النص المفهرس

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hope he has not set our slave awry." When 'Addas returned to them, they
asked him: "What has happened? You were kissing his hands and feet ?"
He replied: "My masters, at this time there is no person better than he on
the face of the earth. He has taught me something which none other than
a Prophet can teach." They said: "You miserable wretch, may it not
happen that this man turns you away from your religion, because your
religion in any case is better than his." When the Holy Prophet
was
completely despaired of Thaqif's assistance, he returned from Ta'if to
Makkah. On his way back, he halted at Nakhlah and towards the latter
part of the night he performed salat-ut-tahajjud. The delegation of Jinns
of Nașibin of Yemen had also gone there. They heard the Qur'an and
embraced the faith. They went back to their people and recounted to them
the whole incident which Allah has mentioned in the verses under
comment. [Mazhari]
A Jinn Companion of the Holy Prophet
Ibn Jauzī, in his book Şifat-us- Safwah, through his own chain of
authorities, reports from Sahl Ibn 'Abdullah 4%
that he saw an old Jinn,
in a place, who was performing salah in the direction of Ka'bah. He was
wearing a woolen cloak that looked beautiful on him and in which he
looked graceful. After he completed his prayer, Sayyidna Sahl 4
e greeted
him. Replying to his greeting, he said: 'You seem to be admiring the
beauty of this cloak. This cloak is on my body for seven hundred years. I
have met Holy Prophet 'Isa el in this cloak, and in the same cloak I met
Holy Prophet Muhammad
and I am from among those Jinns about
whom Surah Al-Jinn was revealed.' According to the Hadith narratives
that recount the incident of the 'Night of Jinn',(i.e.the night in which the
Jinns visited the Holy Prophet
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud 4ge was
with the Holy Prophet
, and the Holy Prophet
met the Jinns in a
valley near Makkah for the specific purpose of inviting them to the call of
Islam and making them hear the Qur'an by deliberate design.
Apparently, this incident occurred after the incident mentioned in Surah
Al-Jinn. 'Allamah Khafaji has said that reliable Ahadith confirm that the
Jinn delegations met the Holy Prophet
six times. Thus there is no
contradiction between the two versions of the incident, because they are
two separate incidents. The Holy Prophet
was not even aware of the
incident of the Jinn's coming to him and listening to the Qur'an that is

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Surah Al-Jinn : 72 : 1 - 28
mentioned in Surah Jinn. He only learnt about it later through
revelation. This incident happened at Nakhlah on his way back from
Ta'if. The other narratives from which we gather that the Holy Prophet
¿ met the Jinn by deliberate design in a valley near the city of Makkah
to preach to them and make them hear the Qur'an - is a separate incident
which took place after that.
and [then the Jinns started talking to each other] that) وَأَنَّهْ تَغلى جَدُّ رَبِّنَا
exalted is the Glory of our Lord ;.... 72:3). The word jadd means
'majesty/glory' used for Allah. Instead of saying 'jadduhu' with a third
person pronoun referring to Allah, the attributive name 'rabb' 'Lord' is
expressly retained which indicates the exalted position of Allah. The
Being who is the Cherisher and sustainer of His creation must, of
necessity, occupy the lofty position. Commentators have discussed the
grammatical conjunctive construction 'wa annahu' at length in this verse.
It might be of no interest to the general readers.
لا
وَأَنَّهَ كَانَ يَقُوُلُ سَفِيْهُنَا عَلَى اللَّهِ شَطَطًّا ﴿٤﴾ وَّأَنَّا ظَنَّا أَنْ لَّنْ تَقُوْلَ الْإِنْسُ وَالْجِنُّ
عَلَى اللهِ كَذِبًا ﴿٠﴾
... and that the fools among us used to attribute to Allah
extremely wrong things, and that we thought that the humans
and the Jinn would never tell a lie about Allah, [therefore, we
had followed them in shirk under this impression]. (72:5)
The word shatat means 'vile words, extravagant or exorbitant or
enormous lies'. The word also means 'to transgress or act wrongfully,
unjustly or exceed the legitimate bounds'. The believers from amongst
Jinn used to put forward their excuse for being involved in disbelief and
idolatry thus: The foolish people from amongst their nation uttered vile
slander against Allah, whilst they did not think it possible for a human
being or a Jinn to impute a lie to Allah. They were thus far caught up in
the foolish people's vile words and committed kufr and shirk, but they had
now heard the Qur'an and the reality had later opened up.
وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِّنَ الْإِنْسِ يَعُوُذُوْنَ بِرِجَالٍ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَزَادُوُهُمْ رَهَقًّا ﴿٦)
لا
( ... and that some people from human beings used to seek refuge
with some peoples of the Jinn, and thus they increased them
(the Jinns) in arrogance, [72:6]'
This verse describes the situation that it was customary for people in
the Days of Ignorance that when they halted in a valley in the course of a

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Surah Al-Jinn : 72 : 1 - 28
journey, they sought refuge in the Jinn leader of that valley from the
foolish mischief-makers of his nation believing that the leader of the
valley will protect them. This made the Jinn think that they are better
than human beings. That is why, they seek refuge in their leader but this
increased the wickedness of the Jinn.
Rafi' Ibn 'Umair's 4
Islam on account of the Jinn
Mazhari cites in his Tafsir that it is reported in Hawatif-ul-Jinn
through his chain of narrators on the authority of Sayyidna Said Ibn
Jubair
that the Holy Prophet's
Companion Rafi' Ibn 'Umair
recounts an incident of his embracing the Islamic faith, thus:
'One night I was travelling in a desert. Suddenly I was overcome by
sleep. So, I alighted from my camel, and before I went off to sleep I
uttered the following formula in keeping with the custom of my people:
أنّى اعوذ بعظيم هذا الوادى من الجنّ
"I seek refuge in the leader of the Jinn of this valley from the
foolish mischief-makers of his nation."
I saw in my dream that there is a sword in a person's hand who wants
to place it on my camel's chest. I woke up in a shock and looked around in
all directions, but found nothing. So, I said to myself that this was some
Satanic nightmare. It was not a true dream and fell back into deep sleep
and became completely oblivious to my surrounding. I experienced the
same dream again. I got up and looked all around the camel, but found
nothing. This time, however, I found the camel shivering. I went back to
my place and slept away and saw the same dream. I awoke and found my
camel tossing about restlessly. Then I saw a youngster in whose hand was
a weapon. This was the same person whom I had seen attacking the
camel the first time. I saw he was holding the hand of an old man who is
stopping him from attacking the camel. Just then three wild zebras
appeared. The old man said to the youngster, 'Choose any one of these
zebras, and let go this man's camel.' The youngster took one of the zebras
and took leave. The old man then looked at me and said, 'You fool, when
you seek refuge in a valley, and you fear any danger from the jinn or
devils, recite thus:'
اعوذ بالله ربِّ محمّد من هول هذا الوادى
"I seek refuge in Allah, the Lord of Muhammad, from the

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horrors of this valley. Do not seek refuge in any Jinn because
that time is gone when human beings used to seek refuge in
Jinn."'
I asked him who that person was. He replied that he was the Arabian
Holy Prophet
neither eastern nor western. He was raised with his
Prophetic mission on a Monday. I asked him where he lived. He replied
that he lived in Yathrib which is an area where dates grow abundantly.
As soon as the morning dawned, I set for Madinah and urged my mount
to move faster and faster until I reached Madinah. When the Holy
Prophet
saw me, he recounted to me the entire episode before I could
tell him anything. He invited me to the call of Islam and I embraced the
Islamic faith.
Having narrated this story, Sayyidna Said Ibn Jubair 4ee said that
وَأَنَّهُ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِّنَ الْإِنْسِ .the following verse was revealed in this connection
and that some people from human beings used to seek) يَعُوُذُوُنَ بِرِجَالٍ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ
refuge with some people of the Jinn ..... 72:6)
[and that we sought [to reach ... ) وَأَنَّا لَمَسُنَا السَّمَآءَ فَوَجَدُنْهَا مُلِئَتُ حَرَسًا شَدِيْدًا وَّشُهُبًا
the sky, but we found it filled with stern guards and flames .... 72:8). The
word sama' is used in two different senses: 'sky' as well as 'cloud'. It would
appear that here the word is used in the latter sense.
The Jinn Used to Go only up to the Clouds to Eavesdrop, Not to
the Sky
The Jinn and the devils used to go up to the sky means that they used
to go to the 'clouds', take up positions there to sit and eavesdrop. The proof
of this is found in Sahih of Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidah 'A'ishah
:who reports رضى الله عنها
سمعت رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم يقول ان الملائكة تنزل فى العَنَان و
هو السحاب فتذكر الامرالذى قضى فى السماء فَتَسُترق الشّياطين السمع فتسمعه
فتتوجّه الى الگھّان فیکذبون معها مائة كذبة من عند انفسهم (از مظهرى).
" I have heard the Messenger of Allah say that the angels
descended in the 'anan of sama' meaning the 'cloud'. There they
discussed the decisions Allah has issued in the sky. The devils
listened to their private conversations without them knowing
about it and passed the information to the soothsayers, mixing
it with a hundred lies from their side."" [Mazhari].
A narration is recorded in Sahih of Bukhari on the authority of
-

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Surah Al-Jinn : 72 : 1 - 28
Sayyidna Abu Hurairah 4, and in Muslim on the authority of Sayyidna
Ibn 'Abbas 4ee to the following effect:
When Allah issues an order in the sky, the angels flap their wings in
readiness to obey the order. When the issuance of the order is over, they
discuss among themselves. The devils eavesdrop on this discussion, and
pass the information to the soothsayers, admixing it with many lies.
This Hadith apparently contradicts the narration of Sayyidah 'A'ishah
but in actual fact, there is no conflict between the two رضى الله عنها
narratives. This narrative does not prove that the devils go inside the sky
to eavesdrop. Probably, when the order is issued in the first instance by
Allah, it filters down to the angels from the upper level to the lower level,
until the angels come down to the cloud where they discuss it. The devils
steal the information from here as mentioned by Sayyidah 'A'ishah Ul>,
.[Mazhari] عنها
At any rate, before the advent of the Holy Prophet
the Jinn and
devils had free access to the heavenly information. They used to position
themselves in the cloud and eavesdrop on the conversations of the angels
and pass the information to the soothsayers. At the advent of the Holy
Prophet , there arose the need to protect the heavenly revelation. As a
result, the access of devils to the upper region was stopped in such a way
that if a devil attempted to go up, he would be repelled by piercing flames.
This was the new phenomenon that excited the curiosity of the devils and
Jinn and, dividing themselves into groups, they went to the east and to
the west to investigate. One of the groups arrived at a place called
Nakhlah where its members heard the Qur'an and embraced the faith of
Islam as mentioned in Surah Al-Jinn.
Meteors Existed Since the Inception of Time, but were not Used
to Repel the Devils before the Advent of the Holy Prophet
g. It
happened only after his Advent
A doubt that may arise here is that the existence of Meteors, which in
common parlance are called inqidad-ul-kaukab the 'falling stars', is not a
new phenomenon. This verse, however, indicates that they showed up to
repel the devils as if they are new-age phenomena of the Holy Prophet
In response, it may be stated that there is no denying that the meteors
did exist since the inception of time and space before the advent of the
Holy Prophet , and that there is no contradiction between what

