Verses 1–19

Chapter 73: Al-Muzzammil (The Wrapped One) · Printed edition: Volume 39, pp. 87–109

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ‏

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ ١ قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ٢ نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انْقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا ٣ أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا ٤ إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا ٥ إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْئًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا ٦ إِنَّ لَكَ فِي النَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا ٧ وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا ٨ رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا ٩ وَاصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَاهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًا جَمِيلًا ١٠ وَذَرْنِي وَالْمُكَذِّبِينَ أُولِي النَّعْمَةِ وَمَهِّلْهُمْ قَلِيلًا ١١ إِنَّ لَدَيْنَا أَنْكَالًا وَجَحِيمًا ١٢ وَطَعَامًا ذَا غُصَّةٍ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمًا ١٣ يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ الْجِبَالُ كَثِيبًا مَهِيلًا ١٤ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا ١٥ فَعَصَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُ أَخْذًا وَبِيلًا ١٦ فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْمًا يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَانَ شِيبًا ١٧ السَّمَاءُ مُنْفَطِرٌ بِهِ ۚ كَانَ وَعْدُهُ مَفْعُولًا ١٨ إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ ۖ فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ سَبِيلًا ١٩

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

1. O you wrapped up in your raiment!
2. Stand vigil through the night, except a little,
3. A half of it, or reduce a little from that
4. Or add to it, and recite the Qur’an in measure.
5. Indeed soon We shall cast on you a weighty word.
6. Indeed the event of the night is firmer in stability and more upright in respect to speech,
7. for indeed during the day you have a drawn-out immersion
8. So remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with a complete devotion.
9. Lord of the east and the west, there is no god except Him, so take Him for your trustee.
10. And be patient over what they say, and keep away from them in a graceful manner.
11. And leave Me [to deal] with the deniers, the opulent, and give them a little respite.
12. Indeed with Us are heavy fetters and a fierce fire,
13. and a food that chokes [those who gulp it], and a painful punishment [prepared for].
14. On the day when the earth and the mountains will quake, and the mountains will be like dunes of running sand.
15. Indeed We have sent to you a messenger, to be a witness to you, just as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh.
16. But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger; so We seized him with a terrible seizing.
17. So, if you disbelieve, how will you avoid the day which will make children white-headed?
18. The heaven will be rent asunder thereby. His promise is bound to be fulfilled.
19. This is indeed a reminder. So let anyone who wills take a way toward his Lord.

Introduction & Commentary

This sūrah was revealed in Mecca and consists of 20 verses. The sūrah orders to Prophet to perform the night prayer in order to prepare himself for receiving the weighty speech—the Qur’an—which is revealed to him. It also commands him to be patient with what the people say—that he is a poet, a soothsayer, a lunatic and so on. He is instructed to retire from them gracefully. The chapter also includes some threat and warning to the disbelievers. The initial instructions to the Prophet are extended to the rest of the believers, but they are reduced in the last verse. This sūrah was one of the very first chapters revealed to the Prophet in Mecca, called al-ʿatāʾiq (the ancient ones). It is said that it was the second or the third sūrah that was revealed to the Prophet.

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ ١

(73:1) O you wrapped up in your raiment (al-muzzammil)!

The Prophet had wrapped himself in a garment to sleep when this chapter was revealed to him, calling him al-muzzammil. This address, in and of itself, does not imply either reproach or praise, unlike what some exegetes have thought. We can deduce from the following verses that the Prophet’s call had been faced with derogation, derision and abuse. Thus he had wrapped up himself in a robe to sleep, as a means of overcoming his gloominess. Then this chapter called out to him, O you wrapped up in your raiment, and ordered him to observe the night vigil, to perform the prayer, and to be patient with what they say. These instructions are comparable to what the Qur’an says in the verse: Take recourse in patience and prayer (, ). He was ordered to cope with his major hardships and great sorrows by the means of prayer and patience, not by the means of wrapping up himself in a garment and sleeping.

Some exegetes have suggested an alternative meaning for the verse: “O you who is wrapped up by the raiment of prophethood, meaning the heavy burden of its responsibilities.” However, there is no textual evidence for this interpretation.

قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا ٢

(73:2) Stand vigil through the night, except a little.

The imperative verb “stand” (qum) has a transitive meaning here, and its object is “prayer” which is replaced and represented by “night.” This is similar to saying, “I entered the house” [where the preposition “in” is implied]. According to some exegetes, the imperative is intransitive, and the implied meaning is: “Stand up to pray at night.” Except a little introduces an exception to the night.

نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انْقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا ٣ أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا ٤

(73:3-4) A half of it, or reduce a little from that, or add to it, and recite the Qur’an in measure.

The meaning is: “Keep vigil half of the night, or reduce from half of it a little, or add to half of it a little.” Stating these as three equal alternatives means that the Prophet has the choice to stand either half of the night, or slightly less, or a little more.

Here are two other suggested meanings:

(1) “Keep vigil at night, except for half of it, or except for a bit less than a half—which means you would stand a little more than a half—or except for a bit more than a half—which means you would stand slightly less than a half.”

Comment: The effective meaning of this interpretation and ours is the same. The difference is that in this interpretation, the apposition primarily clarifies the exception, and indirectly explains the main command. In our preferred interpretation, the apposition primarily clarifies the main command, and indirectly explains its exception. The latter springs to the mind more readily. What needs clarification, first and foremost, is the object of a command, not its implications and adjuncts.

(2) “Keep vigil either half of the night, or slightly less than that, or a bit more—except for a few nights when you have some excuse due to illness or being overtaken by sleep.”

Comment: This interpretation is sound, but the first one comes to mind more quickly.

… and recite the Qur’an in measure (tartīlan): Tartīl is “to recite the Qur’an in a manner that its letters are uttered successively and clearly.” The conjunction “and” shows that this is a second command parallel to Stand vigil through the night (). The meaning is: “Stand vigil through the night, and recite the Qur’an through tartīl.”

Apparently this verse refers to the recitation of the Qur’an in the ritual prayer (ṣalāh), or perhaps to the ritual prayer itself. This can be confirmed by another verse which mentions the Qur’an (lit. recital) when referring to the prayer: Maintain the prayer from the sun’s decline till the darkness of the night, and [observe particularly] the dawn recital. Indeed the dawn recital is attended (). Some exegetes have maintained that the verse’s obligation does not pertains to the prayer, but to the recitation of the Qur’an [independently and outside the prayer].

إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا ٥

(73:5) Indeed soon We shall cast on you a weighty word.

“Weight” (thiql) is primarily a physical property for objects that are difficult to hold and transport from one place to another. It is also used metaphorically for non-physical things that one cannot handle easily, if at all. A speech can be weighty in either of two ways: (1) It involves certain meanings that are difficult or impossible to comprehend. For instance, technical scientific discussions cannot be easily received by a general audience. (2) It instructs one to certain qualities that are hard to realize in oneself, and to certain practices that are difficult to observe consistently.

The Qur’an, as the word of God, is weighty in both terms: (1) In terms of meaning, it is a divine speech that has issued from the realm of majesty and glory. It cannot be received except by a soul that is purified from every defilement, and is detached from every force and source except God. It is a mighty book with an apparent facet and an inner layer, a revealed text and an underlying reality. It is a clarification of all things (). The weightiness of the Qur’an was observable in the Prophet’s condition: according to mustafīḍah (multiple, diffused, numerous) narrations, he was often overtaken by a semi-coma called buraḥāʾ al-waḥy (intensity of revelation) when receiving revelation. (2) In terms of spiritual transformation, the Qur’an directs one to realize the truth of the absolute oneness of God and other principles that come as its implications and corollaries. In this regard, it suffices us to cite these verses: Had We sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain, you would have surely seen it humbled [and] go to pieces with the fear of Allah. We draw such comparisons for humankind, so that they may reflect (); If there could be a recitation whereby the mountains could be moved, or the earth could be toured, or the dead could be spoken to [it would have been this Qur’an] ().

The Qur’an is also weighty in the sense that it commands the Prophet to propagate the message, to establish the rites of a purely monotheistic religion, and to make this religion superior to all other paths. This sense of the Qur’an’s weight can be observed in the hardships suffered by the Prophet in the way of God, and the pains he had to bear for His sake. The Qur’an attests to this where it speaks about the abuse, derision and treason that he met from the polytheists, the disbelievers, the hypocrites, and those whose hearts were diseased.

We can thus conclude that a weighty word in this verse is the Glorious Qur’an. This is what springs to the mind given the context of the verses, which were revealed at the outset of the Prophet’s mission. This is how the exegetes have predominantly interpreted the verse.

This verse is stated as a justification for the injunction: Stand vigil through the night… (), which was specifically addressed to the Prophet. Given this context, it follows that the Prophet was given these instructions—to observe the night vigil, and to turn his attention to God by means of the night prayers—so that he may be prepared to be blessed with more proximity to God, to advance to a higher level of presence, and to receive a weighty revelation. In other words, the night prayer is a path that leads to such an exalted station. Furthermore, God has described the night prayer as a path to Himself: This is indeed a reminder. So let anyone who wills take a way toward his Lord (, ). In addition to the promise mentioned in this verse, He says elsewhere: And keep vigil for a part of the night, as a supererogatory [devotion] for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station (). We explained the meaning of a praiseworthy station in our exegesis of the verse.

As mentioned above, the Qur’an is weighty in terms of what it takes to realize its teachings and act upon its laws and injunctions. In this sense, it is weighty both for the Muslim ummah (nation, community, people) and for the Prophet. The verse’s meaning is: “We shall reveal to you a speech which will be weighty on you and your nation.” It is weighty for the Prophet because its realities are difficult to realize in oneself; and also because of the hardships involved in its propagation. He will have to endure many troubles in God’s way, will lose his peace and comfort, will have to oppose his personal interests, and will have to cut off from everyone and everything but God. Moreoever, it is weighty for him to receive and absorb it from the Source of revelation. Likewise, it is weighty for his ummah because they share the same burden as the Prophet with respect to realizing its truths, following its commands and prohibitions, and observing its limits. It is weighty for each person according to one’s capacity.

Here are some other interpretations of the weightiness of the Qur’an, as suggested by the exegetes:

1. It is weighty in the sense that it contains a solid, robust and consistent message. When a speech is mentioned as it should, they say, “There is weight to this speech.”
2. It is weighty in one’s balance on the Day of Resurrection—either literally, or metaphorically referring to the abundant reward accruing to it.
3. It is heavy on the disbelievers and hypocrites due to its miracles, and due to its threats [of punishment].
4. It is weighty in the sense that it remains and persists over the ages. This is based on the notion that a heavy object tends to remain stable in its place.

There is more to add to this list. These views are sound in their own right, but our suggested interpretation is the most apparent meaning that first springs to mind.

إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْئًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا ٦

(73:6) Indeed the event (nāshiʾat) of the night is firmer in stability (waṭʾan) and more upright in respect to speech,

The last verse—Indeed soon We shall cast on you a weighty word ()—was a justification for why the night prayer has been legislated. This verse explains why the night time is chosen for it. The next verse justifies why the day is not chosen.

What is meant nāshiʾah here is simply “the night.” The night, like any other part of the creation, can be called an event or creation. Some have suggested that it means “prayer at night.” More upright in respect to speech means that one’s speech at night tends to be more accurate and reliable since there is more presence of the heart, and external noises have subsided. The word waṭʾ is used when one places one’s foot on the ground. The night time is firmer in stability in the sense that one is more grounded at night since the mind is clear and free from daily engagements. Another suggested meaning is that one’s tongue tends to be in a greater coordination, compatibility and conformity with one’s heart at the night. The exegetes have corroborated this with an alternative recitation of the verse as wiṭʾan (harmonious, consistent, uniform).

The meaning is: “At the event of the night—or when praying at night: (i) one tends to be more steadfast—or one’s heart and tongue tend to be more harmonious; (ii) one’s speech tends to be more accurate and robust.” This is because God has made the night a period of peace following the end of daily engagements, where one can have some free time to oneself.

إِنَّ لَكَ فِي النَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا ٧

(73:7) for indeed during the day you have a drawn-out immersion (sabḥan).

Sabḥ means “swimming fast in water.” The verse literally says, “a long swim,” which is a metaphor for total immersion in daily affairs and the requirements of life. The meaning is: “During the day you have many engagements to attend to. They completely keep you busy, and do not give you any leisure to completely turn your attention to your Lord. You cannot detach yourself from other occupations and free yourself for God’s remembrance during the day. Hence, you must use the night and pray at that time.”

Two other suggested interpretations are:

1. “You have enough time during the day to sleep, to manage your life, and to take care of your needs. Hence, be assiduous in worship at night.”
2. “In case you miss any worship at night, you have the day to compensate for it and make it up.” This makes the verse comparable to the verse: It is He who made the night and the day alternate for one who desires to remember, or desires to give thanks ().

Comment: Our suggested interpretation fits the context better.

وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا ٨

(73:8) So remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with a complete devotion.

This verse describes the night prayer. Therefore, the conjunction wāw (lit. “and”; translated “so”) at the beginning of the verse makes the verse a continuation of: and recite the Qur’an in measure (). In the light of this, the dhikr (remembrance, invocation) of God’s name implies a verbal remembrance that is accompanied by the remembrance of the heart. Similarly, devotion is meant in a verbal sense [that is, humble entreaty and concentrated supplication].

Some exegetes have said that this verse generalizes the specific command in the preceding verses. It means: “Remember God at all times during the night and the day in any way possible, through tasbīḥ (glorification), taḥmīd (praise), prayer, recitation of the Qur’an, and so on.” The verse implies constant remembrance because the Prophet would certainly not forget God altogether, so a generic command to remembrance is not applicable to him. Also, constant remembrance is meant in its conventional sense, not literally, because the latter is not practically feasible.

Comment: If what is meant in this interpretation is verbal remembrance and invocation, then there is no problem in commanding the Prophet to remember his Lord verbally even though his heart is mindful of Him. If what is meant is a more general sense of remembrance which also includes the remembrance of the heart, then that is unacceptable. Even if we allow this sense of remembrance, there remain two further problems with the above view. (1) Even though the Prophet had been mindful of his Lord up to that point, he could be commanded to continue to remember Him in the future. (2) The interpretation assumes that persistent remembrance of God in a literal sense is impossible, and has thus opted for a conventional and common sense of persistence. This is a misunderstanding, based on missing the reality of remembrance. The fact is that God is in fact remembered by everyone, and is never absent from anyone even for a moment, whether one is attentive to it or inadvertent. Therefore, God may make Himself known to someone in a way the person would always be mindful of Him, as He says: those who are near your Lord glorify Him night and day, and they are not wearied (); They glorify [Him] night and day, and they do not flag (). We explained in our exegesis of these verses, and also in our exegesis of the last verse of Sūrah al-Aʿrāf, that this quality is not limited to the angels.

In short, remember the name of your Lord is an order to invoke any of the divine names, or the name Allah in particular. Some have said that it means invoking “In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful” (bism Allāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm).

In the previous verses, God was the speaker in the first person plural: Indeed soon We shall… (), but in this verse He is mentioned in the third person: your Lord. Perhaps the reason for this transition is to describe God as the Lord in order to remind the audience of their absolute insignificance as His servants, which is their connecting link to their Lord.

… and devote (tabattal) yourself to Him with a complete devotion (tabtīlan): Tabattul is interpreted as “cutting off from everything else and connecting to God.” According to some narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt, tabattul means raising the hands toward God and entreating Him with humility. This is more consistent with the interpretation of dhikr in the verse as verbal remembrance, as we explained. The last word of the verse is apparently an absolute object (mafʿūl muṭlaq) of the verb tabattul. If so, it should have been tabattulan instead of tabtīlan. There are two suggested explanations for this switch: (1) The verb tabattul also implies the meaning of tabtīl. The meaning would be: “Detach yourself from anything other than Him through such a detachment,” or “Adopt this practice of raising your hands and entreating with such an adoption.” (2) The word tabtīlan is used to preserve the rhyme of the final words of the surrounding verses.

رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا ٩

(73:9) Lord of the east and the west, there is no god except Him, so take Him for your trustee.

The first part of this verse is a description of God, where the subject is omitted. The implied meaning is: “He is the Lord of the east and the west.” What is meant here is that He is the Lord of the entire universe, since east and west are two relative directions that embrace all directions of the visible world. These two directions are named specifically in accordance with the previous mention of the night and the day, which are related to sunrise and sunset.

In the last verse God was described as your Lord (), but here He is described as the Lord of everyone. This is because it does not suffice for one to have a private god for oneself, but one must subscribe to a lord whose lordship covers the entire universe. Sometimes idol-worshipers had an individual idol for each person, different from the idols of others. If the Prophet were to also adopt a lord in this manner—or if this were a conceivable possibility about his Lord—then it would contradict his message of monotheism.

Moreover, God is described as the Lord of the east and the west—which implies the Lord of the entire world—in order to prepare the ground for the next part of the verse: there is no god except Him. In other words, the first part of the verse about God being the sole Lord of the entire universe (called rubūbiyyah) justifies why He is the sole object of worship (called ulūhiyyah). The latter is an implication and corollary of the former. As we have repeatedly explained, God’s Lordship means His sovereignty over all beings, and His direction of all their affairs. Since He is the only Lord and there is no lord but Him, thus He is the only object of worship, and there is no object of worship but Him.

… so take Him for your trustee (wakīlan): Taking someone as a wakīl (trustee, guardian, agent) means delegating one’s affairs to the person and setting that person instead of oneself, such that one’s preferences and actions are substituted by the preferences and actions of the trustee. Taking God as trustee means seeing all affairs as belonging to God and ending in Him. This is applicable in two ways:

(1) With respect to the external events in the universe, one should not consider oneself or anything else to be an independent cause in the world. There is no real cause in the universe—in the sense of bringing any event into existence—except for God. This kind of trust and reliance on God entails that one should not be attached to any of the apparent means and forces in the world. One’s satisfaction, dissatisfaction, happiness and sorrow must be detached from everything else. Instead, one should seek one’s objectives through the means that God has made known, without relying on them as independent sources that can bring anything into effect. One must defer the achievement of goals to God, letting Him decide for His servant as He pleases.

(2) With respect to the religious obligations, including individual rituals and social interactions, one must subject one’s choice to the legislative decree of their Lord. That is, one should act according to what God has requested from them through His legislations.

The first aspect of the clause, so take Him for your trustee relates to the commands in the next two verses: And be patient… and keep away from them… And leave Me… (). And its second aspect relates to the legislative injunctions in the previous verses, such as: So remember the name of your Lord… ().

وَاصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَاهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًا جَمِيلًا ١٠

(73:10) And be patient over what they say, and keep away from them in a graceful manner.

This verse and the next one start by the conjunction “and,” which makes them a continuation of the clause, so take Him for your trustee (). The meaning is: “You must rely on your Lord, and a necessary implication of this reliance is to bear their abusive and pejorative comments about you.” This pertains to their false accusations of the Prophet, as having fabricated a lie against God, having brought the myths of the ancients, and being a soothsayer, a poet or a lunatic, as narrated in the Qur’an.

… and keep away from them in a graceful manner: Given the verse’s context, this means that the Prophet should deal with the polytheists with good manners and gentle etiquettes, should call them to the truth with sincerity, and should not retaliate to their statements in like manner. We should disregard the suggested view that the verse was abrogated with the verses of jihad, because the two set of verses stand in no contradiction to one another.

وَذَرْنِي وَالْمُكَذِّبِينَ أُولِي النَّعْمَةِ وَمَهِّلْهُمْ قَلِيلًا ١١

(73:11) And leave Me [to deal] with the deniers, the opulent, and give them a little respite.

This verse is a warning to the disbelievers. When one says, “Leave me and so-and-so” (using the verbs daʿnī or dharnī), it means: “Do not hold me back from him, but let me make them pay.” The deniers, the opulent are the disbelievers mentioned in the preceding verse, or their chiefs in particular. The two qualities used to describe them here serve as a justification for their threat. Denying God’s message while being endowed with His bounties amounts to ungratefulness. And the consequence of ingratitude is being deprived of those pleasures, and having them turned into pain.

… and give them a little respite: This means the short time of their lifespan on the earth, until they return to their Lord to reckon their deeds and punish them accordingly. God says: Indeed they see it to be far off, and We see it to be near (); It is a trivial enjoyment; then their refuge is hell, and it is an evil resting place ().

This verse is seemingly general in application. Some exegetes have said that the verse’s warning alludes to the Battle of Badr, but this meaning is not apparent from the verse. While God was referred to in the third person singular in the previous verses, your Lord (), He is referred to in the first person singular in this verse: leave Me. This transition serves to emphasize and intensify the verse’s threat, since it is directly attributed to God. The next verse then shifts to the first person plural: Indeed with Us are (), which indicates glory and majesty.

إِنَّ لَدَيْنَا أَنْكَالًا وَجَحِيمًا ١٢

(73:12) Indeed with Us are heavy fetters (ankālan) and a fierce fire (jaḥīman),

This verse explains and justifies the command in the last verse: And leave Me… (). Ankāl is synonymous with quyūd (fetters, shackles, chains). Al-Rāghib says:

When the verb nakala is used with the preposition ʿan, it means that one is incapable of doing something. When one restrains someone with fetters, one says: nakkaltuhu. Nikl is a rope wherewith an animal’s foot is tied, or the metal bit of a bridle, as both serve as barriers for the animal.

Jaḥīm is derived from juḥmah, which means the intensity of a blazing fire.

وَطَعَامًا ذَا غُصَّةٍ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمًا ١٣

(73:13) and a food that chokes [those who gulp it] (ghuṣṣah), and a painful punishment [prepared for].

Majmaʿ al-bayān says:

The word ghuṣṣah is used when some food is stuck in the throat and one cannot swallow it with ease and pleasure. It is used as ghaṣṣa yaghuṣṣu, ghaṣaṣan. Similarly, it is used when one chokes on one’s saliva. When applied to the heart, ghuṣṣah means a sting [of emotional pain and distress] which prevents one from enjoying food or drink.

This verse and the last one describe God’s torments in the hereafter, which will replace their enjoyments in this world due to their ungratefulness to God’s bounties.

يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ الْجِبَالُ كَثِيبًا مَهِيلًا ١٤

(73:14) On the day when the earth and the mountains will quake (tarjufu, from rajf), and the mountains will be like dunes of running (mahīlan) sand (kathīban).

This verse identifies the time of the promised punishments in the preceding two verses. According to al-Rāghib, rajf means “severe shaking,” and the verb rajafat is used when the earth or the sea is turbulent. Majmaʿ al-bayān says:

Kathīb means an abundant heap of sand. When the bottom of something is moved such that it causes its top to tumble, that thing becomes mahīl. It is used as hiltuhu ahīluhu haylan.

The verse’s meaning should be clear.

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا ١٥

(73:15) Indeed We have sent to you a messenger, to be a witness to you, just as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh.

The previous verses warned the opulent deniers [] in general about their punishment in the hereafter. This verse specifically warns the opulent deniers among the Prophet’s audience by comparing their condition to Pharaoh’s. Pharaoh was defiant against God and His messenger. He disparaged Moses and the Israelites who had believed in him. Then the next verse awakens the audience by pointing out how Pharaoh met his end: God seized him fiercely. Hence, the audience must take a lesson and be most cautious.

This verse includes a rhetorical transition from the third person to the second person. In the preceding verse, the disbelievers were warned in the third person. It is as though the Speaker [that is, God] is aroused by the notion of how the deniers ignorantly cast themselves into eternal damnation, so He switches gears to address them directly. This would remove all doubt and ambiguity from them, and would complete the argument against them, so that they may refrain. That is why God first compares them to Pharaoh, then compares the Prophet to Moses, and then describes the fate of Pharaoh. Finally He concludes: So, if you disbelieve, how will you avoid the day… ().

Indeed We have sent to you a messenger, to be a witness to you…: This is divine attestation to the mission of the Prophet. It also says that the Prophet witnesses the actions of his people in this world, and will testify to it in the hereafter. Reference to the Prophet’s testimony implies a warning against disobeying and rejecting him. We discussed the meaning of witnessing actions repeatedly under other similar verses.

… just as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh: This refers to Prophet Moses, son of Amram (ʿImrān).

فَعَصَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُ أَخْذًا وَبِيلًا ١٦

(73:16) But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger; so We seized him with a terrible (wabīlan) seizing.

Wabīl means “intense, heavy.” This verse describes the consequence of Pharaoh’s disobedience to Moses. The verse refers to Moses as the messenger in order to show the cause of Pharaoh’s punishment: he was seized not because of disobeying Moses as an ordinary person, but because of disobeying him in his mission as God’s messenger. Accordingly, these disbelievers should beware of disobeying the message of Muḥammad, because the same logic applies to them equally.

Although Pharaoh’s name was already introduced in the last verse, this verse refers to him again with his name instead of a pronoun. This is meant to highlight that the very Pharaoh—despite his glory, power, large army, vast kingdom, and unchallenged authority—could not find anything to defend himself against God’s punishment. So what chance do these deniers have? God says: [They are but] a routed host out there, from among the factions ().

فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْمًا يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَانَ شِيبًا ١٧

(73:17) So, if you disbelieve, how will you avoid (tattaqūna) the day which will make children white-headed?

Linguistically speaking, the day is the object of the verb tattaqūna (avoid, ward off, self-protect, regard). This is a metaphorical usage, where the day alludes to the real object of the verb, which is the promised punishment. There are two other explanations that the exegetes have offered here: (1) The day identifies the time for the object of tattaqūna, which is omitted. The implied meaning is: “How will you avoid the punishment which will occur on the day…?” (2) The day identifies the time for for the act of avoidance, and the object of tattaqūna is omitted.

… which will make children white-headed (shīban)?: Shīb is the plural of ashyab (old person), which is an antonym of shābb (youth, young person). The verse’s expression alludes to the severity of the day, not to its duration.

السَّمَاءُ مُنْفَطِرٌ بِهِ ۚ كَانَ وَعْدُهُ مَفْعُولًا ١٨

(73:18) The heaven will be rent asunder (munfaṭir, from infiṭār) thereby (bihi). His promise is bound to be fulfilled.

This verse presents another expression for the hardship of that day. Infiṭār is synonymous with inshiqāq (splitting, cleaving, fracture). The adjective munfaṭir is masculine because the word samāʾ (heaven, sky) can be modified by both genders. The preposition bihi (by it, thereby) refers to the day in the last verse. There are two possible interpretations for the letter bāʾ (lit. by, with) here: (1) It means fī (in). (2) It denotes causality. The meaning is: “The heaven will be cleaved asunder in that day—or because of that day.” In the second case, what is meant is “because of the severity of the day.”

… His promise is bound to be fulfilled: This is an independent statement which establishes the inevitability of the aforementioned warning as something decreed and fixed. The promise is ascribed to God because such threat can only issue from Him. Perhaps this is why the pronoun “His” is sufficient in referring to God here, instead of a noun.

إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ ۖ فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ سَبِيلًا ١٩

(73:19) This is indeed a reminder (tadhkirah). So let anyone who wills take a way toward his Lord.

Tadhkirah means a type of admonition that reminds one with a certain line of action and practice. The demonstrative pronoun “this” refers to all preceding verses, including the threats and warnings.

… So let anyone who wills…: This is a conditional statement where the complementis not stated completely. It is common in such cases to infer the omitted complement in a way that is commensurate to the mentioned part. The implied meaning is: “So if anyone wishes to pursue a path toward their Lord, let them pursue a path toward their Lord.” It is also said that the omitted complement is “taking admonition.” What is meant by the clause, take a way toward his Lord is following a path that brings one closer to Him. The way here would be holding correct beliefs and obeying in practice.

The above is what the exegetes have said. Another possibility is that the demonstrative pronoun “this” refers to the command to stand vigil and pray at the night, which was directed to the Prophet at the beginning of the verse. This verse is meant to extend that rule to all believers, after its initial injunction which was particularly addressed to the Prophet. This generalization is denoted by: So let anyone who wills. This interpretation can be confirmed by the appearance of the exact same verse in Sūrah al-Dahr after reference to the night prayer: and glorify Him the night long (). We can deduce from these verses that the night prayer is a very special way that leads one toward their Lord.

Examining Narrations

1. The Quraysh got together at Dār al-Nadwah and said, “We must pick a name for this man so that the people renounce him.”

Someone suggested, “Soothsayer!”

But they said, “No, he is not a soothsayer.”

Another one exclaimed, “Lunatic!”

“No,” they replied, “he is not a lunatic either.”

“Sorcerer!”

“No, he is not a sorcerer either.”

Finally someone said, “He causes a split between close friends.”

So the polytheists dispersed, having agreed on that.

When the news of that reached the Prophet, he wrapped up (tazammala) and cloaked (tadaththara) himself in his robe. Then Gabriel came to him and said: O you wrapped up in your raiment! (); O you wrapped in thy cloak! ().

When the news of that reached the Prophet, he wrapped up (tazammala) and cloaked (tadaththara) himself in his robe. Then Gabriel came to him and said: O you wrapped up in your raiment! (), O you wrapped in thy cloak! ().

Author’s comment: The last part of this narration is questionable, since it implies that the two chapters 73 and 74 were revealed simultaneously. Further, the Qur’an narrates several labels and accusations that they applied to the Prophet—including soothsayer, sorcerer, lunatic and poet, some of which are found in the very Sūrah al-Muddaththir []—but it never mentions “one who causes a split between close friends.”

2. ʿĀʾishah said: The Messenger of God rarely slept any part of the night ever since God ordered him: Stand vigil through the night, except a little ().
3. ʿĀʾishah was asked, “What was Prophet’s bedcover (tazmīl)?” She said, “A cover that was fourteen cubits (dhirāʿ) long. Half of it covered me as I slept, and the other half covered him as he prayed.” She was inquired, “What was it made of?”

“By God,” she explained, “it was neither fur, nor sarcenet, nor fleece, nor silk, nor wool. Its surface was of hair, and its lining was fluff.”

Author’s comment: This account is known to be fabricated, since this chapter was one of the earliest sūrahs that were revealed in Mecca, while the Prophet’s married life with ʿĀʾishah began only in Medina, after his Migration.

4. Once the Prophet entered Khadījah’s home when he could barely keep on his feet due to fear. “Wrap me up!” he said. Then, before long, Gabriel called out to him: O you wrapped up in your raiment! ().
5. When the verse, O you wrapped up in your raiment () was revealed, the Prophet observed the night vigil for ten years as commanded by God. A group of his Companions also did so with him. Then, after ten years, God revealed: Indeed your Lord knows that you stand vigil… and maintain the prayer (). Thereby, God reduced their burden after ten years.”

Author’s comment: According to other narrations, the last verse which reduced their burden was revealed after a year, or after eight months. Moreover, keeping night vigil was only obligatory for the Prophet, which can be inferred from the verse: This is indeed a reminder… () according to our suggested meaning above. This can also be inferred from the above narration, which says “a group of his Companions.”

6. Once Imam al-Bāqir was asked about the verse: Stand vigil through the night, except a little (). He explained: God commanded him [the Prophet] to pray every night, except for some nights here and there where he could not pray at all.

Author’s comment: This narration presents one of the possible meanings of the verse. Majmaʿ al-bayān says:

A half of it () is a badal (apposition, replacement, interpretation) for a little (), which makes it an interpretation for the exception [in verse ].

Then it quotes the following narration:

7. Imam al-Ṣādiq said: A little () means a half. Or he may reduce a little from that little, Or add to that little a little.
8. Once the Messenger of God was inquired about the verse: and recite the Qur’an in measure (). He explained: Pronounce it clearly. Do not disperse it like dried dates, nor cut through it [quickly] like poetry. Pause at its wonders. Shake your hearts by it. Let not your objective be reaching the end of the sūrah.
9. A similar hadith to this is narrated from Imam ʿAlī as follows: Pronounce it clearly. Do not cut through it [quickly] like poetry, nor disperse it as scattered sand, but empty your hard hearts [with it]. And let not your objective be reaching the end of the sūrah.
10. The Messenger of God was asked, “Who recites the Qur’an the best?” He replied, “The one that when you hear their recitation, you can see that they are in awe of God.”
11. Imam al-Ṣādiq said: The Qur’an should not be recited rapidly, but should be recited in measure (tartīl). Hence, when you come across a verse that mentions paradise, pause there and ask God to bless you with paradise. And when you come across a verse that mentions hell, pause there and seek refuge in God from the fire.
12. Imam al-Ṣādiq defined tartīl (reciting in measure) as follows: It is read with [measured] pauses and a beautiful voice.
13. Umm Salamah said: The Messenger of God used to recite the Qur’an verse by verse.
14. Anas said: The Messenger of God used to extend his voice [or the words] when he recited.
15. Once Ḥārith b. Hishām asked the Messenger of God, “O Messenger of God! How do you receive revelation?” He explained, “Sometimes it comes to me like the chiming of a gong, and that is the heaviest on me. Then it passes me while I have retained what was said. And sometimes the angel [of revelation] takes the form of a man, and I retain what he says.
16. ʿĀʾishah said: Sometimes the Messenger of God received revelation while he was riding a camel. Then he would tap on the camel’s neck [to kneel].
17. ʿĀʾishah said: Once I saw him being revealed to on a very cold day. When it finished, his forehead was perspiring heavily.
18. Imam ʿAlī said: Some parts of the Qur’an have abrogated some others. One must adopt the most recent commands of the Messenger of God. The last part that was revealed to him was Sūrah al-Māʾidah (Chapter 5), which abrogated was revealed before it, but was not abrogated later by anything. It was revealed when he was riding a gray female mule. The revelation was so heavy on the animal that she stopped, and her belly lowered, to the point that I could see her navel almost touch the ground.

Author’s comment: Assuming that this narration is authentic, it describes a physical embodiment of something intrinsically non-physical. Many other similar examples to this are found in the accounts of the miracles and wonderous acts of the saints. Nevertheless, it is not sensible for revelation—which is a form of speech—to have material weight.

19. Concerning Indeed the event of the night is firmer in stability and more upright in respect to speech () Imam al-Ṣādiq said: More upright in respect to speech means getting up from the bed for the sake of God, not for anything else.
20. Concerning Indeed the event of the night… () it is narrated from Imams al-Bāqir and al-Ṣādiq: This refers to the praying at the end of the night.
21. Once [Imam] Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī was seen praying [a supererogatory prayer] between the Sunset and Evening Prayers (maghrib and ʿishāʾ). When he was inquired about it, he said: This is part of al-nāshiʾah (the event of the night, the vigil of the night).
22. Concerning and devote yourself (tabattal) to Him with a complete devotion () it is narrated from Imams al-Bāqir and al-Ṣādiq: Tabttul is to raise one’s hands in the prayer (ṣalāh).
23. In a similar narration the Imam said: It means raising your hands toward God and entreating Him with humility.

Author’s comment: The last two narrations can be matched with qunūt in the ritual prayer (ṣalāh).

24. Tafsīr al-Qummī says concerning tabattul (): It means raising the hands and moving the index fingers.
25. Imam al-Ṣādiq said: Tabattul means [supplication while] pointing with the finger.
26. In another narration the Imam said: It means supplicating while pointing out one finger.
27. Concerning and food that chokes… () ʿAbd-Allāh b. ʿUmar said: The Prophet fainted upon hearing someone recite this verse.
28. Concerning and the mountains will be like dunes of running sand (kathīban mahīlan) () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: It means, like unstable dunes of shifting sand.

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1. Muzzammil is an ism al-fāʿil (nominative substantive, active participial noun) derived from the verb tazammul, which means “wrapping oneself in a garment” for sleep or the like. (Auth.) ↩︎

2. The meaning would be: “Establish the prayer at night,” or “Establish the night prayer.” (Trans.) ↩︎

3. The context implies that these two verses are a badal (apposition, replacement, interpretation) for the night, except a little (). They define the boundaries of the command to Stand vigil (). The pronouns “that” and it—in from that and to it—refer to A half of it, where the pronoun “it” refers to the night. (Auth.) ↩︎

4. In this case, the verses are a badal for the exception a little at the end of the last verse. (Auth.) ↩︎

5. In this case, the verses are a badal for the night (), but what is meant is all nights overall, not the parts of each night. (Auth.) ↩︎

6. See volume 25, p. 239 of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎

7. There are two possible interpretations for nāshiʾah: (1) It is a maṣdar (infinitive noun, gerund), similar to ʿāfiyah (well-being) and ʿāqibah (ending). In that case, it would be synonymous with nashʾah, meaning “creation, origination, being.” (2) It is an ism al-fāʿil (nominative substantive, active participial noun) that is annexed to its adjective. (Auth.)

   In the second case, the meaning would be “that which arises at night” or “the nocturnal event.”

   Based on the author’s interpretation, the word nāshiʾah can be omitted from the verse without any loss of meaning. Two other possible interpretations for the term are: (i) “The vigil of the night,” meaning one’s rising up at night, suggested by Pickthall; (ii) “the early watches of the night,” inferred from Arberry. Both of these are based on the root meaning of n-sh-ʾ, which signifies the onset of something. (Trans.) ↩︎

8. In other words, one does not need to interpret it as constant remembrance. (Trans.) ↩︎

9. It is unfounded because the verse is mentioned parallel to: and recite the Qur’an in measure (). (Trans.) ↩︎

10. See volume 16, p. 306, and volume 28, pp. 34-35 of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎

11. An absolute object would serve to emphasize the verb or clarify its type. (Trans.) ↩︎

12. Tabattul (following the verbal pattern tafaʿʿul) means “voluntarily assuming or deliberately adopting the act of detachment.” Tabtīl (following the verbal pattern tafʿīl) means “extensive detachment, gradual severance, or abundant entreaty.” For all practical purposes in this context, the two are interchangeable and very close in meaning. (Trans.) ↩︎

13. See verses , , , , , , , , , , . (Trans.) ↩︎

14. This is called the royal “we” or the majestic plural. (Trans.) ↩︎

15. See volume 2, pp. 153ff of the English translation, under verse . The author has also discussed this under verse . (Trans.) ↩︎

16. The meaning is: “Wow will you avoid the punishment which will make…” (Trans.) ↩︎

17. The meaning would be: “How will your act of avoidance of the punishment be on the day…?” (Trans.) ↩︎

18. The meaning would be: “So if anyone wishes to take admonition, let them take a way toward their Lord.” (Trans.) ↩︎

19. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Bazzār, al-Ṭabarānī’s al-Awsaṭ, and Abū Nuʿaym’s al-Dalāʾil, on the authority of Jābir. ↩︎

20. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Bazzār, al-Ṭabarānī’s al-Awsaṭ, and Abū Nuʿaym’s al-Dalāʾil, on the authority of Jābir. ↩︎

21. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of ʿAbd-Allāh b. Aḥmad’s al-Zuhd, and Muḥammad b. Naṣr’s al-Ṣalāh. ↩︎

22. Al-Kashshāf. ↩︎

23. Jawāmiʿ al-jāmiʿ. ↩︎

24. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd, Ibn Jarīr and Ibn Abī Ḥātim, on the authority of Saʿīd b. Jubayr. ↩︎

25. Al-Tahdhīb, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Muslim. ↩︎

26. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

27. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-ʿAskarī’s al-Mawāʿiẓ, on the authority of [Imam] ʿAlī. ↩︎

28. A more accurate version says: “Let your hard hearts tremble with it.” (Trans.) ↩︎

29. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAbd-Allāh b. Sulaymān, from on the authority of Imam al-Ṣādiq. ↩︎

30. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī Shaybah, on the authority of Ṭāwūs. ↩︎

31. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAlī b. Ḥamzah. ↩︎

32. Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Abū Baṣīr. ↩︎

33. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

34. That is, he did not recite monotonously. (Trans.) ↩︎

35. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

36. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

37. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

38. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

39. Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿĪsá b. ʿUbayd, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather. ↩︎

40. Al-Tahdhīb, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Hishām b. Sālim. The same hadith is reported via two other chains of narration in al-Tahdhīb and ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ, on the authority of Hishām b. Sālim. ↩︎

41. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎

42. Most narrations mention ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn. (Trans.) ↩︎

43. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn al-Mundhir. ↩︎

44. Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Muslim, Zurārah and Ḥumrān. ↩︎

45. Majmaʿ al-bayān, on the authority of Abū Baṣīr. ↩︎

46. In Shiʿa law it is strongly recommended to raise the hands and open the palms toward the heaven after the recital of the second unit (rakʿah) of the prayer and make supplication (duʿāʾ) to God. This is called qunūt. (Trans.) ↩︎

47. Al-Kāfī. ↩︎

48. Al-Kāfī. ↩︎

49. Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