74. Sūrat al-Muddaththir (1/2)

٧٤۔ سُورَةُ المُدَّثــِّر ص ١

Qurʾān > Chapter 74
القرآن > كتاب ٧٤

The Cloaked One (Meccan)

quran:74:1 – In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

O you who covers himself ˹with a garment˺,  

O you enveloped in your mantle, the Prophet (s) (al-muddaththir is actually al-mutadaththir, but the tā’ has been assimilated with the dāl) that is to say, the one who is enwrapped in his clothes when the Revelation ˹Gabriel˺ comes down on him,
القرآن:٧٤:١ – بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ  

{يا أيها المدثر} النبي ﷺ وأصله المتدثر أدغمت التاء في الدال، أي المتلفف بثيابه عند نزول الوحي عليه.
quran:74:2 –

Arise and warn  

arise and warn: threaten the people of Mecca with ˹punishment in˺ the Fire should they refuse to believe;
القرآن:٧٤:٢ –

قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ  

{قم فأنذر} خوِّف أهل مكة النار إن لم يؤمنوا.
quran:74:3 –

And your Lord glorify  

and magnify your Lord, exalt ˹Him˺ above what is ascribed ˹to Him˺ by the idolaters;
القرآن:٧٤:٣ –

وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ  

{وربك فكبر} عظِّم عن إشراك المشركين.
quran:74:4 –

And your clothing purify  

and purify your clothes, from impurity, or ˹it means˺ shorten them, instead of ˹imitating˺ the way in which the Arabs ˹are wont to˺ let their robes drag ˹behind them˺, out of vanity, for perhaps they will be sullied by some impurity;
القرآن:٧٤:٤ –

وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ  

{وثيابك فطهر} عن النجاسة أو قصرها خلاف جر العرب ثيابهم خيلاء فربما أصابتها نجاسة.
quran:74:5 –

And uncleanliness avoid  

and shun ˹all˺ defilement, ˹this rijz˺ was explained by the Prophet (s) to be the graven images; in other words, persist in shunning them.
القرآن:٧٤:٥ –

وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ  

{والرُّجز} فسره النبي ﷺ بالأوثان {فاهجر} أي دم على هجره.
quran:74:6 –

And do not confer favor to acquire more  

And do not grant a favour seeking greater gain (read tastakthiru as a circumstantial qualifier) in other words, do not give something in order to demand more in return: this ˹stipulation˺ is specific to the Prophet (s), since he is enjoined to ˹adopt˺ the fairest traits and the noblest of manners;
القرآن:٧٤:٦ –

وَلَا تَمْنُنْ تَسْتَكْثِرُ  

{ولا تمنن تستكثر} بالرفع حال، أي لا تعط شيئا لتطلب أكثر منه وهذا خاص به ﷺ لأنه مأمور بأجمل الأخلاق وأشرف الآداب.
quran:74:7 –

But for your Lord be patient.  

and endure patiently for the sake of your Lord, ˹all His˺ commands and prohibitions.
القرآن:٧٤:٧ –

وَلِرَبِّكَ فَاصْبِرْ  

{ولربك فاصبر} على الأوامر والنواهي.
quran:74:8 –

And when the trumpet is blown,  

For when the trumpet is sounded, when the trumpet is blown, that is, the Horn (qarn), at the second blast,
القرآن:٧٤:٨ –

فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِي النَّاقُورِ  

{فإذا نقر في الناقور} نفخ في الصور وهو القرن النفخة الثانية.
quran:74:9 –

That Day will be a difficult day  

that day, that is to say, the time of the sounding (yawma’idhin is a substitution for the preceding subject, and is not declined because it is annexed to something that cannot be declined; the predicate of the subject ˹is the following˺) will be a harsh day (idhā is operated by what is indicated by the statement: ishtadda’lamru, ‘˹for when the trumpet is sounded˺ the situation will be terrible’),
القرآن:٧٤:٩ –

فَذَٰلِكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَوْمٌ عَسِيرٌ  

{فذلك} أي وقت النقر {يومئذ} بدل مما قبله المبتدأ وبني لإضافته إلى غير متمكن وخبر المبتدأ {يوم عسير} والعامل في إذا ما دلت عليه الجملة اشتد الأمر.
quran:74:10 –

For the disbelievers - not easy.  