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Surah Al-Jinn : 72 : 1 - 28
humanity experienced since the beginning of the world, scientific
explanations and the Qur'anic statement. Philosophers and scientists
explain that the meteors may originate from the earth or stars or
disintegrating planets, and wander in space at enormous speeds and fall
to the earth. Some fiery matter may arise from the surface of the earth
and heat up at some point, or the speed of the meteors makes them glow
and burn, or a flame emits from a star - and this may have habitually
continued ever since. These flames, however, were not used to serve a
particular purpose before the advent of the Holy Prophet
; they were
merely a natural phenomena. After the advent of the Holy Prophet 5,
meteoric flames were used to serve the purpose of shooting the devils if
they attempted to go up and listen furtively the conversation of the
angels. See also Ma'ariful Qur'an, Vol. 5/pp 303-305, under [15:17-18].
and that we do not know) وَأَنَّا لَا نَذْرِىٌ اَشَرٌّ أُرِيْدَ بِمَنُ فِى الْأَرْضِ أَمْ آَرَادَ بِهِمْ رَبُّهُمُ رَشَدًا
whether it is a bad end that is intended for those on earth, or their Lord
has intended for them a right thing, .... 72:10). The Jinn and devils were
barred from having access to heavenly news. In this case it would be a
punishment for the inhabitants of the earth. However, if Allah intends
them to be rightly guided, He has barred the Jinn and Satan from having
access to the heaven, so that they do not interfere with Divine revelation.
Therefore, they expressed their reservations about this to the effect that
they had no idea as to whether it was a bad end that was intended for the
inhabitants of the earth or whether Allah intended them to be rightly
guided.
so if one believes in his Lord, he will ... ) فَمَنُ يُّؤُمِنُ بِرَبِّهِ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَحْسًا وَلَارَهَقًا
have no fear of either any curtailment [in his reward] or any excess [in
his punishment] ... 72:13). The word bakhs, with ba' carrying fatha] and
kha' carrying sukun, means 'to reduce the right' and the word rahaq
means 'disgrace'. In other words, anyone who believes in Allah need fear
neither curtailment in the reward of his good deeds, nor disgrace by
excess in his punishment in the Hereafter.
and that masajid (mosques) belong to ... ) وَأَنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ لِلْهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللهِ آَحَدًا
Allah; so, do not invoke anyone along with Allah .... 72:18). The word
masajid is the plural of masjid. Here the word, could be taken in its
popular sense, that is, mosques or places of worship dedicated for the
performance of prayers. In this case, it would mean that all mosques
belong to Allah, dedicated to His sole worship and therefore we are not

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Surah Al-Jinn : 72 : 1 - 28
permitted to call on anyone else besides Allah, like the Jews and
Christians commit shirk in their places of worship. In sum, the mosques
must be kept clear of all false beliefs and vile deeds.
The word masajid could also have another sense. It could be the
plural of masjad, with the letter jim carrying fath, in which case it would
be mașdar mimi 'infinitivity' and mean 'to prostrate or prostration'. The
verse in this sense would signify that worship is reserved exclusively for
Allah. It is not permitted to prostrate to anyone, because if he calls on
anyone else for help, it is as though he is prostrating to him which must
be avoided.
Ruling
By common consent of the scholars, prostration to anyone other Allah
is totally forbidden. According to some scholars, it is tantamount to
kufr / shirk.
قُلْ إِنْ أَدْرِىُ أَقَرِيبٌ مَّا تُوعَدُوْنَ أَمْ يَجْعَلُ لَه، رَبِّىٌّ آَمَدًا. ◌ِلِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلى
غَيْبِة أَحَدًا
(Say, "I do not know whether that which you are promised is
near, or my Lord has appointed for it a distant term. [He is the]
Knower of the Unseen. So He does not let anyone know His
Unseen .... 72:25-26)
The non-believers demanded that the Holy Prophet
should show
them the exact time and date when the Resurrection will occur. In verse
[25] he is enjoined to say to them that it was not for him to say when the
threatened punishment would come, but come it must. Verse [26] is the
proof of the preceding verse. The Holy Prophet
does not know whether
the promised day is close or whether a longer time is appointed for it,
because Allah alone is the knower of the Unseen. That is His exclusive
characteristics, and therefore He does not divulge His Unseen to anyone.
The definite article alif lam in al-ghaib 'the Unseen' is grammatically
referred to as alif lam for istighraq lil-jins 'the article encompassing and
indicating the entire genus' [as stated in Ruh with reference to Radi],
that is, He is Omniscient - knowing every species of the Unseen and all
genera of the Unseen. In the idafah [possessive case] construction
ghaibihl 'His Unseen', the possessive pronoun refers to 'Allah' and
reinforces His predominance over the Unseen. Allah's knowledge
comprehends and encompasses every infima species [species of species]

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and every summum genus [genus of genera] of His creation. This is a
specialized attribute of Allah. He does not divulge His Unseen to anyone
indiscriminately, so that he may store and retrieve the secrets of the
unknown world as and when he wishes.
The purport of the verse under comment is to affirm the totality of
Allah's knowledge of the Unseen so that He alone is fully aware of every
particle of His creation, and to negate such total knowledge of the Unseen
for anyone other than Allah. It was possible that an unintelligent person
might surmise that the Holy Prophet & did not have any knowledge of
the Unseen - so, how can he be a Messenger? Allah reveals to a
Messenger thousands of secrets of the Unseen. Anyone to whom no
revelation comes down cannot be a Prophet or a Messenger. Thus the
following verse makes an exception:
y
إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضىْ مِنْ رَّسُوْلٍ فَإِنَّهَ يَسُلُكُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنُ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا ﴿٢٧﴾
( ... except a messenger whom He chooses [to inform through
revelation], and then He appoints [angels as] watching guards
before him and behind him, [so that devils may not tamper with
the divine revelation,] .... 72:27)
Difference between 'Knowledge of the Unseen' and 'Reports of the
Unseen Events'
The exception made here is the response to the doubt raised by
unintelligent people. The negation of the total knowledge of the Unseen
does not necessarily entail absolute negation of every unknown secret.
For the office of risalah, a Messenger needs a certain amount of
knowledge of unseen things which Allah grants him through revelation.
When Allah sends down the revelation to His Holy Prophet , He sends
it down under His special protection, and is completely secure against
being distorted or tampered with by devils. First of all, the word rasul
[Messenger] determines the type of knowledge granted to a Prophet or a
Messenger. Evidently, it is the knowledge of the sacred laws and
injunctions in its totality, and of the unseen events according to the
exigency of time. The next statement states the heavily protected manner
in which the unseen knowledge is granted. It is sent down through angels
around whom are posted other angels as sentinels. This explanation
clarifies the point that the exceptive sentence that affirms the unseen
knowledge granted to a Holy Prophet Je and a Messenger is a
specialized unseen knowledge which is essential and relevant to the

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proper functioning of a Prophetic office.
Technically, this 'exception', in Arabic grammar, is referred to as
istithna' mungati' which may be defined as the exceptive sentence in
which the exception is severed from, or wholly different in kind from, the
general description given before. In this sense, whilst the basic sentence
negated total Unseen Knowledge in general terms for anyone besides
Allah, the exceptive sentence does not affirm it. It merely affirms
specialized acquaintance with some reports of the unseen events which
the Qur'an frequently describes as anba'ul ghaib, thus, for instance:
تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيُهَا إِلَيْكَ
'These are some reports from the unseen [events] which We
reveal to you. [11:49]'
Some unintelligent people do not grasp the distinction between
'Knowledge of the Unseen' and 'reports of the unseen events'. As a result,
they attempt to prove 'total knowledge of the Unseen' for the Prophets of
Allah, especially for the Last Prophet
g. They believe that the Holy
Prophet
like Allah, is omniscient - having knowledge of every particle
of the universe. This is clearly shirk - assigning to the Holy Prophet
the status of Godhead, God forbid! If any person discloses a secret to a
friend of his, of which no one else has that piece of knowledge or
information, such a friend cannot be described as omniscient. Likewise,
Allah has granted thousands of pieces of information of the unseen world
through revelation to His Holy Prophets
, but it is not true to say that
they are omniscient. The ignorant laity do not understand the difference
between the concepts. When they are told that the Holy Prophet
is not
omniscient, they understand this statement to imply that the Holy
Prophet
[God forbid!] did not have any information about anything
unseen. No believer in the world ever holds such a belief, nor can he ever
do so because if anyone does so the whole structure of nubuwwah and
risalah would come crumbling down. It is not possible for any believer to
behave in this way.
The concluding part of the last verse says:
and has comprehensive knowledge of every thing ... ) وَاحُضى كُلَّ شَىْءٍ عَدَدًا
by numbers .... 72:28). In other words, Allah alone encompasses the perfect
knowledge of everything and keeps a meticulous count of it. He has the
knowledge of the exact number of particles in the mountains. He has the

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knowledge of the exact number of drops in all the oceans of the world. He
has the knowledge of the exact number of drops in every rain. He alone
has the knowledge of the exact number of leaves on all the trees in the
world. Thus it is made clear that the totality of the knowledge of the
Unseen is reserved exclusively for Allah, so that there should be no
misunderstanding about the above 'exception' clause.
The question of the Unseen Knowledge is fully discussed under [27:65]
قُلْ لاَ يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِى السَّمْوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلََّ اللهُ
Say, "No one in the heavens and the earth has the knowledge of
the Unseen except Allah." [27:65]
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Jinn
Ends here

