سورة المدثر
Surah Al-Muddaththir
The Cloaked One
Surah Al-Muddaththir (The Cloaked One) is the 74th surah of the Quran. It has 56 verses and is a Meccan surah. Below is the complete Arabic text with an English translation and transliteration, verse by verse.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُدَّثِّرُ﴿١﴾
Ya ayyuha almuddaththiru
O you who covers himself [with a garment],
قُمۡ فَأَنذِرۡ﴿٢﴾
Qum faanthir
Arise and warn
وَ رَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرۡ﴿٣﴾
Warabbaka fakabbir
And your Lord glorify
وَ ثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرۡ﴿٤﴾
Wathiyabaka fatahhir
And your clothing purify
وَ ٱلرُّجۡزَ فَٱهۡجُرۡ﴿٥﴾
Waalrrujza faohjur
And uncleanliness avoid
وَ لَا تَمۡنُن تَسۡتَكۡثِرُ﴿٦﴾
Wala tamnun tastakthiru
And do not confer favor to acquire more
وَ لِرَبِّكَ فَٱصۡبِرۡ﴿٧﴾
Walirabbika faisbir
But for your Lord be patient.
فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِي ٱلنَّاقُورِ﴿٨﴾
Faitha nuqira fee alnnaqoori
And when the trumpet is blown,
فَذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ يَوۡمٌ عَسِيرٌ﴿٩﴾
Fathalika yawmaithin yawmun ʿaseerun
That Day will be a difficult day
عَلَى ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ غَيۡرُ يَسِيرࣲ﴿١٠﴾
ʿala alkafireena ghayru yaseerin
For the disbelievers - not easy.
ذَرۡنِي وَ مَنۡ خَلَقۡتُ وَحِيدࣰا﴿١١﴾
Tharnee waman khalaqtu waheedan
Leave Me with the one I created alone
وَ جَعَلۡتُ لَهُۥ مَالࣰا مَّمۡدُودࣰا﴿١٢﴾
Wajaʿaltu lahu malan mamdoodan
And to whom I granted extensive wealth
وَ بَنِينَ شُهُودࣰا﴿١٣﴾
Wabaneena shuhoodan
And children present [with him]
وَ مَهَّدتُّ لَهُۥ تَمۡهِيدࣰا﴿١٤﴾
Wamahhadtu lahu tamheedan
And spread [everything] before him, easing [his life].
ثُمَّ يَطۡمَعُ أَنۡ أَزِيدَ﴿١٥﴾
Thumma yatmaʿu an azeeda
Then he desires that I should add more.
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِأٓيَٰتِنَا عَنِيدࣰا﴿١٦﴾
Kalla innahu kana liayatina ʿaneedan
No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate.
سَأُرۡهِقُهُۥ صَعُودًا﴿١٧﴾
Saorhiquhu saʿoodan
I will cover him with arduous torment.
إِنَّهُۥ فَكَّرَ وَ قَدَّرَ﴿١٨﴾
Innahu fakkara waqaddara
Indeed, he thought and deliberated.
فَقُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ﴿١٩﴾
Faqutila kayfa qaddara
So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ﴿٢٠﴾
Thumma qutila kayfa qaddara
Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
ثُمَّ نَظَرَ﴿٢١﴾
Thumma nathara
Then he considered [again];
ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَ بَسَرَ﴿٢٢﴾
Thumma ʿabasa wabasara
Then he frowned and scowled;
ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ وَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ﴿٢٣﴾
Thumma adbara waistakbara
Then he turned back and was arrogant
فَقَالَ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرࣱ يُؤۡثَرُ﴿٢٤﴾
Faqala in hatha illa sihrun yutharu
And said, "This is not but magic imitated [from others].
إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوۡلُ ٱلۡبَشَرِ﴿٢٥﴾
In hatha illa qawlu albashari
This is not but the word of a human being."
سَأُصۡلِيهِ سَقَرَ﴿٢٦﴾
Saosleehi saqara
I will drive him into Saqar.
وَ مَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سَقَرُ﴿٢٧﴾
Wama adraka ma saqaru
And what can make you know what is Saqar?
لَا تُبۡقِي وَ لَا تَذَرُ﴿٢٨﴾
La tubqee wala tatharu
It lets nothing remain and leaves nothing [unburned],
لَوَّاحَةࣱ لِّلۡبَشَرِ﴿٢٩﴾
Lawwahatun lilbashari
Altering [i.e., blackening] the skins.
عَلَيۡهَا تِسۡعَةَ عَشَرَ﴿٣٠﴾
ʿalayha tisʿata ʿashara
Over it are nineteen [angels].
وَ مَا جَعَلۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَٰٓئِكَةࣰ ۖ وَ مَا جَعَلۡنَا عِدَّتَهُمۡ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةࣰ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسۡتَيۡقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَ يَزۡدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنࣰا وَ لَا يَرۡتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَ لِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضࣱ وَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلࣰا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَ يَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَ مَا يَعۡلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَ مَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡبَشَرِ﴿٣١﴾
Wama jaʿalna ashaba alnnari illa malaikatan wama jaʿalna ʿiddatahum illa fitnatan lillatheena kafaroo liyastayqina allatheena ootoo alkitaba wayazdada allatheena amanoo eemanan wala yartaba allatheena ootoo alkitaba waalmuminoona waliyaqoola allatheena fee quloobihim maradun waalkafiroona matha arada Allahu bihatha mathalan kathalika yudillu Allahu man yashao wayahdee man yashao wama yaʿlamu junooda rabbika illa huwa wama hiya illa thikra lilbashari
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.
كَلَّا وَ ٱلۡقَمَرِ﴿٣٢﴾
Kalla waalqamari
No! By the moon
وَ ٱلَّيۡلِ إِذۡ أَدۡبَرَ﴿٣٣﴾
Waallayli ith adbara
And [by] the night when it departs
وَ ٱلصُّبۡحِ إِذَآ أَسۡفَرَ﴿٣٤﴾
Waalssubhi itha asfara
And [by] the morning when it brightens,
إِنَّهَا لَإِحۡدَى ٱلۡكُبَرِ﴿٣٥﴾
Innaha laihda alkubari
Indeed, it [i.e., the Fire] is of the greatest [afflictions]
نَذِيرࣰا لِّلۡبَشَرِ﴿٣٦﴾
Natheeran lilbashari
As a warning to humanity -
لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمۡ أَن يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوۡ يَتَأَخَّرَ﴿٣٧﴾
Liman shaa minkum an yataqaddama aw yataakhkhara
To whoever wills among you to proceed or stay behind.
كُلُّ نَفۡسِۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ رَهِينَةٌ﴿٣٨﴾
Kullu nafsin bima kasabat raheenatun
Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained
إِلَّآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡيَمِينِ﴿٣٩﴾
Illa ashaba alyameeni
Except the companions of the right,.
فِي جَنَّٰتࣲ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ﴿٤٠﴾
Fee jannatin yatasaaloona
[Who will be] in gardens, questioning each other
عَنِ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ﴿٤١﴾
ʿani almujrimeena
About the criminals,
مَا سَلَكَكُمۡ فِي سَقَرَ﴿٤٢﴾
Ma salakakum fee saqara
[And asking them], "What put you into Saqar?"
قَالُواْ لَمۡ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ﴿٤٣﴾
Qaloo lam naku mina almusalleena
They will say, "We were not of those who prayed,
وَ لَمۡ نَكُ نُطۡعِمُ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ﴿٤٤﴾
Walam naku nutʿimu almiskeena
Nor did we used to feed the poor.
وَ كُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلۡخَآئِضِينَ﴿٤٥﴾
Wakunna nakhoodu maʿa alkhaideena
And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it],
وَ كُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ﴿٤٦﴾
Wakunna nukaththibu biyawmi alddeeni
And we used to deny the Day of Recompense
حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلۡيَقِينُ﴿٤٧﴾
Hatta atana alyaqeenu
Until there came to us the certainty [i.e., death]."
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمۡ شَفَٰعَةُ ٱلشَّٰفِعِينَ﴿٤٨﴾
Fama tanfaʿuhum shafaʿatu alshshafiʿeena
So there will not benefit them the intercession of [any] intercessors.
فَمَا لَهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلتَّذۡكِرَةِ مُعۡرِضِينَ﴿٤٩﴾
Fama lahum ʿani alttathkirati muʿrideena
Then what is [the matter] with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away
كَأَنَّهُمۡ حُمُرࣱ مُّسۡتَنفِرَةࣱ﴿٥٠﴾
Kaannahum humurun mustanfiratun
As if they were alarmed donkeys
فَرَّتۡ مِن قَسۡوَرَةِۭ﴿٥١﴾
Farrat min qaswaratin
Fleeing from a lion?
