73- Surat Almuzzammil/Tafseer
20 Verses Meccan (revealed in Mecca)
A'auzu Bellahi mena alshaiytani alrajeem
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
Besmi Ellahi Alrhmani Alraheem
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Ya-ayyuha al-muzzammil (1).
O You who wraps Himself!.
Qumi al-laila illa qaleela (2).
Stand at night, except for a little.
Nisfahu awi enqus minhu qaleela (3).
Half of it, or Subtract from it a little.
Aww zid alayhi wa-ratteli Al-qurana tarteela (4).
Or add to it, and Recite the Quran with measured recitation.
Inna sa-nulqi alayka qawlan thaqeela (5).
Indeed, We will cast upon You a heavy word.
Inna nashe-ata al-laili hiya ashaddu wat-an wa aqwamu qeela (6).
Indeed, rising by night is more effective for concurrence, and more suitable for words.
Inna laka fee al-nahari sabhan taweela (7).
Indeed, for You by day is prolonged occupation.
Wa-zkuri esma Rabbika wa tabattal ilayhi tabteela (8).
And Remember the Name of Your Lord, and Devote Yourself to Him with exclusive devotion.
Rabbu almashriqi wa al-maghribi la ilaha illa huwa fa-ttakhizhu wakeela (9).
The Lord of the east and the west, there is no God but He, so Take Him as Guardian.
Wa-sbir ala ma yaquluna wa-hjurhum hajran jameela (10).
And Be patient over what they say, and Avoid them with gracious avoidance.
Wa zarni wal-mukazzibeena auli al-na'mati wa mahhilhum qaleela (11).
And Leave Me with the deniers, possessors of luxury, and Give them respite for a while.
Inna ladayna ankalan wa jaheema (12).
Indeed, with Us are shackles and burning Fire.
Wa ta-aman za ghussatin wa azaban aleema (13).
And food that chokes and a painful punishment.
Yawma tarjufu al-ardu wa al-jibalu wa kanati aljibalu kathiban maheela (14).
On the day when the earth and the mountains will quake, and the mountains will become a slipping heap of sand.
Inna arsalna ilaykum rasulan shahidan alaykum ka-ma arsalna ila Fir'awna rasula (15).
Indeed, We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness upon you just as We sent to Pharaoh a Messenger.
Fa-asa Fir'awnu al-rasula fa-akhaznahu akhzan wabeela (16).
But Pharaoh disobeyed the Messenger, so We seized him with a severe seizure.
Fa-kayfa tattaquna in kafartum yawman yaj-alu a-wildana sheeba (17).
Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a day that will make the children gray-headed.
Alsamau munfatirun behi kana wa'duhu maf-oula (18).
The sky will break apart therefrom, His promise has to be fulfilled.
Inna hazihi tazkiratun fa-man shaa ettakhaza ila Rabbihi sabeela (19).
Indeed, this is a reminder, so whomever wills may take to his Lord a way.
Inna Rabbaka ya'lamu annaka taqumu adna men thuluthayi al-laili wa nisfahu wa thuluthahu wa ta-efatun mena allazina ma-aka wa Allahu youqaddiru al-laila wa al-nahara alima an lan tuhsuhu fa-taba alaykum fa-qra'u ma tayassara mena al-qurani alima an sayakunu minkum marda wa akharuna yadribuna fee al-ardi yabtaghuna men fadli illahi wa akharuna youqatiluna fee sabeeli illahi fa-qra'u ma tayassara minhu wa aqeemu alsalata wa atu alzakata wa aqridu Allaha qardan hasanan wa ma tuqaddimu li-anfusikum men khayrin tajiduhu inda Allahi huwa khayran wa a'zama ajran wa-staghfiru Allaha inna Allaha Ghafurun Raheem (20).
Indeed, Your Lord knows that You stand for nearly two-thirds of the night and for half of it and for one third of it and a group of those who are with you, and Allah determines the night and the day. He knows that you will not be able to do it, and He has turned to you in forgiveness, so Recite as much of the Quran as is easy, He knows that there will be among you those who are ill, and others travelling throughout the land, seeking of the bounty of Allah, and others fighting in the way of Allah, so Recite as much of it as is easy, and Establish the prayer, and Give the Zakah, and Loan Allah a goodly loan, and whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah better and greater in reward, and Seek forgiveness of Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Simplified interpretation:
Surat Almuzzammil was initially a command from Allah to His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to pray at night, recite the Holy Quran, patiently endure the harm of the polytheists. Later Allah eased the burden on Muslims, making the night prayer a voluntary prayer, for He knows the circumstances of His servants, including the sick, those seeking sustenance, and those striving in His way. Surat Almuzzammil is similar to Surat Almuddaththir in that it contains a warning from Allah to the polytheists of a painful torment awaiting them, and that it also includes some scenes of the day of resurrection.
