بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Muddaththir 74:4
The Cloaked One · Juz 29 · Page 575
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرۡ ٤
And your clothing purify
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 74:4
Injunction [ 3]
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ (and purify your clothes... 74:4) The word thiyab is the plural of thaub. In its primary sense, it refers to 'clothes or garment'. Metaphorically, the words thaub and libas at times refer to 'action, heart, soul, moral character and religion.' Man's body may also be referred to as libas'. The Holy Qur'an and Arabic idioms bear ample testimony to this. Scholars of tafsir have taken all these senses into account when interpreting this verse. The variant interpretations may not be suspected of contradiction or conflict. The different interpretations attached to the verse enrich its significance. Thus the verse would signify that the body and clothes must be kept clean from all kinds of physical impurity. The heart and soul must be kept clean from false beliefs and adulterating thoughts, and free from base morals or from moral decadence. From this it is deducible that it is forbidden to trail the pants or loin-cloth below the ankle, because this is likely to pollute the garment. The injunction of cleansing the garment may signify that the garment must not be made or bought of unlawful money. It must not be made in such a way as the sacred law does not permit. Apparently, the injunction of cleansing the clothes is not specific to prayers. The injunction applies under all conditions. Thus the jurists have ruled that it is not permitted to keep the body and clothes unclean, without necessity, even outside prayers. Likewise, it is not permitted to sit in an unclean place. In times of necessity, it would be an exception. [ Mazharil. The Holy Qur'an says: اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ التَّوَّابِيْنَ وَيُحِبُّ الْمُتَطَهِّرِيْنَ
'...Surely Allah loves those who are most repenting, and loves those who keep themselves pure.[ 2:222] '
And according to a hadith narrative 'Cleanliness is half the faith'. Therefore, a Muslim, under all conditions and circumstances, needs to keep his body, clothes and house clean and pure and also maintain his inner cleanliness of the heart. And Allah knows best!
Page 575
73:20
۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعۡلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدۡنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَنِصۡفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٞ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحۡصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرۡضَىٰ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضۡرِبُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَبۡتَغُونَ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنۡهُۚ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقۡرِضُواْ ٱللَّهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنٗاۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرٖ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيۡرٗا وَأَعۡظَمَ أَجۡرٗاۚ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمُۢ ٢٠
Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muḥammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allāh determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it1 and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur’ān. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allāh and others fighting for the cause of Allāh. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakāh and loan Allāh a goodly loan.2 And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allāh. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
سورة المدثر
Al-Muddaththir
The Cloaked One · Meccan · 56 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
74:1
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُدَّثِّرُ ١
O you who covers himself [with a garment],1
1 translator’s note
- Referring to the Prophet (ﷺ). ↩
74:2
قُمۡ فَأَنذِرۡ ٢
Arise and warn
74:3
وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرۡ ٣
And your Lord glorify
74:4
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرۡ ٤
And your clothing purify
74:5
وَٱلرُّجۡزَ فَٱهۡجُرۡ ٥
And uncleanliness1 avoid
1 translator’s note
- Specifically, idols or generally, bad conduct and morals. ↩
74:6
وَلَا تَمۡنُن تَسۡتَكۡثِرُ ٦
And do not confer favor to acquire more1
1 translator’s note
- An alternative meaning is "Do not consider any favor you have conferred to be great." ↩
74:7
وَلِرَبِّكَ فَٱصۡبِرۡ ٧
But for your Lord be patient.
74:8
فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِي ٱلنَّاقُورِ ٨
And when the trumpet is blown,
74:9
فَذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَوۡمٌ عَسِيرٌ ٩
That Day will be a difficult day
74:10
عَلَى ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ غَيۡرُ يَسِيرٖ ١٠
For the disbelievers - not easy.
74:11
ذَرۡنِي وَمَنۡ خَلَقۡتُ وَحِيدٗا ١١
Leave Me with the one I created alone1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., without wealth or children. The reference is to al-Waleed bin al-Mugheerah, who after inclining toward the Qur’ān, denied it publicly in order to win the approval of the Quraysh. ↩
74:12
وَجَعَلۡتُ لَهُۥ مَالٗا مَّمۡدُودٗا ١٢
And to whom I granted extensive wealth
74:13
وَبَنِينَ شُهُودٗا ١٣
And children present [with him]
74:14
وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُۥ تَمۡهِيدٗا ١٤
And spread [everything] before him, easing [his life].
74:15
ثُمَّ يَطۡمَعُ أَنۡ أَزِيدَ ١٥
Then he desires that I should add more.
74:16
كـَلَّآۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِأٓيَٰتِنَا عَنِيدٗا ١٦
No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate.
74:17
سَأُرۡهِقُهُۥ صَعُودًا ١٧
I will cover him with arduous torment.