611
Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73 : 1 - 20
Surah Al-Muzzammil
(The Wrapped up one)
This Surah is Makki, and it has 20 verses and 2 Sections.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1-20
يَأَيُّهَا الْمُؤَّمِّلُ ﴿٢﴾ قُمِ الَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيْلاً ﴿٢﴾ نِصْفَهٌ أَوِ انْقُصُ مِنْهُ قَلِيْلًا
﴿ٌ﴾ أَوْزِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيْلًا ﴿٤﴾ إِنَّا سَنُلُقِىُ عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا
ثَّقِيْلًا ﴿٥﴾ إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ الَّيْلِ هِىَ أَشَدُّ وَطُأَ وَّاقُوَمُ قِيْلًا ﴿ٌ﴾ إِنَّ لَكَ فِى
النَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيْلًا ﴿٢﴾ وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَثَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبِْيًَّا ﴿1﴾
رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لَآ إِلهَ إِلَّ هُوَ فَاتَّخِذُهُ وَكِيْلًا ﴿٤﴾ وَاصْبِرُ
عَلى مَا يَقُوُلُونَ وَاهْجُرُهُمُ هَجْرًا جَمِيْلاً ﴿١٠﴾ وَذَرُنِىُ وَالْمُكَذِّبِيْنَ
أُولِى النَّعُمَةِ وَمَهِّلْهُمُ قَلِيْلًا ﴿١١﴾ إِنَّ لَدَيْنَآ أَنْكَالًا وَجَحِيْمًا (١٢)
وَّطَعَامًا ذَا غُصَّةٍ وَ عَذَابًا آَلِيمًا ﴿١٣) يَوْمَ تَرُجُفُ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ
وَكَانَتِ الْجِبَالُ كَثِيْبًا مَّهِيْلًا ﴿١٤﴾ إِنَّ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمُ رَسُوْلًا.
شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمُ كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُوْلًا ﴿١٥﴾ فَعَضى فِرُعَوْنُ
الرَّسُوْلَ فَأَخَذُنْهُ أَخَذًا وَّبِيْلاً ﴿١٦﴾ فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِنْ كَفَرْتُمُ يَوْمًا
يَّجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَانَ شِيْبًا ﴿٢١٧ ◌ِلسَّمَاءُ مُنْفَطِرٌ، بِهِ كَانَ وَعُدُهُ مَفْعُوْلًا

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﴿١٨﴾ إِنَّ هذِهٍ تَذُكِرَةٌ فَمَنُ شَآءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيْلًا ﴿١٩﴾ إِنَّ
رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُوُمُ اَدُنِى مِنْ تُلُثَى الَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَةً وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَآئِفَةٌ مِّنُ
الَّذِيْنَ مَعَكَ * وَاللهُ يُقَدِّرُ الَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ* عِلِمَ أَنْ لَّنْ تُحْصُوْهُ فَتَابَ
عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْرَعُوا مَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ◌ُ عَلِمَ أَنْ سَكُوْنُ مِنْكُمُ مَّرْضَى وَآخَرُوْنَ
يَضْرِبُوُنَ فِى الْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُوْنَ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللهِ ؟ وَآخَرُوْنَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِى
سَبِيلِ اللَّه ، فَاقْرَّهُوْا مَا تَسَّرَ مِنْهُ « وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلوَةَ وَأْتُوا الزَّكوةَ
وَأَقْرِضُوا اللّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا، وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَ نْفُسِكُمْ مِّنُ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوْهُ
عِنْدَ اللّهِ هُوَخَيْرًا وَاَعْظَمَ أَجْرًّا * وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللهَ، إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ
رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٢﴾
O you wrapped up in clothes," [1] stand at night (for
prayer) except a little [2] half of it, or make it a little
less, [3] or make it a little more; and recite the Qur'an
clearly with tartil (in a distinct and measured tone). [4]
We are going to send down to you a weighty discourse.
[5] Truly, rising by night (for prayer of tahajjud) is the
most effective way to subdue (one's self) and to make
speech more upright. [6] Surely, in daytime, you have a
lengthy work to do. [7] And remember the name of your
Lord, and devote yourself to Him with exclusive
devotion. [8] He is the Lord of the East and the West;
there is no god but He; so take Him for (your) Guardian.
[9] And bear patiently what they say, and part with
them in a beautiful manner. [10] And leave Me (to deal)
with the deniers, the people of luxury, and give them
respite for a while. [11] Surely with Us are fetters and
*
The Holy Prophet is addressed in this verse with reference to a particular style
of wrapping himself in his clothes. The first event of this kind occurred when the
Holy Prophet @ received first revelation in the cave of Hira'. Being his first
experience, he felt it very hard, and was caught by a shivery cold, and once he
reached home, he asked his blessed wife Khadijah : to wrap him in a blanket
which she did. Some narrations have reported another event: When the Holy
Prophet 5 was accused, by the pagans of Makkah, of being a magician who
separated between friends, he felt aggrieved, and wrapped himself in his clothes
out of grief. Addressing him with reference to these events is a loving style
- adopted by Allah Ta'ala to console him. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

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Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73 : 1 - 20
flaming fire, [12] and food that chokes, and a painful
punishment, [13] on the Day when the earth and the
mountains will quake, and the mountains will turn into
a slipping heap of sand. [14] We have sent to you a
messenger, as a witness over you, just as We sent a
messenger to Fir'aun (the Pharaoh). [15] Then, Fir'aun
disobeyed the messenger; so We seized him with a
severe seizure. [16] So, if you disbelieve, how will you
save yourself from a day that will turn the small boys
into grey-headed old men, [17] whereby the sky will
burst apart. His promise has to be fulfilled. [18] Indeed,
this is a reminder; so let anyone who so wishes, adopt a
way to his Lord. [19]
Your Lord knows that you stand (in prayer) for nearly
two thirds of the night, and (at times) for half of it, and
(at times) for one third of it, and (so do) a group of
those who are with you. And Allah measures the night
and the day. He knows that you cannot do it regularly,
therefore He turned to you in mercy. Now, recite as
much of the Qur'an as is easy (for you). He knows that
some of you may be sick, and others travelling in the
land, seeking the grace of Allah, and yet others fighting
in Allah's way. Therefore, recite as much of it as is easy.
And establish salah, and pay zakah, and advance to
Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you will send
ahead for your own selves, you will find it with Allah
much better in condition, and much greater in reward.
And seek forgiveness from Allah. Indeed Allah is
Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful. [20]
Commentary
jejuji ulg 'O you wrapped up in clothes [73:1]'. The word muzzammil
literally means 'one wrapped up in clothes' and its near-synonym
'muddaththir' comes in the next Surah. The Holy Prophet
y is
addressed in this verse with reference to a particular style of wrapping
himself in his clothes. The first event of this kind occurred when the Holy
Prophet
received first revelation in the cave of Hira'. Being his first
experience, he felt it very hard, and was caught by a shivery cold, and
once he reached home, he asked his blessed wife Khadijah Lie wUl ++, to
wrap him in a blanket which she did. A detailed account of this event is
reported by Bukhari in the very first chapter of his book. Then the
revelation stopped for some time. Speaking of this temporary break in the
revelation [termed as fatrat-ul-wahy], Sayyidna Jabir
reports that the

614
Sūrah Al-Muzzammil: 73 : 1 - 20
Messenger of Allah
said in his narrative:
"Whilst I was walking along, I heard a voice from heaven and I
raised up my eyes. Lo! The Angel that had appeared to me in
Hira' was sitting on a chair between heaven and earth, and I
was struck with awe on account of him and returned home and
said, Wrap me up, wrap me up [zammiluni, zammiluni]. Then
Allah revealed the first five verses of Surah Al-Muddththir
(chapter 74)." [Bukhari and Muslim]
According to this narrative, the Holy Prophet
is affectionately
addressed as 'O you, enveloped in a mantle,' whereas in this Surah he is
addressed as 'O you wrapped up in clothes'. Both forms of address are
used affectionately and endearingly to console him. The latter title of
address 'muzzammil' as it appears in this Surah could probably be
connected to another incident (referred to in the footnote) but it,
nonetheless, shows deep love and affection for the Holy Prophet .
[Ruh-ul-Ma'ani]. Having addressed him with this special title, the Holy
Prophet
is told in the following verses that praying to Allah in the
stillness of night [salat-ut-tahajjud] will prepare him for the heavy task
entrusted to him. Some details of the night-prayer have also been set out.
Injunctions Pertaining to Salat-ut-Tahajjud and its Abrogation
Reading into the titles muzzammil and muddaththir a consensus of
scholarly opinion assigns the revelation of this Surah to the earliest period
when the five daily prayers had not become obligatory. They were
prescribed on the night of Holy Prophet's
Ascent to heavens. [mi'raj].
Imam Baghawi yw Ul , says, on the basis of Ahadith reported by
Sayyidah 'A'ishah Şiddīqah L &l +, and others, that 'night-prayer' was
compulsory for the Holy Prophet
and the entire Muslim community
until the five prayers were not prescribed.
This verse not only prescribes the night-prayer but it also prescribes to
stand up in prayer from at least one quarter of the night, because the
verse under comment basically commanded to stand up all night to pray
except a little portion of it.
Imam Baghawi (ws dl das, says, on the basis of narration of Ahadith,
that the Holy Prophet
and the noble Companions , in compliance
with this command, spent the major portion of the night in tahajjud, so

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Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73 : 1 - 20
much so that their feet would swell and this exertion caused hardship and
difficulty to them. This situation continued for a year. After that, towards
the end of the Surah, the following injunction was revealed:
فَاقْرَهُ وا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ
' ... Therefore, recite as much of it as is easy_[73:20]'
It repealed the obligation of staying up for a long time, and granted
them concession and permission to stay up for prayer as much as they
could easily manage. This is transmitted by Abu Dawud and Nasa'i on the
authority of Sayyidah 'A'ishah Les al , Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas " says
that when the five prescribed prayers became obligatory on the night of
mi'raj, the obligatory nature of tahajjud was abrogated. It was, however,
retained as sunnah, because the Holy Prophet
performed it most
regularly. Most of the blessed Companions
were regular with their
tahajjud as well. [Mazhari] Let us now analyze the wordings of the verses.
Sur y jj J 'stand at night (for prayer) except a little_[73:2]'. The word
al-lail with the definite article 'al' connotes 'the entire night', signifying
that he should stay up the whole night for prayer except a little portion of
it. As the word 'little' is indefinite, the verse further clarifies:
make it أَوْزِدُ عَلَيْهِ half of it, or make it a little less, [3] or' نِصُفَهٌ أَوِ انْقُصُ مِنْهُ قَلِيْلًا
a little more [73:4]'. This is explicative of the exception 'except a little'. A
question may be raised here that 'a little' cannot be 'half. The answer is
that the earlier portion of the night is spent in the prayer at maghrib and
'isha'. 'Half then refers to the half of the rest of the night. Its total in
relation to the whole night amounts to 'a little'. The verse permits to
reduce it a little less than half and it also permits to add to it a little more
than half. Thus it was compulsory to stay up at least for a little over one
fourth of a night for prayer.
and recite the Qur'an clearly with tartil (in a distinct ... " وَرَّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيْلًا
and measured tone). [73:4]'. The word tartil , according to Imam Raghib as
explicated in al-Mufradat, originally means 'to put together and arrange
well the component parts of a word and speech and make it distinct'. The
purport of the verse is to say that the Qur'an must not be recited in haste,
but in a leisurely manner, distinctly, deliberately and in well-measured
tone. At the same time, it is necessary to reflect on its meaning and

616
Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73 : 1 - 20
message. [Mazhari]. The clause wa rattil is grammatically conjoined to
qumil lail and signifies what is required to be done in tahajjud prayer.
Although it comprises many components like tasbih, ruku' (bowing),
sujud (prostration) and so on, the verse indicates that the basic
component of prayer is recitation of the Qur'an. The authentic Traditions
bear testimony to the fact that the tahajjud prayer of the Holy Prophet
used to be prolonged very much. The noble Companions and their pupils
followed the same pattern.
Ruling [1]
The verse under comment clarifies that the recitation of the Qur'an is
required to be with tartil [distinct recitation in well-measured tone]. The
Holy Prophet's
¿ recitation fulfilled the requirements of tartil. Some
people inquired from Sayyidah 'Umm Salamah رضى الله عنها about the Holy
Prophet's
recitation of Qur'an in night-prayers. She emulated his
recitation in which every single letter was clear and distinct. [Tirmidhi, Abu
Dawud, Nasa'i - as quoted by Mazhari].
Ruling [2]
Tartil includes slow rhythmic recitation and beautification of the voice
while reciting. Sayyidna Abu Hurairah
narrates that the Messenger
of Allah
said: "Allah does not listen to any recitation as much as he
listens to the recitation of a Prophet who recites with a beautiful voice."
[Mazhar]].
Sayyidna 'Alqamah
> saw a person reciting with a beautiful voice
and he exclaimed:
لقد رتّل القران فداه ابی وأُمّی
"He has recited the Qur'an with tartil: May my parents be
sacrificed to him!" [Quriubi].
In short, tartil basically signifies that the letters and the words must
be pronounced clearly and distinctly that will help understanding the
Qur'an, and paying due care to its meaning. Hasan al-Basri w Ull ,
reports that Allah's Messenger
passed by a person who was reciting a
verse of the Qur'an and weeping. He said to the people, 'Have you heard
of the command of Allah' وَرَتّلِ الْقُرَانَ تَرْتِيَّلًا ... and recite the Qur'an clearly
with tartil (in a distinct and measured tone). [73:4]'? This is tartil which
this person is doing. [Qurțubi]

617
Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73 : 1 - 20
We are going to send down to you a weighty') إِنَّا سَنُلُقِىُ عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيُّلًا
discourse ... 73:5)' The word thaqil means 'heavy' and the phrase 'weighty
discourse' refers to the Qur'an, because the Qur'anic teachings of lawful
and unlawful are permanently binding and carrying them out is the
weightiest task for human nature, except those for whom Allah makes it
easier. According to oft-quoted Ahadith, whenever a revelation descended
upon the Holy Prophet
, he went into a trance and felt a peculiar
sensation, so that even on an extremely cold day drops of sweat fell from
his forehead, and he felt his body has become heavier. The Qur'anic
revelation being 'a weighty discourse', his paroxysm was due to this
sensation. If the Holy Prophet
¿ received revelation while he was on his
riding animal, it would begin to move the bottom of its neck intensely.
[Bukhari and others].
The verse under comment prescribes tahajjud prayer on man, so that
he may become accustomed to the difficulty of waking at night. This is a
struggle against excess sleep and comfort of the carnal self. This exercise
will make it easier to abide by the injunctions contained in the 'weighty
discourse', that is, the Holy Qur'an.
Jj assu 3! ("Truly, rising by night [for prayer of tahajjud] is the most
effective way to subdue (one's self) and to make speech more upright ....
73:6). The word nashi'ah, on the grammatical measure of 'afiyah, is an
infinitive noun which signifies 'to rise by night for prayer'. Sayyidah
'A'ishah Que un , said that nashi'at-ul-lail means 'to rise by night for
night-prayer after sleeping'. According to this definition, nashi'at-ul-lail
refers to tahajjud prayer. Furthermore, the word tahajjud itself, literally,
means 'to sleep at night and then wake up to perform the prayer'. Ibn
Kaisan رحمه الله تعالى has said that prayer at the later part of the night is
called nashi'at-ul-lail. Ibn Zaid yl All >, says that performing prayer
at any part of the night is nashi'at-ul-lail. Hasan al-Basri ws dl
says that any prayer after the 'Isha' prayer is nashi'at-ul-lail. Ibn Abi
Mulaikah رحمه الله تعالى says that he asked Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas and Ibn
Zubair & about the meaning of nashi'at-ul-lail, they replied as follows:
(The entire night is nashi'ah." - Mazhari) اليل كلّها ناشئة
There is no conflict in these interpretations. The point is that the
terms nashi'ah of the night and qiyam of the night are general, and may
refer to any hour of night. Thus the two terms apply equally to

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Sūrah Al-Muzzammil: 73 : 1 - 20
performing night-prayer in any part of the night, especially the one
performed after 'Isha' prayer as explained by Sayyidna Hasan al-Basri
Jw QUI .. However, the constant practice of the Holy Prophet , that of
the overwhelming majority of the Companions and their pupils, and that
of the righteous predecessors of the 'Ummah was that they performed this
prayer in the later part of the night after waking from sleep, and
therefore it is more virtuous, more meritorious and attracts more
blessings. Performing any nafl [voluntary] prayer after 'Isha' prayer
fulfills the sunnah requirement of nashi'ah of the night and qiyam of the
night.
is the most effective way to subdue (one's self) and to ... ) هِىَ أَشَدُّ وَطاً
make speech more upright ... 73:6). The word wat'an, with the letter waw
carrying fath [=a], is an infinitive which means 'to subdue' or 'to
suppress'. Given this meaning, the sense is that this time of night helps
one to suppress his evil desires and keep them under control. This
meaning is adopted by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi w Ull ), and the
translation of the text is based on this interpretation. In another qira'ah
(version), however, the word is pronounced 'wita'an'. It is an infinitive
that means 'to conform'. On another occasion in the Qur'an, we come
across the following verse wherein a verb derived from this root is
contained. The word in that verse is used in the same sense, thus:
لِيُوَاطِئُوا عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللهُ
' ... so that they may conform (only) to the number of what Allah
has sanctified - [9:37]'
Leading authorities on Tafsir, like Ibn Zaid and Ibn 'Abbas , have
interpreted the word in the same sense here. Ibn Zaid
e said that
getting up in the night for prayer is the most effective means of making
the heart, eye, ear and tongue to mutually correspond and conform. Ibn
'Abbas 4ee said that the phrase means that during this time there is the
closest degree of conformity and harmony between the ear and the heart.
This is because there is no noise at the time of night when most people are
asleep and one will not be disturbed as one is during the daytime. At
night time when the tongue recites the Qur'an, the ears will be conducive
to listening to the recitation with due concentration, and the heart will be
conducive to understanding and considering its meaning and message .
!
-----
:
:
!

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Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73 : 1 - 20
Su ger, (And to make speech more upright - 73:6) The word aqwam
means 'more upright'. The verse signifies that the recitation of the Qur'an
is more upright and concentrated, because during the night there are no
noises and commotion to distract the heart or the mind.
In sum, the purport of the verse is to put forward the wisdom
underlying the injunction of the 'night-prayer' for the common people.
The preceding verse put forward its wisdom for the Holy Prophet :
إِنَّا سَنُلُقِىٌ عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيُّلًا
'We are going to send down to you a weighty discourse.[73:5]'.
The 'weighty discourse' was concerned specifically with the Holy
Prophet
as it was revealed to him. But for common people,
Night-Prayer has two characteristics: [1] bringing harmony between the
heart and the tongue; and [2] peace of mind - making it easier to recite
the Qur'an.
Surely, in daytime, you have a lengthy work to) إِنَّ لَكَ فِى النَّهَارِ سَبُحًا طَوِيْلًا
do ... 73:7). The word sabhun, literally means, 'to flow, walk or move about'
from which we also get the sense 'of swimming in the water' because
when a swimmer swims in the water, he moves about in it freely without
any obstruction. Here the word signifies 'long chain of engagements in
the day' which refers to multifarious duties to be performed with alacrity,
such as educating the people, preaching to them, reforming humanity,
performing domestic chores, discharging social responsibilities and moving
about to many other tasks and obligations .
The current verse explicates the third point of wisdom as to why
night-prayer was enjoined. This relates both to the Holy Prophet 5 and
the general body of the Muslim community. During the day the Holy
Prophet og as well as other people have a long chain of engagements for
which they disperse and move about as explained in the foregoing
paragraph. As a result, it is difficult for them to concentrate on their
worshipping activity. The night should be reserved for this purpose. A
person should sleep according to his need and perform his night-prayer as
well.
A Special Note
Jurists have said that the verse under comment confirms that scholars

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Surah Al-Muzzammil: 73 : 1 - 20
and saintly guides, who are engaged in the service of education, training
and human reform, should render their services during the day. It is
better to reserve the night for Divine worship and devotional activities.
The practice of the righteous scholars and predecessors bear testimony to
this fact. If a temporary need arises to serve the cause of education and
propagation at night, it may be carried out to the degree of necessity, but
this would be an exception. The practice of many scholars and jurists
confirm this exception .
And remember the name of your Lord, and) وَاذْكُرِاسُمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلُ إِلَيْهِ تَبُِّيلًا
devote yourself to Him with exclusive devotion ... 73:8). The word tabattul,
literally, means 'to cut off oneself from entire creation to focus attention
solely on the Creator to detach oneself from worldly things and devote
oneself exclusively and sincerely to the service of Allah' The sentence:
And remember the name of your Lord ... 73:8) is) وَاذْكُرِاسُمَ رَبِّكَ
grammatically conjoined to the sentence: JJJJ (Stand at night [for
prayer] .... 73:2) which enjoins upon the Holy Prophet a to perform the
night-prayer, and incidentally his attention is drawn in the following
إِنَّ لَكَ فِى النَّهَارِ :verse to special devotional activities in the course of the day
Les y 'Surely, in daytime, you have a lengthy work to do. [73:7]' But
the verse 8 enjoins a devotional activity (remembering Allah) that can be
performed at any time of day or night. In fact, it can be performed at all
times and under all circumstances. Since it is inconceivable that the Holy
Prophet
would never remember Allah, the purport of enjoining Dhikr
(Remembrance of Allah) is to emphasise ' keeping to it consistently' in the
sense that there should be no laxity in it. [Mazhari]. This is possible only if
'remembering Allah' is taken in its widest possible sense to include
'Reciting His name with tongue', 'Remembrance by heart' and also
'keeping one's body engaged in complying with the commands of Allah'. A
narration of Sayyidah A'ishah Siddiqah رضى الله عنها reports the following:
کان یذ کر الله علی کلّ حین
"The Holy Prophet
used to remember Allah at all times."
This Hadith is correct in terms of the wider concept of 'rememberance
of Allah' just explained above. Obviously, the Holy Prophet
did not
make dhikr by his tongue when answering the call of nature as Ahadith
distinctly confirm this, but Dhikr by heart is possible at all times. There