Surah Al-Muddaththir (74) — Ayah 1

The very first revelation was sent down to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) « اِقْرَاْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ», after which the revelation stopped for a period, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) became saddened. Jabir bin Abdullah Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with them both) mentioned regarding this period of cessation of revelation, narrating from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: [ بَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِيْ إِذْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، فَرَفَعْتُ بَصَرِيْ فَإِذَا الْمَلَكُ الَّذِيْ جَائَنِيْ بِحِرَاءٍ جَالِسٌ عَلٰی كُرْسِيٍّ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ، فَرُعِبْتُ مِنْهُ، فَرَجَعْتُ فَقُلْتُ زَمِّلُوْنِيْ زَمِّلُوْنِيْ فَأَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ : « يٰۤاَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ (1) قُمْ فَاَنْذِرْ» إِلٰی قَوْلِهِ: « وَ الرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ» فَحَمِيَ الْوَحْيُ وَ تَوَاتَرَ ] [بخاري، بدء الوحي، باب کیف کان بدء الوحي… : ۴۔ مسلم : ۱۶۱ ] "While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up and saw that the angel who had come to me at Hira was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I became frightened of him and returned, saying: 'Cover me! Cover me!' Then Allah the Exalted revealed these verses: from « يٰۤاَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ (1) قُمْ فَاَنْذِرْ » to «وَ الرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ », then the revelation became intense and continuous." From this, it is understood that the very first verses revealed were from Surah Al-‘Alaq, and after the cessation of revelation, the first to be revealed was Surah Al-Muddathir.

(Ayah 1) {يٰۤاَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ: ’’ الْمُدَّثِّرُ ‘‘} was originally {’’ اَلْمُتَدَثِّرُ ‘‘}; the "ta" was changed to "dal" and merged into the "dal." The cloth that is in direct contact with the body is called "shi‘ar," and what is worn over it is called "dithar." For the reason for this address, see the commentary on the first verse of Surah Al-Muzzammil.