Allah Almighty says in the first four verses (1-4) "O You who wraps Himself!, Stand at night, except for a little, half of it, or Subtract from it a little, or add to it, and Recite the Quran with measured recitation", that is, Allah called out His Messenger (PBUH) by the state He was in, commanding Him to pray the night prayer (Qiyam), and this command was specific to Him alone, and it is similar to Aya (79) of Surat Alisraa {And from the night, Pray with it as additional for You, it is expected that Your Lord will resurrect You to a praised station}, and Allah gave His Messenger (PBUH) the choice between praying half of the night with an increase or a decrease, there is no blame in that, and He commanded Him to recite the Quran deliberation, so he should not recite the Quran quickly, but rather recite it slowly and ponder its meanings.
So the Prophet (PBUH) used to pray at night, as Urwa narrated from Aisha: "Once in the middle of the night, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) went out and prayed in the mosque and some men prayed with Him, the next morning, the people spoke about it, and so more people gathered and prayed with Him. They circulated the news in the morning, and so, on the third night, the number of people increased greatly, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) came out and they prayed behind Him. On the fourth night the mosque was overwhelmed by the people till it could not accommodate them, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) came out only for the morning prayer (Fajr), and when He finished the morning prayer, He faced the people and recited Tashahhud (I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), and then He said Amma ba'du: to proceed, indeed, your presence was not hidden from Me, but I was afraid that this prayer (Tahajjud) might be made compulsory, and you might not be able to carry it out" (Sahih Albukhari 924). So Allah's Messenger died and the situation remained like that (individual prayer).
Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (5-7) "Indeed, We will cast upon You a heavy word, indeed, rising by night is more effective for concurrence, and more suitable for words, indeed, for You by day is prolonged occupation", that is, Allah addresses His Messenger (PBUH) saying that He will cast upon Him a heavy word, which is the revelation, whether it pertains to the Holy Quran in general or to the night prayer, as commitment to both is of great importance, and Allah assures that rising for the prayer at night is more effective for concurrence of heart and tongue, and more suitable for correct recitation and for supplication, and as narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "The Messenger of Allah was asked as to which prayer was most excellent after the prescribed prayer, and which fast was most excellent after the month of Ramadan, He said the most excellent prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer during the night, and the most excellent fast after Ramadan is Allah's month Almuharram" (Sahih Muslim 1163). Then Allah informed His Messenger (PBUH) that He had ample time during the day to attend to His need, so He could devote Himself to worship at night.
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (8,9) "And Remember the Name of Your Lord, and Devote Yourself to Him with exclusive devotion, the Lord of the east and the west, there is no God but He, so Take Him as Guardian", that is, Allah commanded His Messenger (PBUH), after He had fulfilled His daily needs the needs to frequently remember Allah, and to devote Himself to worship Allah alone and this is similar to the last two verses of Surat Alsharh {So when You have finished, then Stand up, and to Your Lord Direct Your intention}, then Allah describes Himself as the Lord of the east and the the west, there is no God but He, and He commanded His Prophet (PBUH) to take Him Disposer of all of His affairs, and to rely upon Him alone, and these two commands of worshiping Allah, and relying upon Him alone are also mentioned in the last verse of Surat Hud Aya (123) {So Worship Him and Put Your trust upon Him}.
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (10) "And Be patient over what they say, and Avoid them with gracious avoidance", that is, Allah also commanded His Messenger (PBUH) to be patient with what the polytheists of Quraish said about Him and the Holy Quran, and to avoid them in a good way, and this command was clear in Surat Alkafirun when Allah commanded Him to say to them "For you is your religion, and for Me is My religion". It was said that this verse was abrogated later when Allah commanded the believers to fight the polytheists in more than one verse as in Surat Alanfal Aya (57), Surat Altawbah Aya (36), and Surat Alhajj Aya (39), and Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Ibn Umar "I have been ordered to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger, and offer the prayers perfectly, and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform that, then they save their lives and property from Me except for Islamic laws, and then their reckoning will be done by Allah" (Sahih Albukhari 25).
