The Wrapped One
Al-Muzzammil
المُزَّمِّل
LEARNING POINTS
This early surah prepares the Prophet for the mighty teachings yet to be revealed and the challenges ahead.
The Prophet is told to find comfort in patience and prayer.
We should never give up.
The arrogant disbelievers are warned of a horrible punishment in Jahannam.
Allah always makes it easy for the believers to worship Him.
BACKGROUND STORY
When the idol-worshippers first heard that the Prophet began to receive revelations from Allah, they started to make fun of him. They even called him 'a crazy man' and 'a magician.' So he became very upset and disappointed when he heard what they said. This surah came down to tell him, 'Don't give up.' He is asked to stand up and deliver the message, seeking comfort in patience and prayer. He is promised that Allah Himself will deal with those idol-worshippers who are giving him a hard time. (Recorded by Imam At-Tabarani)
SIDE STORY
This is a story of two frogs-one was old and the other was young. One day, they were hopping around looking for food when suddenly they landed into a small pot of milk. They couldn't jump out, so they started swimming in the milk. After 10 minutes of paddling, the old frog said, 'There is no point. We are doomed.' The young frog replied, 'No, we shouldn't give up. I am sure there is a way out.' The old frog said, 'What a fool! There is no one here to help us. Just stop paddling and let's die in peace.' The young frog didn't listen and kept paddling, while the old frog was making fun of him. Finally, the old frog drowned, but the young one kept paddling until the milk slowly turned into butter, and he was able to jump out with ease.
In 1986, a 34-year old Indian-Canadian Muslim lawyer (named Enam Bukhari) had a medical condition that left him in the hospital for a long period of time. At some point, his heart stopped, and his doctors thought he actually died, but Allah kept him alive. His doctors then said that he would be lucky if he lived another week. He couldn't breathe, talk, or move on his own, so he had to sit on a wheelchair and use a machine to breathe. He couldn't open his eyes, so they had to tape them open when he was not asleep. He loved to read, but was very frustrated when he had to wait for his wife to turn the page for him. His life was very difficult, but he never gave up. It took him a few years to train himself to speak with an air-tube stuck up his throat. He went back to university, got a master's degree, and started a successful law office in the Niagara Region. Although he spent the rest of his life on a wheelchair and couldn't move or breathe on his own, Enam became known for his community service and charity work. I met him a few times, and visited him in his house in the city of St. Catharines, Ontario with a group of youth from the local masjid to hear his story in person. When I asked him for advice, he said, 'Do a small good deed every day. If you don't busy yourself with good, you will get busy with evil.' Enam Bukhari passed away in 2016, and I was honoured to lead his janazah (funeral prayer).
EMPOWERING THE PROPHET THROUGH PRAYER
1O you wrapped in your clothes'! 2Stand all night 'in prayer' except a little— 3'pray' half the night, or a little less, 4or a little more—and recite the Quran 'properly' in a relaxed way. 5We will soon send upon you a heavy message. 6Surely worship in the night is more effective and suitable for recitation. 7This is because you are too busy 'with worldly duties' during the day. 8'Always' remember the Name of your Lord, and worship Him sincerely. 9'He is the' Lord of the east and the west. There is no god 'that deserves worship' except Him, so trust Him with all matters.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُزَّمِّلُ 1قُمِ ٱلَّيۡلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا 2نِّصۡفَهُۥٓ أَوِ ٱنقُصۡ مِنۡهُ قَلِيلًا 3أَوۡ زِدۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ تَرۡتِيلًا 4إِنَّا سَنُلۡقِي عَلَيۡكَ قَوۡلٗا ثَقِيلًا 5إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطۡٔٗا وَأَقۡوَمُ قِيلًا 6إِنَّ لَكَ فِي ٱلنَّهَارِ سَبۡحٗا طَوِيلٗا 7وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلۡ إِلَيۡهِ تَبۡتِيلٗا 8رَّبُّ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱتَّخِذۡهُ وَكِيلٗا9
SUPPORTING THE PROPHET
10Be patient 'O Prophet' with what they say, and ignore them peacefully. 11And leave to Me the deniers—the people of fancy living—and bear with them for a little while. 12We definitely have chains, a burning' Hell, 13a food that chokes, and a painful punishment 'waiting for them' 14on the Day the earth and mountains will shake ' violently', and mountains will be 'reduced to' piles of shifting sand.
وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهۡجُرۡهُمۡ هَجۡرٗا جَمِيلٗا 10وَذَرۡنِي وَٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ أُوْلِي ٱلنَّعۡمَةِ وَمَهِّلۡهُمۡ قَلِيلًا 11إِنَّ لَدَيۡنَآ أَنكَالٗا وَجَحِيمٗا 12وَطَعَامٗا ذَا غُصَّةٖ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمٗا 13يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَٱلۡجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَثِيبٗا مَّهِيلًا14
WARNING TO IDOL-WORSHIPPERS
15Surely We have sent to you a messenger as a witness over you, just as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh. 16But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We grabbed him with a harsh grip. 17If you idol-worshippers' keep disbelieving, then how will you protect yourselves from 'the horrors of a Day which will turn children's hair grey? 18It will even' cause the sky to split apart. His promise of judgment' must come true. 19Surely this is a reminder. So let whoever wants, take the Right' Way to their Lord.
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكُمۡ رَسُولٗا شَٰهِدًا عَلَيۡكُمۡ كَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ رَسُولٗا 15فَعَصَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُ أَخۡذٗا وَبِيلٗا 16فَكَيۡفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرۡتُمۡ يَوۡمٗا يَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡوِلۡدَٰنَ شِيبًا 17ٱلسَّمَآءُ مُنفَطِرُۢ بِهِۦۚ كَانَ وَعۡدُهُۥ مَفۡعُولًا 18إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذۡكِرَةٞۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلًا19
WORDS OF WISDOM
If a Muslim prays 5 times a day, pays zakah, fasts in Ramadan, and goes for hajj, the Prophet said that Allah will give them Jannah. (Recorded by Imam Al-Bukhari & Imam Muslim) However, if someone wants to be raised in rank in Jannah, they should do some optional acts of worship, known as sunnah or nafl. This includes praying extra salah at night, fasting Mondays and Thursdays, giving sadaqah, and doing umrah. This is why the Prophet and his companions used to pray at night, according_to this surah.
NIGHT PRAYERS EASED
20Surely your Lord knows that you 'O Prophet' stand 'in prayer for nearly two-thirds of the night, or 'sometimes' half of it, or a third, as do some of those with you. Allah 'alone' keeps the exact count of the day and night. He knows that you 'believers' will not be able to keep up with that, so He has turned to you in mercy. So recite 'in prayer' whatever you can from the Quran. He knows that some of you will be sick, some will be travelling throughout the land seeking Allah's blessings, and some fighting in the cause of Allah. So recite whatever you can from it. And 'continue to' offer 'regular' salah, pay zakah, and give Allah a good loan. Whatever good you send ahead for yourselves, you will find it with Allah to be far better and more rewarding. And ask Allah for forgiveness. Surely Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
۞ 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 رَّحِيمُۢ20