Surah 74. Al-Muddaththir

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Verses [Section]: 1-31[1], 32-56 [2]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-3174. Al-Muddaththirبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِیٰۤاَیُّهَاO youالْمُدَّثِّرُۙwho covers himself! قُمْStand upفَاَنْذِرْ۪ۙand warn وَ رَبَّكَAnd your Lordفَكَبِّرْ۪ۙmagnify وَ ثِیَابَكَAnd your clothingفَطَهِّرْ۪ۙpurify وَ الرُّجْزَAnd uncleanlinessفَاهْجُرْ۪ۙavoid وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَمْنُنْconfer favorتَسْتَكْثِرُ۪ۙ(to) acquire more وَ لِرَبِّكَAnd for your Lordفَاصْبِرْؕbe patient فَاِذَاThen whenنُقِرَis blownفِیinالنَّاقُوْرِۙthe trumpet فَذٰلِكَThatیَوْمَىِٕذٍDayیَّوْمٌ(will be) a Dayعَسِیْرٌۙdifficult عَلَیForالْكٰفِرِیْنَthe disbelieversغَیْرُnotیَسِیْرٍ easy ذَرْنِیْLeave Meوَ مَنْand whomخَلَقْتُI createdوَحِیْدًاۙalone وَّ جَعَلْتُAnd I grantedلَهٗto himمَالًاwealthمَّمْدُوْدًاۙextensive وَّ بَنِیْنَAnd childrenشُهُوْدًاۙpresent وَّ مَهَّدْتُّAnd I spreadلَهٗfor himتَمْهِیْدًاۙease ثُمَّThenیَطْمَعُhe desiresاَنْthatاَزِیْدَۗۙI (should) add more كَلَّا ؕBy no means!اِنَّهٗIndeed heكَانَhas beenلِاٰیٰتِنَاto Our Versesعَنِیْدًاؕstubborn سَاُرْهِقُهٗSoon I will cover Himصَعُوْدًاؕ(with) a laborious punishment 74. Al-Muddaththir Page 576اِنَّهٗIndeed heفَكَّرَthoughtوَ قَدَّرَۙand plotted فَقُتِلَSo may he be destroyedكَیْفَhowقَدَّرَۙhe plotted ثُمَّThenقُتِلَmay he be destroyedكَیْفَhowقَدَّرَۙhe plotted ثُمَّThenنَظَرَۙhe looked; ثُمَّThenعَبَسَhe frownedوَ بَسَرَۙand scowled; ثُمَّThenاَدْبَرَhe turned backوَ اسْتَكْبَرَۙand was proud فَقَالَThen he saidاِنْNotهٰذَاۤ(is) thisاِلَّاbutسِحْرٌmagicیُّؤْثَرُۙimitated اِنْNotهٰذَاۤ(is) thisاِلَّاbutقَوْلُ(the) wordالْبَشَرِؕ(of) a human being سَاُصْلِیْهِSoon I will admit himسَقَرَ(in) Hell وَ مَاۤAnd whatاَدْرٰىكَcan make you knowمَاwhatسَقَرُؕ(is) Hell لَاNotتُبْقِیْit lets remainوَ لَاand notتَذَرُۚit leaves لَوَّاحَةٌScorchingلِّلْبَشَرِۚۖthe human (skin) عَلَیْهَاOver itتِسْعَةَ(are) nineعَشَرَؕteen وَ مَاAnd notجَعَلْنَاۤWe have madeاَصْحٰبَkeepersالنَّارِ(of) the Fireاِلَّاexceptمَلٰٓىِٕكَةً ۪Angelsوَّ مَاAnd notجَعَلْنَاWe have madeعِدَّتَهُمْtheir numberاِلَّاexceptفِتْنَةً(as) a trialلِّلَّذِیْنَfor those whoكَفَرُوْا ۙdisbelieveلِیَسْتَیْقِنَthat may be certainالَّذِیْنَthose whoاُوْتُواwere givenالْكِتٰبَthe Scriptureوَ یَزْدَادَand may increaseالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْۤاbelieveاِیْمَانًا(in) faithوَّ لَاand notیَرْتَابَmay doubtالَّذِیْنَthose whoاُوْتُواwere givenالْكِتٰبَthe Scriptureوَ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ ۙand the believersوَ لِیَقُوْلَand that may sayالَّذِیْنَthoseفِیْinقُلُوْبِهِمْtheir heartsمَّرَضٌ(is) a diseaseوَّ الْكٰفِرُوْنَand the disbelieversمَا ذَاۤWhatاَرَادَ(does) intendاللّٰهُAllahبِهٰذَاby thisمَثَلًا ؕexampleكَذٰلِكَThusیُضِلُّdoes let go astrayاللّٰهُAllahمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُHe willsوَ یَهْدِیْand guidesمَنْwhomیَّشَآءُ ؕHe willsوَ مَاAnd noneیَعْلَمُknowsجُنُوْدَ(the) hostsرَبِّكَ(of) your Lordاِلَّاexceptهُوَ ؕHimوَ مَاAnd notهِیَitاِلَّا(is) butذِكْرٰیa reminderلِلْبَشَرِ۠to (the) human beings