بَلۡ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيࣲٕ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُؤۡتَىٰ صُحُفࣰا مُّنَشَّرَةࣰ﴿٥٢﴾
Bal yureedu kullu imriin minhum an yuta suhufan munashsharatan
Rather, every person among them desires that he would be given scriptures spread about.
كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا يَخَافُونَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ﴿٥٣﴾
Kalla bal la yakhafoona alakhirata
No! But they do not fear the Hereafter.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهُۥ تَذۡكِرَةࣱ﴿٥٤﴾
Kalla innahu tathkiratun
No! Indeed, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is a reminder
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ﴿٥٥﴾
Faman shaa thakarahu
Then whoever wills will remember it.
وَ مَا يَذۡكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ هُوَ أَهۡلُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ وَ أَهۡلُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِ﴿٥٦﴾
Wama yathkuroona illa an yashaa Allahu huwa ahlu alttaqwa waahlu almaghfirati
And they will not remember except that Allāh wills. He is worthy of fear and adequate for [granting] forgiveness.
Translation: Saheeh International · Transliteration
About this surah
Name
The Surah takes its name from the word al-muddaththir in the first verse. This also is only a name, not a title of its subject matter.
Period of Revelation
The first seven verses of this Surah belong to the earliest period at Makkah. Even according to some traditions which have been related in Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad, etc., on the authority of Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah, these are the very earliest verses of the Qur'an to be revealed to the Holy Prophet (upon whoa be peace). But the Muslim Ummah almost unanimously agreed that the earliest Revelation to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) consisted of the first five verses of Surah Al-Alaq(XCVI). However, what is established by authentic traditions is that after this first Revelation, no Revelation came down to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) for quite some time. Then, when it was resumed, it started with theme verses of Surah Al- Muddaththir. Imam Zuhri has given the following details of it:
"Revelation to the Holy Prophet remained suspended for quite some time, and it was such a period of deep grief and distress for him that he started going early to the tops of the mountains to throw himself down from them. But whenever he stood on the edge of a peak, the Angel Gabriel would appear and tell him that he was Allah's Prophet. This would console him and restore to him full peace of mind." (Ibn Jarir).
After this Imam Zuhri relates the following tradition on the authority of Hadrat Jabir bin Abdullah:
"The Holy Messenger of Allah describing the period of falrat al-wahi (break in revelation) said: One day when I was passing on the way, I suddenly heard a call from heaven. I raised my head and saw that the same Angel who had visited me in the Cave of Hira was sitting on a throne between heaven and earth. This struck terror in my heart, and reaching home quickly, I said: 'Cover me up, cover me up'. So the people of the house covered me up with a quilt (or blanket). At that time Allah sent down the Revelation: Ya ayyuhal-Muddaththiru... From then on revelation became intense and continuous." (Bukhari, Muslim Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Jarir).
The rest of the Surah (vv. 8-56) was revealed when the first Hajj season came after public preaching of Islam had begun in Makkah. This has been fully well described in the Sirah by Ibn Hisham and we shall cite it below.
Theme and Subject Matter
As has been explained above, the earliest Revelation to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) consisted of the first five verses of Surah Al-Alaq, in which it had been Said: "Read (O Prophet), in the name of your Lord, Who created: created man from a clot of congealed blood. Read: and your Lord is Most Generous, Who taught knowledge by the pen, taught man what he did not know."
This was the first experience of Revelation met with suddenly by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). in this message it was not told what great mission he had been entrusted with and what duties he had to perk form in future. He was only initiated into it and then left alone for a time so that the great strain this experience had caused should pass away and he should mentally become prepared to receive the Revelation and perform the prophetic mission in the future. After this intermission when Revelation Was resumed, the first seven verses of this Surah Were revealed:In these he Was for the first time commanded to arise and warn the people of the consequences of the way of life they were following and to proclaim the greatness of God in the world where others were being magnified without any right. Along with that he was given this instruction: The demand of the Unique mission that you have to perform, now is that your life should be pure in every respect and you should carry out the duty of reforming your people sincerely irrespective of any worldly gain. Then, in the last sentence, he was exhorted to endure with patience, for the sake of his Lord, all the hardships and troubles that he might have to face while performing his mission.
