سُوْرَةُ الْمُدَّثِّرِ
Surah Al-Muddaththir (74) — Ayah 1
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُدَّثِّرُ ﴿1﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
O you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) enveloped in garments!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O you
ٱلْمُدَّثِّرُ
l-mudathiru
who covers himself
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
O you who are wrapped up (in your cloak) and are sleeping [1],
[1]
The Heaviness of Revelation:
The very first revelation that was sent down to you ﷺ in the Cave of Hira was the initial five verses of Surah Al-‘Alaq. In these verses, Allah Almighty introduced Himself as the Creator of the universe. He is the One who created you and He is the One who sent down this angel. In these verses, you were not commanded to preach, etc. The only purpose was to prepare you ﷺ for the responsibilities that were to be placed upon you. The revelation that is sent down to the heart of the Prophet through the angel Jibreel is extremely difficult and burdensome for the Prophet. During this, at first, sounds like the ringing of a bell are heard. Then, the Prophet’s connection with this world is severed and he becomes connected to the higher realm, and the burden of this revelation is so great that sometimes, during the winter, sweat would appear on you ﷺ at the time of revelation. Once, you ﷺ had placed your thigh upon the thigh of Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit ؓ when the revelation began to descend. Sayyiduna Zaid says that he felt such a weight that it seemed as if his thigh would break from underneath. And once, you ﷺ were riding a she-camel. When the revelation began to descend, due to its weight and pressure, the she-camel sat down. Thus, the first time when revelation descended in the Cave of Hira, you ﷺ yourself stated that due to the pain and burden, you feared for your life. Anyway, you ﷺ came home in this anxious state, and Sayyidah Khadijah al-Kubra ؓ greatly comforted you. After this, the series of revelation stopped for some time. Despite the pain and burden of revelation, during this period you ﷺ also felt a strange kind of pleasure. Because of this pleasure, you would also await the revelation. Later, one day, the following incident occurred: Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah ؓ says that he heard from you ﷺ while you were mentioning the cessation of revelation. You ﷺ said: Once, while I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky, so I looked towards the sky and saw the same angel who had come to me in Hira. He was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. Seeing him, I was so frightened that I fell to the ground out of fear. Then I came home and said to the people of my house: “Cover me with a blanket, cover me with a blanket.” So they covered me with a blanket. Then Allah Almighty revealed these verses: up to ﴿يَايُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرْ.. فَاهْجُرْ﴾. Abu Salamah said that by “rijz” idols are meant. After this, the revelation became intense and began to come continuously. [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير]
[1]
The Heaviness of Revelation:
The very first revelation that was sent down to you ﷺ in the Cave of Hira was the initial five verses of Surah Al-‘Alaq. In these verses, Allah Almighty introduced Himself as the Creator of the universe. He is the One who created you and He is the One who sent down this angel. In these verses, you were not commanded to preach, etc. The only purpose was to prepare you ﷺ for the responsibilities that were to be placed upon you. The revelation that is sent down to the heart of the Prophet through the angel Jibreel is extremely difficult and burdensome for the Prophet. During this, at first, sounds like the ringing of a bell are heard. Then, the Prophet’s connection with this world is severed and he becomes connected to the higher realm, and the burden of this revelation is so great that sometimes, during the winter, sweat would appear on you ﷺ at the time of revelation. Once, you ﷺ had placed your thigh upon the thigh of Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit ؓ when the revelation began to descend. Sayyiduna Zaid says that he felt such a weight that it seemed as if his thigh would break from underneath. And once, you ﷺ were riding a she-camel. When the revelation began to descend, due to its weight and pressure, the she-camel sat down. Thus, the first time when revelation descended in the Cave of Hira, you ﷺ yourself stated that due to the pain and burden, you feared for your life. Anyway, you ﷺ came home in this anxious state, and Sayyidah Khadijah al-Kubra ؓ greatly comforted you. After this, the series of revelation stopped for some time. Despite the pain and burden of revelation, during this period you ﷺ also felt a strange kind of pleasure. Because of this pleasure, you would also await the revelation. Later, one day, the following incident occurred: Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah ؓ says that he heard from you ﷺ while you were mentioning the cessation of revelation. You ﷺ said: Once, while I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky, so I looked towards the sky and saw the same angel who had come to me in Hira. He was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. Seeing him, I was so frightened that I fell to the ground out of fear. Then I came home and said to the people of my house: “Cover me with a blanket, cover me with a blanket.” So they covered me with a blanket. Then Allah Almighty revealed these verses: up to ﴿يَايُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرْ.. فَاهْجُرْ﴾. Abu Salamah said that by “rijz” idols are meant. After this, the revelation became intense and began to come continuously. [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير]