for the disbelievers, not at all easy: herein is an indication that it will be easy for believers despite its harshness.
القرآن:٧٤:١٠ –

عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ غَيْرُ يَسِيرٍ  

{على الكافرين غير يسير} فيه دلالة على أنه يسير على المؤمنين في عسره.
quran:74:11 –

Leave Me with the one I created alone  

Leave Me ˹to deal˺ with him whom I created (wa-man khalaqtu is a supplement to the direct object, or ˹it is˺ an object of accompaniment) lonely (wahīdan is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the man, ‘whom’, or to the pronoun referring to it but omitted from khalaqtu ˹sc. khalaqtuhu˺), alone, without family or wealth — this was al-Walīd b. al-Mughīra al-Makhzūmī —
القرآن:٧٤:١١ –

ذَرْنِي وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيدًا  

{ذرني} اتركني {ومن خلقت} عطف على المفعول أو مفعول معه {وحيدا} حال من مَن أو من ضميره المحذوف من خلقت منفردا بلا أهل ولا مال هو الوليد بن المغيرة المخزومي.
quran:74:12 –

And to whom I granted extensive wealth  

and ˹then˺ assigned him ample means, abundant and continuous, ˹generated˺ from ˹his˺ crops, livestock and commerce,
القرآن:٧٤:١٢ –

وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُ مَالًا مَمْدُودًا  

{وجعلت له مالا ممدودا} واسعا متصلا من الزروع والضروع والتجارة.
quran:74:13 –

And children present ˹with him˺  

and sons, ten or more, present ˹by his side˺, present at social gatherings and whose testimonies are listened to,
القرآن:٧٤:١٣ –

وَبَنِينَ شُهُودًا  

{وبنين} عشرة أو أكثر {شهودا} يشهدون المحافل وتسمع شهاداتهم.
quran:74:14 –

And spread ˹everything˺ before him, easing ˹his life˺.  

and facilitated, extended, for him greatly, ˹his˺ livelihood, duration of life and children.
القرآن:٧٤:١٤ –

وَمَهَّدْتُ لَهُ تَمْهِيدًا  

{ومهدت} بسطت {له} في العيش والعمر والولد {تمهيدا}.
quran:74:15 –

Then he desires that I should add more.  

Still he is eager that I should give ˹him˺ more.
القرآن:٧٤:١٥ –

ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ  

{ثم يطمع أن أزيد}.
quran:74:16 –

No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate.  

Nay!, I shall not give him more than that. He is indeed stubborn to Our signs, ˹to˺ the Qur’ān.
القرآن:٧٤:١٦ –

كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ لِآيَاتِنَا عَنِيدًا  

{كلا} لا أزيده على ذلك {إنه كان لآياتنا} القرآن {عنيدا} معاندا.
quran:74:17 –

I will cover him with arduous torment.  

˹Soon˺ I shall burden him with a trying chastisement; alternatively ˹sa‘ūdan means˺ a mountain of fire which he will be made to ascend and then fall down from, forever.
القرآن:٧٤:١٧ –

سَأُرْهِقُهُ صَعُودًا  

{سأرهقه} أكلفه {صعودا} مشقة من العذاب أو جبلا من نار يصعد فيه ثم يهوي أبدا.
quran:74:18 –

Indeed, he thought and deliberated.  

Indeed he pondered, what to say about the Qur’ān which he heard from the Prophet (s), and decided, this, in his mind.
القرآن:٧٤:١٨ –

إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ  

{إنه فكر} فيما يقول في القرآن الذي سمعه النبي ﷺ {وقدر} في نفسه ذلك.
quran:74:19 –

So may he be destroyed ˹for˺ how he deliberated.  

Perish he, may he be cursed and chastised, how he decided!, ˹perish he˺ whatever the nature of his decision may have been.
القرآن:٧٤:١٩ –

فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ  

{فقتل} لعن وعذب {كيف قدر} على أي حال كان تقديره.
quran:74:20 –

Then may he be destroyed ˹for˺ how he deliberated.  

Again, perish he, how he decided!
القرآن:٧٤:٢٠ –

ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ  

{ثم قتل كيف قدر}.
quran:74:21 –

Then he considered ˹again˺;  

Then he contemplated, the faces of his people; or ˹he contemplated˺ with what ˹words˺ he might cast aspersions upon it.
القرآن:٧٤:٢١ –

ثُمَّ نَظَرَ  

{ثم نظر} في وجوه قومه أو فيما يقدح به فيه.
quran:74:22 –

Then he frowned and scowled;  

Then he frowned, he contracted his face and glowered, anguished by what he wanted to say, and scowled, increasing the contracting and the glowering ˹in his face˺.
القرآن:٧٤:٢٢ –

ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ  

{ثم عبس} قبض وجهه وكلحه ضيقا بما يقول {وبسر} زاد في القبض والكلوح.
quran:74:23 –

Then he turned back and was arrogant  

Then he turned his back, to faith, in disdain, scornful of following the Prophet (s),
القرآن:٧٤:٢٣ –

ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ  

{ثم أدبر} عن الإيمان {واستكبر} تكبر عن اتباع النبي ﷺ .
quran:74:24 –

And said, "This is not but magic imitated ˹from others˺.  

and said, of what he ˹the Prophet˺ had brought: ‘This is nothing but handed-down sorcery, learnt from sorcerers;
القرآن:٧٤:٢٤ –

فَقَالَإِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ  

{فقال} فيما جاء به {إن} ما {هذا إلا سحر يؤثر} ينقل عن السحرة.
quran:74:25 –

This is not but the word of a human being."  

this is nothing but the speech of humans’, similar to what they ˹the idolaters˺ had said: ‘It is only a human that is teaching him’ ˹Q. 16:103˺.
القرآن:٧٤:٢٥ –

إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ  

ما {إن هذا إلا قول البشر} كما قالوا إنما يعلمه بشر.
quran:74:26 –

I will drive him into Saqar.  

I shall ˹soon˺ admit him into Saqar! — Hell.
القرآن:٧٤:٢٦ –

سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ  

{سأصليه} أُدخله {سقر} جهنم.
quran:74:27 –

And what can make you know what is Saqar?  

And how would you know what is Saqar? — this ˹interrogative˺ is intended to emphasise its enormity.
القرآن:٧٤:٢٧ –

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سَقَرُ  

{وما أدراك ما سقر} تعظيم شأنها.
quran:74:28 –

It lets nothing remain and leaves nothing ˹unburned˺,  

It neither spares nor leaves behind, anything of flesh or nerve, but destroys it ˹all˺, after which he is restored to his former state.
القرآن:٧٤:٢٨ –

لَا تُبْقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ  

{لا تبقي ولا تذر} شيئا من لحم ولا عصب إلا أهلكته ثم يعود كما كان.
quran:74:29 –

Blackening the skins.  

It burns away the flesh, scorching the surface of skin.
القرآن:٧٤:٢٩ –

لَوَّاحَةٌ لِلْبَشَرِ  

{لواحة للبشر} محرقة لظاهر الجلد.
quran:74:30 –

Over it are nineteen ˹angels˺.  

There are nineteen ˹keepers˺ standing over it, angels, its keepers; a certain disbeliever, who was a mighty stalwart, said, ‘I will avail you seventeen of them, if you avail me ˹just˺ two’. God, exalted be He, says:
القرآن:٧٤:٣٠ –

عَلَيْهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ  

{عليها تسعة عشر} ملكا خزنتها قال بعض الكفار وكان قويا شديد البأس أنا أكفيكم سبعة عشر واكفوني أنتم اثنين قال تعالى:
quran:74:31 –

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.  

And We have appointed only angels as wardens of the Fire, in other words, and so they cannot be withstood as these ˹disbelievers are wont to˺ imagine; and We have made their number, so, only as a stumbling-block, a cause for error, for those who disbelieve, when they then say, ‘Why are there nineteen of them?’, so that those who were given the Scripture, namely, the Jews, may be certain, of the sincerity of the Prophet (s) in ˹saying that˺ they are nineteen, for this concords with what is in their Scripture; and that those who believe, from among the People of the Scripture, may increase in faith, in affirmation of the truth, given that what the Prophet (s) has said concords with what is in their Scripture, and that those given the Scripture and the believers, ˹those˺ other than these ˹Jews˺, may not be in doubt, concerning the number of ˹these˺ angels, and that those in whose hearts there is a sickness, an uncertainty, ˹those˺ in Medina, and the disbelievers, in Mecca, may say, ‘What did God mean by this, number ˹as a˺, similitude?’ (mathalan: they referred to it thus ˹as a mathal˺ on account of it being a curious matter; in terms of syntax, it ˹mathalan˺ is a circumstantial qualifier). Thus, that is, just as the one who rejects this number is led astray and the one who affirms the truth of it is guided, God leads astray whom He will and guides whom He will. And none knows the hosts of your Lord, namely, the angels, ˹none knows them˺ in terms of their strength and their assistants, except Him. And it, that is, Saqar, is nothing but a reminder for humans.
القرآن:٧٤:٣١ –

وَمَا جَعَلْنَا أَصْحَابَ النَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَائِكَةً ۙ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَيَزْدَادَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِيمَانًا ۙ وَلَا يَرْتَابَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙ وَلِيَقُولَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَالْكَافِرُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ  

{وما جعلنا أصحاب النار إلا ملائكة} أي فلا يطاقون كما يتوهمون {وما جعلنا عدتهم} ذلك {إلا فتنة} ضلالا {للذين كفروا} بأن يقولوا لم كانوا تسعة عشر {ليستيقن} ليستبين {الذين أوتوا الكتاب} أي اليهود صدق النبي ﷺ في كونهم تسعة عشر الموافق لما في كتابهم {ويزداد الذين آمنوا} من أهل الكتاب {إيمانا} تصديقا لموافقته ما أتي به النبي ﷺ لما في كتابهم {ولا يرتاب الذين أُوتوا الكتاب والمؤمنون} من غيرهم في عدد الملائكة {وليقول الذين في قلوبهم مرض} شك بالمدينة {والكافرون} بمكة {ماذا أراد الله بهذا} العدد {مثلا} سموه لغرابته بذلك وأعرب حالا {كذلك} أي مثل إضلال منكر هذا العدد وهدى مصدقه {يضل الله من يشاء ويهدي من يشاء وما يعلم جنود ربك} أي الملائكة في قوتهم وأعوانهم {إلا هو وما هي} أي سقر {إلا ذكرى للبشر}.
quran:74:32 –

No! By the moon  

Nay, (kallā: denoting a commencement ˹of a new sentence˺, to be understood as alā) by the moon!
القرآن:٧٤:٣٢ –

كَلَّا وَالْقَمَرِ  

{كلا} استفتاح بمعنى ألا {والقمر}.
quran:74:33 –

And ˹by˺ the night when it departs  

And by the night when it returns! (if read as idhā dabara), when it comes back after day (a variant reading has idh adbara, meaning ‘when it has receded’).
القرآن:٧٤:٣٣ –

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذْ أَدْبَرَ  

{والليل إذا} بفتح الذال {دبر} جاء بعد النهار وفي قراءة إذ دبر بسكون الذال بعدها همزة، أي مضى.
quran:74:34 –

And ˹by˺ the morning when it brightens,  

And by the dawn when it appears!
القرآن:٧٤:٣٤ –

وَالصُّبْحِ إِذَا أَسْفَرَ  

{والصبح إذا أسفر} ظهر.
quran:74:35 –

Indeed, the Fire is of the greatest ˹afflictions˺  

Verily it, that is, Saqar, is one of the enormities, ˹one of˺ the greatest calamities —
القرآن:٧٤:٣٥ –

إِنَّهَا لَإِحْدَى الْكُبَرِ  

{إنها} أي سقر {لإحدى الكبر} البلايا العظام.
quran:74:36 –

As a warning to humanity -  

a warning (nadhīran is a circumstantial qualifier referring to ihdā, ‘one of’, and it is masculine because it denotes ˹masculine˺ ‘adhāb, ‘chastisement’) to ˹all˺ humans;
القرآن:٧٤:٣٦ –

نَذِيرًا لِلْبَشَرِ  

{نذيرا} حال من إحدى وذكر لأنها بمعنى العذاب {للبشر}.
quran:74:37 –

To whoever wills among you to proceed or stay behind.  

˹alike˺ to those of you who wish (li-man shā’a minkum is a substitution for li’l-bashar, ‘to ˹all˺ humans’) to advance, towards good, or towards Paradise by means of faith, or linger behind, in evil, or in Hell because of ˹their˺ disbelief.
القرآن:٧٤:٣٧ –

لِمَنْ شَاءَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوْ يَتَأَخَّرَ  

{لمن شاء منكم} بدل من البشر {أن يتقدم} إلى الخير أو الجنة بالإيمان {أو يتأخر} إلى الشر أو النار بالكفر.
quran:74:38 –

Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained  

Every soul is held to ransom by what it earns, ˹it is˺ ransomed and requited for its deeds with the Fire,
القرآن:٧٤:٣٨ –

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ  

{كل نفس بما كسبت رهينة} مرهونة مأخوذة بعملها في النار.
quran:74:39 –

Except the companions of the right,  

except those of the right ˹hand˺, namely, the believers who will be saved from it, and ˹who˺ will be,
القرآن:٧٤:٣٩ –

إِلَّا أَصْحَابَ الْيَمِينِ  

{إلا أصحاب اليمين} وهم المؤمنون فناجون منها كائنون.
quran:74:40 –

˹Who will be˺ in gardens, questioning each other  

in gardens, questioning one another,
القرآن:٧٤:٤٠ –

فِي جَنَّاتٍ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ  

{في جنات يتساءلون} بينهم.
quran:74:41 –

About the criminals,  

about the guilty, and their predicament; and they will say to them, after all those who believed in the One God (muwahhidūn) are brought out of the Fire:
القرآن:٧٤:٤١ –

عَنِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ  

{عن المجرمين} وحالهم ويقولون لهم بعد إخراج الموحدين من النار.
quran:74:42 –

˹And asking them˺, "What put you into Saqar?"  

‘What has landed you in, ˹what has˺ made you enter, Saqar?’
القرآن:٧٤:٤٢ –

مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِي سَقَرَ  

{ما سلككم} أدخلكم {في سقر}.
quran:74:43 –

They will say, "We were not of those who prayed,  

They will say, ‘We were not of those who prayed.
القرآن:٧٤:٤٣ –

قَالُوا لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ الْمُصَلِّينَ  

{قالوا لم نك من المصلين}.
quran:74:44 –

Nor did we used to feed the poor.  

Nor did we ˹ever˺ feed the needy.
القرآن:٧٤:٤٤ –

وَلَمْ نَكُ نُطْعِمُ الْمِسْكِينَ  

{ولم نك نطعم المسكين}.
quran:74:45 –

And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged ˹in it˺,  

And we used to delve, into falsehood, along with those who delved,
القرآن:٧٤:٤٥ –

وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ الْخَائِضِينَ  

{وكنا نخوض} في الباطل {مع الخائضين}.
quran:74:46 –

And we used to deny the Day of Recompense  

and we used to deny the Day of Judgement, ˹the Day˺ of Resurrection and Requital,
القرآن:٧٤:٤٦ –

وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ  

{وكنا نكذب بيوم الدين} البعث والجزاء.
quran:74:47 –

Until there came to us the certainty."  

until ˹finally˺ the inevitable came to us’ — death.
القرآن:٧٤:٤٧ –

حَتَّىٰ أَتَانَا الْيَقِينُ  

{حتى أتانا اليقين} الموت.
quran:74:48 –

So there will not benefit them the intercession of ˹any˺ intercessors.  

Thus the intercession of the intercessors, from among the angels, the prophets and the righteous, will not avail them, in other words, there will be no intercession for them.
القرآن:٧٤:٤٨ –

فَمَا تَنْفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ الشَّافِعِينَ  

{فما تنفعهم شفاعة الشافعين} من الملائكة والأنبياء والصالحين والمعنى لا شفاعة لهم.
quran:74:49 –

Then what is ˹the matter˺ with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away  

So what (fa-mā: the subject) is wrong with them (lahum: the predicate thereof, semantically connected to an omitted clause, the person of which has been transposed onto it) that they turn away (mu‘ridīna is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the ˹suffixed˺ pronoun ˹in lahum, ‘them’˺) from the Reminder — in other words, ‘what has happened to them that they have turned away from admonition’ —
القرآن:٧٤:٤٩ –

فَمَا لَهُمْ عَنِ التَّذْكِرَةِ مُعْرِضِينَ  

{فما} مبتدأ {لهم} خبره متعلق بمحذوف انتقل ضميره إليه {عن التذكرة معرضين} حال من الضمير والمعنى أي شيء حصل لهم في إعراضهم عن الاتعاظ.
quran:74:50 –

As if they were alarmed donkeys  

as if they were wild asses
القرآن:٧٤:٥٠ –

كَأَنَّهُمْ حُمُرٌ مُسْتَنْفِرَةٌ  

{كأنهم حمر مستنفرة} وحشية.