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Surah Introduction

Following his first encounter with the angel Gabriel at a cave in the outskirts of Mecca, the Prophet ( ﷺ ) rushed to his house in total shock, asking his wife to cover him up with his cloak. Later, this Meccan sûrah was revealed, urging him ( ﷺ ) to shoulder the responsibility of delivering the message. Allah promises to deal with the pagan tyrants who oppose the truth, defame the Quran, and ridicule warnings of Hell. The pagan denial of the Hereafter is dealt with in the next sûrah.

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Translation of Verse 1-311. In the Name of Allah-the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

1. O you covered up ˹in your clothes˺!

2. Arise and warn ˹all˺.

3. Revere your Lord ˹alone˺.

4. Purify your garments.

5. ˹Continue to˺ shun idols.

6. Do not do a favour expecting more ˹in return˺. ¹²⁵¹

7. And persevere for ˹the sake of˺ your Lord.

8. ˹For˺ when the Trumpet will be sounded, ¹²⁵²

9. that will ˹truly˺ be a difficult Day-

10. far from easy for the disbelievers.

11. And leave to me ˹O Prophet˺ the one I created all by Myself,

12. and granted him abundant wealth,

13. and children always by his side,

14. and made life very easy for him.

15. Yet he is hungry for more.

16. But no! ˹For˺ he has been truly stubborn with Our revelations.

17. I will make his fate unbearable,

18. for he contemplated and determined ˹a degrading label for the Quran˺.

19. May he be condemned! How evil was what he determined!

20. May he be condemned even more! How evil was what he determined!

21. Then he re-contemplated ˹in frustration˺,

22. then frowned and scowled,

23. then turned his back ˹on the truth˺ and acted arrogantly,

24. saying, "This ˹Quran˺ is nothing but magic from the ancients.

25. This is no more than the word of a man."

26. Soon I will burn him in Hell!

27. And what will make you realize what Hell is?

28. It does not let anyone live or die, ¹²⁵⁴

29. scorching the skin.

30. It is overseen by nineteen ˹keepers˺.

31. We have appointed only ˹stern˺ angels as wardens of the Fire. And We have made their number only as a test for the disbelievers, ¹²⁵⁵ so that the People of the Book will be certain, and the believers will increase in faith, and neither the People of the Book nor the believers will have any 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 wills to stray and guides whoever He wills. And none knows the forces of your Lord except He. And this ˹description of Hell˺ is only a reminder to humanity.

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Commentary

1251. It was a common practice to give someone a gift, hoping to receive a more valuable gift in return. This practice is disliked in Islam.

1252. This is when the Trumpet will be blown for the second time, causing everyone to rise from the dead for judgment. See 39:68.

1253. This refers to Al-Walîd ibn Al-Mughîrah, a leader of Meccan opposition against Islam. See footnote for 64:10-16.

1254. Another possible translation: "It spares none and leaves nothing."

1255. Some pagans made fun of the Prophet ( ﷺ ) when they were told that the keepers of Hell are nineteen angels. One of them said mockingly to other pagans, "You take care of two angels and I will vanquish the rest all by myself."