In the implementation of this Divine Command when the Holy Messenger of Allah began to preach Islam and recite the Qur'anic Surahs revealed successively, the people of Makkah felt alarmed, and it provoked a great storm of opposition and hostility. A few months passed in this state until the Hajj season approached. The people of Makkah feared that if Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace) started visiting the caravans of the pilgrims coming from all over Arabia at their halting places and reciting the spell binding and unique Revelations of the Qur'an in their assemblies on the occasion of Hajj, his message would reach every part of Arabia and influence countless people. Therefore, the Quraish chiefs held a conference and settled that they would start a propaganda campaign against the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) among the pilgrims as soon as they arrived.
After they had agreed on this, Walid bin al-Mughirah said to the assembled people: "If you said contradictory things about Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings), we all would lose our trust among the people. Therefore, let us agree upon one opinion, which we should all say without dispute.
Some people said that they would call Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) a soothsayer. Walid said: “No, by God, be is not a soothsayer. We have seen the soothsayers: what they murmur and what they utter has no remote resemblance with the Qur'an.”
Some other people said: “Then we say he is possessed.” Walid said: He is not a possessed one: we have seen mad and insane people; the way one talks disjointedly and behaves foolishly in that state is known to all: who would believe that what Muhammad (upon whom be peace) presented was the incoherent speech of a madman?”
The people said: “Then we say he is a poet.” Walid said: “No, he is not a poet, for we know poetry in all its forms, and what he presents conforms to no form of it.”
The people said: “Then he is a sorcerer.” Walid said: “He is no sorcerer either: we have seen sorcerers and we also know what methods they adopt for their sorcery. This also does not apply to Muhammad.”
Then he said: "Whichever of these things you said about Muhammad, it would be known to be a false accusation. By God, his speech is sweet, his root is deep and his branches are fruitful.” At this Abu Jahl urging on Walid said: “Your people will never be pleased with you unless you say something about Muhammad.” He said: “Let me think over it awhile.”
Then, after prolonged thought and consideration, he said: “The nearest thing to the truth is that you tell the Arabs that he is a sorcerer, who has brought a message by which he separates a man from his father; and from his brother, and from his wife and children, and from his family.” They all agreed on what Walid had proposed.
Then, according to a scheme the men of Quraish spread among the pilgrims in the Hajj season and they warned everyone they met of the sorcery of Muhammad (upon whom be peace) and of his stirring up divisions in the families by it." But the result was that by their this plan the Quraish chiefs themselves made the name of the Holy Messenger known throughout Arabia. (Ibn Hisham, pp. 288-289. That Walid had made this proposal on the insistence of Abu Jahl has been related by Ibn Jarir in his Tafsir on the authority of Ikrimah).
This same event has been reviewed and commented upon in the second section of this Surah. The sequence of its contents is as follows:
In vv. 8-10 the deniers of Truth have been warned, saying: "You will see the evil result of what you are doing today on the Resurrection Day."
In vv. 11-26, without naming Walid bin al-Mughirah, it has been told how Allah had blessed him and how inimical he proved to be to true Faith. In this connection, his mental conflict has been portrayed, telling that, on the one hand, he was fully convinced of the truth of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and the Qur'an, but, on the other, he did not want to risk his leadership and position among his people. Therefore, not only he did not believe himself but after a long-drawn-out conflict with his conscience he also came out with the proposal that in order to restrain the people from believing the Qur'an should be branded as magic. After exposing his evil nature, it has been said: "Notwithstanding such evil inclinations and misdeeds, this person desires that he should be further blessed, whereas he has now become worthy of Hell, and never of further blessings."
In vv. 27-48, the dreadfulness of Hell has been depicted and it has been explained as to people of what character and morals really deserve it.
In vv. 49-53, the root cause of the disbelievers' aversion has been pointed out, saying: "Since they are fearless of the Hereafter, and look upon this worldly life as an end in itself, they flee from the Qur'an as though they were wild asses fleeing away from the lion: therefore, they propose unreasonable conditions for believing, whereas even if each and every condition of theirs was fulfilled, they could not advance even an inch on the way of Faith with their denial of the Hereafter."
In conclusion, it has been explicitly stated: Allah does not stand in need of anybody's faith that He may fulfill his conditions. The Qur'an is an admonition that has been presented before the people openly; now whoever wills may accept it. Allah has a right that the people should fear His disobedience and He alone has the power to forgive the one who adopts piety and an attitude of God consciousness even though one may have committed many acts of disobedience in the past.
Source: Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Quran