The One Covered up
Al-Muddaththir
المُدَّثِّر
LEARNING POINTS
The Prophet is asked to deliver the message of Islam to everyone.
Allah promises to deal with the idol-worshippers who challenge the truth, attack the Quran, and mock the Keepers of Hell.
Those who do not pray and refuse to feed the poor will have a hard time in the Next Life..
BACKGROUND STORY
After the angel Jibreel appeared to the Prophet for the first time at Hira', a cave just outside of Makkah, he rushed to his house in total shock, asking his wife Khadijah to cover him up with his clothes. Later, this surah came down, encouraging him to start delivering the message of Islam. (Recorded by Imam Al-Bukhari & Imam Muslim)
A MESSAGE TO THE PROPHET
1O you covered up in your clothes'! 2Rise up and warn 'everyone'. 3Praise the greatness of your Lord 'alone'. 4Purify your clothes. 5Continue to' reject idols. 6Do not do a favour expecting more 'in return'. 7And be patient for 'the sake of your Lord. 8Finally, when the Trumpet will be blown, 9that will 'truly' be a difficult Day— 10not easy for the disbelievers.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُدَّثِّرُ 1قُمۡ فَأَنذِرۡ 2وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرۡ 3وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرۡ 4وَٱلرُّجۡزَ فَٱهۡجُرۡ 5وَلَا تَمۡنُن تَسۡتَكۡثِرُ 6وَلِرَبِّكَ فَٱصۡبِرۡ 7فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِي ٱلنَّاقُورِ 8فَذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَوۡمٌ عَسِيرٌ 9عَلَى ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ غَيۡرُ يَسِيرٖ10
BACKGROUND STORY
Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah once said something nice about the Quran in front of his people after he heard the Prophet's recitation. His friend, Abu Jahl, became very angry when he heard what Al-Walid said, so he pressured him to change his mind. Al-Walid had to think over and over to come up with something bad to say about the Quran. Finally, he came out and told his people that the Quran is just magic, the word of a man. (Recorded by Imam Al-Qurtubi)
WARNING TO A DENIER
11And leave to me 'O Prophet' the one I created all by Myself, 12and gave him a lot of wealth, 13and children always by his side, 14and made life very easy for him. 15Yet he is hungry for more. 16But no! He has always been stubborn with Our revelations. 17I will make his Next Life very Difficult, 18for he thought and came up with 'a bad label for the Quran'. 19May he be doomed! How evil was what he came up with! 20May he be doomed even more! How evil was what he came up with! 21Then he thought again 'in frustration', 22then he frowned and became angry, 23then turned his back 'on the truth' and acted arrogantly, 24saying, "This 'Quran' is nothing but magic from ancient Times. 25This is no more than the word of a man." 26Soon I will burn him in Hell! 27And what will make you realize what Hell is?: 28It does not let anyone live or 'Die' 29roasting the skin. 30It is supervised by nineteen 'keepers'.
ذَرۡنِي وَمَنۡ خَلَقۡتُ وَحِيدٗا 11وَجَعَلۡتُ لَهُۥ مَالٗا مَّمۡدُودٗا 12وَبَنِينَ شُهُودٗا 13وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُۥ تَمۡهِيدٗا 14ثُمَّ يَطۡمَعُ أَنۡ أَزِيدَ 15كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِأٓيَٰتِنَا عَنِيدٗا 16سَأُرۡهِقُهُۥ صَعُودًا 17إِنَّهُۥ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ 18فَقُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ 19ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ 20ثُمَّ نَظَرَ 21ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ 22ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ 23فَقَالَ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ يُؤۡثَرُ 24إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوۡلُ ٱلۡبَشَرِ 25سَأُصۡلِيهِ سَقَرَ 26وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سَقَرُ 27لَا تُبۡقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ 28لَوَّاحَةٞ لِّلۡبَشَرِ 29عَلَيۡهَا تِسۡعَةَ عَشَرَ30
BACKGROUND STORY
Some idol-worshippers made fun of the Prophet when he told them that Hell has 19 keepers. Al-Ashadd, who was known for his strength, said mockingly to other idol-worshippers, You just take care of 2 keepers and I will beat the rest all by my- self {Recorded by Imam lbn Kathir)
THE 19 KEEPERS OF HELL
31We have made only 'tough' angels as keepers of the Fire. And We have made their number only as a test for the disbelievers; so that the People of the Book will be certain, and the believers will increase in faith; and the People of the Book and the believers will have no doubts; and so that those hypocrites' with sickness in their hearts and the disbelievers will argue, "What does Allah mean by such a number?" In this way Allah leaves whoever He wants to stray and guides whoever He wants. And no one knows the forces of your Lord except He. And this description of Hell" is only a reminder to humanity.
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 لِلۡبَشَرِ31
WARNING OF HELL
32But no! By the moon, 33and the night as it leaves, 34and the daylight as it shines! 35Surely Hell is one of the worst disasters 36a warning to humankind, 37to whichever of you chooses to take the lead or fall behind.
كَلَّا وَٱلۡقَمَرِ 32وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذۡ أَدۡبَرَ 33وَٱلصُّبۡحِ إِذَآ أَسۡفَرَ 34إِنَّهَا لَإِحۡدَى ٱلۡكُبَرِ 35نَذِيرٗا لِّلۡبَشَرِ 36لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمۡ أَن يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوۡ يَتَأَخَّرَ37
WHAT LEADS TO HELL
38Every soul will be locked up for what it has done, 39except the people of the right, 40who will be in Gardens, asking each other 41about the wicked who will then be asked': 42"What has landed you in Hell?" 43They will cry, "We were of those who prayed, 44and we did not feed the poor. 45Instead, we used to be busy 'with nonsense' like the others, 46and deny Judgment Day, 47until death came to us." 48So no matter who speaks in their defence, it will do them no good.
كُلُّ نَفۡسِۢ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ رَهِينَةٌ 38إِلَّآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡيَمِينِ 39فِي جَنَّٰتٖ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ 40عَنِ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ 41مَا سَلَكَكُمۡ فِي سَقَرَ 42قَالُواْ لَمۡ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ 43وَلَمۡ نَكُ نُطۡعِمُ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ 44وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلۡخَآئِضِينَ 45وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ 46حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلۡيَقِينُ 47فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمۡ شَفَٰعَةُ ٱلشَّٰفِعِينَ48
WARNING TO IDOL-WORSHIPPERS
49Now, what is the matter with them that they are turning away from the reminder, 50as if they were scared zebras 51running away from a lion? 52In fact, each one of them wishes to be given a personal letter 'from Allah' for all to read'. 53But no! In fact, they do not fear the Next Life. 54Enough! Surely this Quran' is a reminder. 55So let whoever wants, keep it in mind. 56But they cannot do so unless Allah wills. He 'alone' deserves to be feared and is able to forgive.
فَمَا لَهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلتَّذۡكِرَةِ مُعۡرِضِينَ 49كَأَنَّهُمۡ حُمُرٞ مُّسۡتَنفِرَةٞ 50فَرَّتۡ مِن قَسۡوَرَةِۢ 51بَلۡ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُؤۡتَىٰ صُحُفٗا مُّنَشَّرَةٗ 52كَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا يَخَافُونَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ 53كَلَّآ إِنَّهُۥ تَذۡكِرَةٞ 54فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ 55وَمَا يَذۡكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ هُوَ أَهۡلُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ وَأَهۡلُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِ56