means it will occur and there is no way around it, and it will come to pass and there is no avoiding it.
Page 574
73:1
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُزَّمِّلُ ١
O you who wraps himself [in clothing],1
1 translator’s note
- Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) addresses the Prophet (ﷺ), who was asleep, wrapped in his garments. ↩
73:2
قُمِ ٱلَّيۡلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا ٢
Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little -
73:3
نِّصۡفَهُۥٓ أَوِ ٱنقُصۡ مِنۡهُ قَلِيلًا ٣
Half of it - or subtract from it a little
73:4
أَوۡ زِدۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ تَرۡتِيلًا ٤
Or add to it, and recite the Qur’ān with measured recitation.
73:5
إِنَّا سَنُلۡقِي عَلَيۡكَ قَوۡلٗا ثَقِيلًا ٥
Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., the revelation, which when descending on the Prophet (ﷺ) bore down upon him with a great weight. Another meaning is "important ordinances." ↩
73:6
إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطۡـٔٗا وَأَقۡوَمُ قِيلًا ٦
Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence [of heart and tongue]1 and more suitable for words.2
73:7
إِنَّ لَكَ فِي ٱلنَّهَارِ سَبۡحٗا طَوِيلٗا ٧
Indeed, for you by day is prolonged occupation.
73:8
وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلۡ إِلَيۡهِ تَبۡتِيلٗا ٨
And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion.
73:9
رَّبُّ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱتَّخِذۡهُ وَكِيلٗا ٩
[He is] the Lord of the East and the West; there is no deity except Him, so take Him as Disposer of [your] affairs.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., trust in Allāh and rely upon Him. ↩
73:10
وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهۡجُرۡهُمۡ هَجۡرٗا جَمِيلٗا ١٠
And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance.
73:11
وَذَرۡنِي وَٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ أُوْلِي ٱلنَّعۡمَةِ وَمَهِّلۡهُمۡ قَلِيلًا ١١
And leave Me with [the matter of] the deniers, those of ease [in life], and allow them respite a little.
73:12
إِنَّ لَدَيۡنَآ أَنكَالٗا وَجَحِيمٗا ١٢
Indeed, with Us [for them] are shackles and burning fire
73:13
وَطَعَامٗا ذَا غُصَّةٖ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمٗا ١٣
And food that chokes and a painful punishment -
73:14
يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَٱلۡجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَثِيبٗا مَّهِيلًا ١٤
On the Day the earth and the mountains will convulse and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down.
73:15
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكُمۡ رَسُولٗا شَٰهِدًا عَلَيۡكُمۡ كَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ رَسُولٗا ١٥
Indeed, We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness upon you just as We sent to Pharaoh a messenger.
73:16
فَعَصَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُ أَخۡذٗا وَبِيلٗا ١٦
But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We seized him with a ruinous seizure.
73:17
فَكَيۡفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرۡتُمۡ يَوۡمٗا يَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡوِلۡدَٰنَ شِيبًا ١٧
Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a Day that will make the children white-haired?1
1 translator’s note
- Another meaning is "How can you avoid [punishment]" on such a Day? ↩
73:18
ٱلسَّمَآءُ مُنفَطِرُۢ بِهِۦۚ كَانَ وَعۡدُهُۥ مَفۡعُولًا ١٨
The heaven will break apart therefrom;1 ever is His promise fulfilled.
1 translator’s note
- From the terror of that Day. ↩
73:19
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذۡكِرَةٞۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلًا ١٩
Indeed, this is a reminder, so whoever wills may take to his Lord a way.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy