Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
المدثر
Al-Muddaththir
The Cloaked One · Meccan · 56 ayahs
74:1–7Page 575
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُدَّثِّرُ ١
O you who covers himself [with a garment],1
قُمۡ فَأَنذِرۡ ٢
Arise and warn
وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرۡ ٣
And your Lord glorify
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرۡ ٤
And your clothing purify
وَٱلرُّجۡزَ فَٱهۡجُرۡ ٥
And uncleanliness1 avoid
وَلَا تَمۡنُن تَسۡتَكۡثِرُ ٦
And do not confer favor to acquire more1
وَلِرَبِّكَ فَٱصۡبِرۡ ٧
But for your Lord be patient.
The real work of a prophet is warning the people, i.e. informing them of the serious nature of the events which will unfold in the Hereafter. This task can be performed only by one whose heart is overflowing with the realisation of God’s Majesty, who possesses a noble character, who shuns all evil, who does good without aspiring to any recompense, who can be unilaterally tolerant and exercise patience in the face of trouble created by others.
74:8–17Page 575
فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِي ٱلنَّاقُورِ ٨
And when the trumpet is blown,
فَذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَوۡمٌ عَسِيرٌ ٩
That Day will be a difficult day
عَلَى ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ غَيۡرُ يَسِيرٖ ١٠
For the disbelievers - not easy.
ذَرۡنِي وَمَنۡ خَلَقۡتُ وَحِيدٗا ١١
Leave Me with the one I created alone1
وَجَعَلۡتُ لَهُۥ مَالٗا مَّمۡدُودٗا ١٢
And to whom I granted extensive wealth
وَبَنِينَ شُهُودٗا ١٣
And children present [with him]
وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُۥ تَمۡهِيدٗا ١٤
And spread [everything] before him, easing [his life].
ثُمَّ يَطۡمَعُ أَنۡ أَزِيدَ ١٥
Then he desires that I should add more.
كـَلَّآۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِأٓيَٰتِنَا عَنِيدٗا ١٦
No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate.
سَأُرۡهِقُهُۥ صَعُودًا ١٧
I will cover him with arduous torment.
One who finds himself in an affluent position with a horde of companions, develops a false sense of confidence. He imagines that as he is well-to-do in this world, he will fare well in the Hereafter also. But with the advent of Doomsday, the whole situation will change. The individual who was in easy circumstances in this world, will then find himself surrounded by insurmountable difficulties.
74:18–25Page 576
إِنَّهُۥ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ ١٨
Indeed, he thought and deliberated.1
فَقُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ ١٩
So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ ٢٠
Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
ثُمَّ نَظَرَ ٢١
Then he considered [again];
ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ ٢٢
Then he frowned and scowled;
ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ ٢٣
Then he turned back and was arrogant
فَقَالَ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ يُؤۡثَرُ ٢٤
And said, "This is not but magic imitated [from others].
إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوۡلُ ٱلۡبَشَرِ ٢٥
This is not but the word of a human being."
The greatest impediment to acceptance of the Truth is a man’s egoism or pride. Those who attain a high status in society do not accept the Truth for the simple reason that, by such acceptance, their greatness will be diminished. In order to cover up their rejection, they try to find defects in the discourse of the preacher of Truth. They try to degrade him by making allegations against him.
74:26–31Page 576
سَأُصۡلِيهِ سَقَرَ ٢٦
I will drive him into Saqar.1
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سَقَرُ ٢٧
And what can make you know what is Saqar?
لَا تُبۡقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ ٢٨
It lets nothing remain and leaves nothing [unburned],
لَوَّاحَةٞ لِّلۡبَشَرِ ٢٩
Altering [i.e., blackening] the skins.
عَلَيۡهَا تِسۡعَةَ عَشَرَ ٣٠
Over it are nineteen [angels].
وَمَا جَعَلۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَٰٓئِكَةٗۖ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا عِدَّتَهُمۡ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسۡتَيۡقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَيَزۡدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا وَلَا يَرۡتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَا يَعۡلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡبَشَرِ ٣١
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 disease [i.e., hypocrisy] and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allāh intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allāh send astray whom He wills and guide whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And it [i.e., mention of the Fire] is not but a reminder to humanity.
The conditions of hell described in the Quran relate to the unseen and hidden world. There being nineteen angels in hell is also a fact of a similar nature. If one resorts to hair-splitting, these matters will only increase one’s doubts. But if the way of complete faith is adopted, these matters will increase one’s fear of the Hereafter.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences