Overview - Surah 74: al-Mudathir (The Cloaked One)
The subject of this Surah is da'wah of Islam. The Prophet and his followers are told to stand up to remove the evils and vices from the society. It also gives the warnings of the coming doom for those who deny the truth.
This Surah takes its name from the first Ayat, يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ "O you who covers himself [with a garment]," [74:1].
There are 56 Ayat in this Surah.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 56 |
| Total Words * | 255 |
| Root Words * | 114 |
| Unique Root Words * | 2 |
| Makki / Madani | Makki |
| Chronological Order* | 4th (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | 1st-3rd year of Prophethood |
| Events during/before this Surah*
Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
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| Events during/after still to occur*
Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam ,Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam ,Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda.,Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia,2nd Migration to Abyssinia,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3,Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey,1st Pledge of Aqabah,2nd Pledge of Aqabah,,Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah,Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,,Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah,Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers,,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
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| Names of Prophets Mentioned
No Prophets names are mentioned in this Surah
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| Surah Index
God (knows that beyond comprehension) , Angels (nineteen lord over hell) , Apostasy (do not ask for speedy doom for apostates) (God alone will punish them), Astronomy (celestial mechanics) (moon), Children, Hell, Judgement (Day) , Resurrection (of soul) , Revelation
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Theme 1: Striving in giving Dawah
The first seven verses of this Surah belong to the earliest period at Makkah. Even according to some hadith which have been related in Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad, etc., on the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah, these are the very earliest verses of the Qur’an to be revealed to the Prophet. But the Muslim Ummah almost unanimously agreed that the earliest revelation to the Prophet consisted of the first five verses of Surah 96: al-‘Alaq (The Clinging Substance). However, what is established by authentic hadith that after this first Revelation, no Revelation came down to the Prophet for quite some time. Then, when it was resumed, it started with the verses of Surah al-Muddathir - Imam Zuhri has given the following details of it:
“Revelation to the 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 God’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 Jabir bin Abdullah; “The Messenger of God describing the period of ‘break in revelation’ (falrat al-wahi) 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 God sent down the Revelation: “O you who covers himself” (Ya ayyuhal-Muddathiru...). From then on revelation became intense and continuous.” (Bukhari, Muslim Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Jarir).
The rest of the Surah (v. 8-56) was revealed when the first Hajj season came after public preaching of Islam had begun in Makkah.
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
1250–1350 AD
1250–1350 AD
- Surah al-Muzzammil [73] and al-Mudathir [74] both begin with addressing the Prophet.
- Surah al-Muzzammil [73] and al-Mudathir [74] both have similar Ayat speaking of the Qur'an being a reminder
إِنَّ هَـٰذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ ۖفَمَن شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ سَبِيلًا "Indeed, this is a reminder, so whoever wills may take to his Lord a way." [73:19]
كَلَّا إِنَّهُ تَذْكِرَةٌ فَمَن شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ "No! Indeed, the Qur'an is a reminder. Then whoever wills will remember it." [74:54-55] - Towards the end of Surah al-Mudadathir [74] we have the Ayat كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا يَخَافُونَ الْآخِرَةَ "No! But they do not fear the Hereafter." [74:53]. The following Surah is al-Qiyamah - about the Akhirah.
(74:31) is the longest Ayat of this Surah with 57 words,
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا أَصْحَابَ النَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَائِكَةً ۙ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَيَزْدَادَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِيمَانًا ۙ وَلَا يَرْتَابَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙ وَلِيَقُولَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّـهُ بِهَـٰذَا مَثَلًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّـهُ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ "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 hypocrisy and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allah intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allah leave astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity." (74:31)
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = 2* | ||
| # | Root Word | Frequency in Surah | Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | إِلَّا | 8 | 663 |
| 2. | ك و ن | 5 | 1390 |
| 3. | ٱلَّذِى | 5 | 1464 |
| 4. | ش ي أ | 5 | 519 |
| 5. | ذ ك ر | 5 | 292 |
| 6. | ق و ل | 4 | 1722 |
| 7. | ب ش ر | 4 | 123 |
| 8. | أ ت ي | 4 | 549 |
| 9. | ر ب ب | 3 | 980 |
| 10. | ك ب ر | 3 | 161 |
| Root Word | Frequency in Surah |
Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|
| إِلَّا | 8 | 663 |
| ك و ن | 5 | 1390 |
| ٱلَّذِى | 5 | 1464 |
| ش ي أ | 5 | 519 |
| ذ ك ر | 5 | 292 |
| ق و ل | 4 | 1722 |
| ب ش ر | 4 | 123 |
| أ ت ي | 4 | 549 |
| ر ب ب | 3 | 980 |
| ك ب ر | 3 | 161 |
The first seven verses of this Surah belong to the earliest period at Makkah. Even according to some hadith which have been related in Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad, etc., on the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah, these are the very earliest verses of the Qur’an to be revealed to the Prophet. But the Muslim Ummah almost unanimously agreed that the earliest revelation to the Prophet consisted of the first five verses of Surah 96: al-‘Alaq (The Clinging Substance). However, what is established by authentic hadith that after this first Revelation, no Revelation came down to the Prophet for quite some time. Then, when it was resumed, it started with the verses of Surah al-Muddathir - Imam Zuhri has given the following details of it:
“Revelation to the 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 God’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 Jabir bin Abdullah; “The Messenger of God describing the period of ‘break in revelation’ (falrat al-wahi) 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 God sent down the Revelation: “O you who covers himself” (Ya ayyuhal-Muddathiru...). From then on revelation became intense and continuous.” (Bukhari, Muslim Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Jarir). The rest of the Surah (v. 8-56) was revealed when the first Hajj season came after public preaching of Islam had begun in Makkah.
- Instructions to the Prophet for cleanliness and patience.
- The fact that the Day of Judgement will be very difficult especially for those who deny Allah's revelations and oppose His cause.
- Actions which lead to the hellfire are: Not offering Salah, not feeding the poor, wasting time in vain talk and denying the Day of Judgement.
Tafsir Zone
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Overview (Verses 32 - 38) A Look at the Universe The surah now relates the truths of the life to come, the scorching fire of hell and God's forces to various aspects of His fine creation in the universe, which people often overlook because of long familiarity. Yet these are evident proofs of God's limitless power of creation and His perfect design of the universe: No! By the moon! By the night when it departs, and the shining dawn! It is indeed one of the mighty things, a warning to all mankind. (Verses 32-36) The sight of the moon, the departing night and the shining dawn are certainly inspiring. They say much to the human heart, whispering secrets and arousing deep feelings. In its quick reference to these, the Qur'an touches our innermost selves where feelings and secrets are settled. It is rarely the case that people contemplate the sight of the moon as it rises, travels or sets without the moon whispering some universal secret in their ears. It sometimes takes no more than to stand in the moonlight in order to feel your heart being washed, as if you were bathing in light. It is hardly possible for anyone to look carefully at the night as it starts to depart, at that time of complete serenity before sunrise, when the world starts to wake up and opens its eyes, without being profoundly affected by it. Likewise, it is hardly possible for anyone not to be alert to the scene of dawn as it breaks and begins to shine without experiencing a sense of opening up that makes us aware of a change of feeling. This change makes us ready to receive the light that shines within our hearts just as we receive the light shining over the world around us. God, the Creator of the human heart, knows that these very sights can sometimes work wonders with this heart, as though they are recreating it. Beyond these shining feelings and openings up, the moon, the night and the dawn all refer to a great truth to which the Qur'an alerts us. They all point to God's power of creation, His limitless wisdom and His fine coordination of His creation. God Almighty swears by these great universal truths in order to alert those who are oblivious to their greatness and the message they impart. He swears that the scorching fire, or its guards, or the hereafter and its events, is one of the great wonders that serve as a warning to mankind of the impending danger ahead: "It is indeed one of the mighty things, a warning to all mankind." (Verses 35-36) The very oath, its contents and subject matter are all like hammers striking hard at people's hearts. This is in perfect harmony with the sounding of the trumpet mentioned earlier, and with the opening of the surah as it addresses the Prophet and bids him to arise and warn. The whole atmosphere is one of hard hitting, warning of an impending danger. The surah now declares that every soul bears responsibility for itself, leaving everyone to choose for themselves. It also states that each soul will have to account for its choices and be judged according to its deeds: It is indeed one of the mighty things, a warning to all mankind, to those of you who choose to go ahead or to lag behind. Every soul is held in pledge for what it has wrought. (Verses 37-38) |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Overview (Verses 32 - 38) A Look at the Universe The surah now relates the truths of the life to come, the scorching fire of hell and God's forces to various aspects of His fine creation in the universe, which people often overlook because of long familiarity. Yet these are evident proofs of God's limitless power of creation and His perfect design of the universe: No! By the moon! By the night when it departs, and the shining dawn! It is indeed one of the mighty things, a warning to all mankind. (Verses 32-36) The sight of the moon, the departing night and the shining dawn are certainly inspiring. They say much to the human heart, whispering secrets and arousing deep feelings. In its quick reference to these, the Qur'an touches our innermost selves where feelings and secrets are settled. It is rarely the case that people contemplate the sight of the moon as it rises, travels or sets without the moon whispering some universal secret in their ears. It sometimes takes no more than to stand in the moonlight in order to feel your heart being washed, as if you were bathing in light. It is hardly possible for anyone to look carefully at the night as it starts to depart, at that time of complete serenity before sunrise, when the world starts to wake up and opens its eyes, without being profoundly affected by it. Likewise, it is hardly possible for anyone not to be alert to the scene of dawn as it breaks and begins to shine without experiencing a sense of opening up that makes us aware of a change of feeling. This change makes us ready to receive the light that shines within our hearts just as we receive the light shining over the world around us. God, the Creator of the human heart, knows that these very sights can sometimes work wonders with this heart, as though they are recreating it. Beyond these shining feelings and openings up, the moon, the night and the dawn all refer to a great truth to which the Qur'an alerts us. They all point to God's power of creation, His limitless wisdom and His fine coordination of His creation. God Almighty swears by these great universal truths in order to alert those who are oblivious to their greatness and the message they impart. He swears that the scorching fire, or its guards, or the hereafter and its events, is one of the great wonders that serve as a warning to mankind of the impending danger ahead: "It is indeed one of the mighty things, a warning to all mankind." (Verses 35-36) The very oath, its contents and subject matter are all like hammers striking hard at people's hearts. This is in perfect harmony with the sounding of the trumpet mentioned earlier, and with the opening of the surah as it addresses the Prophet and bids him to arise and warn. The whole atmosphere is one of hard hitting, warning of an impending danger. The surah now declares that every soul bears responsibility for itself, leaving everyone to choose for themselves. It also states that each soul will have to account for its choices and be judged according to its deeds: It is indeed one of the mighty things, a warning to all mankind, to those of you who choose to go ahead or to lag behind. Every soul is held in pledge for what it has wrought. (Verses 37-38) |
- Surah 74. Al-Mudathir - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX6pfbqKBzs&index=74&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN
- Surah 74. Al-Mudathir Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdHbFdBXcts&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM&index=74
- Surah 74. Al-Mudathir Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6LzGuJlWUY&index=74&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe
- idris abkar Al-Mudathir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r178NwpYIZw
- Surah 74. Al-Mudathir Muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBScoL3O4-A&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG&index=74