Allah Almighty says in the next four verses (11-14) "And Leave Me with the deniers, possessors of luxury, and Give them respite for a while, indeed, with Us are shackles and burning Fire, and food that chokes and a painful punishment, on the day when the earth and the mountains will quake, and the mountains will become a slipping heap of sand", that is, Allah threatens the polytheists saying to His Messenger (PBUH) Leave Me with the deniers whom I granted wealth, luxury, and pleasure in the worldly life, and Give them respite for a while until the painful torment comes to them, and Allah assures that He has prepared for them in the Hereafter shackles, burning fire, food that chokes as it gets stuck in the throat, so it does not go down to the stomach nor does it come out of the mouth, and Allah also has prepared a painful punishment for them. And this will happen on the day of resurrection when the earth and the mountains will quake, move and disturb. And the mountains will become a slipping heap of sand, as it will be blown up that day as mentioned in Surat Almursalaat.
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (15,16) "Indeed, We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness upon you just as We sent to Pharaoh a Messenger, but Pharaoh disobeyed the Messenger, so We seized him with a severe seizure", that is, Allah addresses the people of Quraish saying that He has sent His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) to them as a witness upon them just as He has sent the Prophet Moses, peace be upon Him, so Allah threatens whoever denies His Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) with the fate that pharaoh faced when he denied the Prophet Moses, as when Pharaoh denied the Prophet Moses, Allah seized him with a severe seizure, as Allah took Pharaoh with a deterrent torment for the worldly life and the Hereafter as mentioned in Aya (25) of Surat Alnazi'at.
Allah Almighty says in the next three verses (17-19) "Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a day that will make the children gray-headed, the sky will break apart therefrom, His promise has to be fulfilled, indeed, this is a reminder, so whomever wills may take to his Lord a way", that is, Allah addresses the deniers who deny Allah's Messenger (PBUH) and deny the day of resurrection saying how can you fear the day of resurrection that makes the children gray-headed, and the sky will split open from the intensity of its terror and its anguish?, and Allah assures that His promise will be fulfilled and that this day is inevitable. So whomever wishes may take a way to His Lord, and His mercy through obedience and faith.
Allah Almighty says in the last verse (20) "Indeed, Your Lord knows that You stand for nearly two-thirds of the night and for half of it and for one third of it and a group of those who are with you, and Allah determines the night and the day. He knows that you will not be able to do it, and He has turned to you in forgiveness, so Recite as much of the Quran as is easy, He knows that there will be among you those who are ill, and others travelling throughout the land, seeking of the bounty of Allah, and others fighting in the way of Allah, so Recite as much of it as is easy, and Establish the prayer, and Give the Zakah, and Loan Allah a goodly loan, and whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah better and greater in reward, and Seek forgiveness of Allah, indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful", that is, this verse abrogated what was mentioned at the beginning of this Surah about the obligation of the night prayer, as Allah says to His Messenger (PBUH) that He knows that He gets up to pray for less than two-thirds of the night, sometimes half of it, and sometimes a third of it, and also a group of those with Him as shown above in Ayat (1-4), and Allah determines the night and the day by hours and times. Allah knew that they would not be able to pray for long time at night, so He turned to them in mercy and forgiveness, making prayer easy for them and turning it into a voluntary prayer. And Allah commanded them to recite whatever was easy for them from the Holy Quran, for Allah knows that there will be among them the sick, travelers seeking Allah's bounty, and those fighting in the way of Allah. Allah commands the believers again to recite whatever was easy for them from the Holy Quran. Allah also commanded them to establish the obligatory prayer in its prescribed times, to give the Zakah (Obligatory Charity), and to lend to Allah a goodly loan, and the good loan that a servant lends his Lord has many aspects, including equipping the army and Mujahideen (The warriors) in the way of Allah and helping the needy, seeking only Allah's pleasure, and desiring His reward, which will be multiplied many times over as mentioned in Aya (245) of Surat Albaqarah {Who is the one who will loan Allah a goodly loan, so He will multiply it for him many times?}, then Allah assures that whatever you send forth for yourselves of good, you will find it with Allah better and greater in reward, and Allah commanded the believers to seek His forgiveness, and Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds.