73: The One Covering Himself Up (Al-Muzzammil)
Revealed at Makkah
This chapter receives its title from the Holy Prophet’s description in the first verse as one who had covered himself up, which signifies one who has prepared himself for prayer. The previous chapter promises protection to the Holy Prophet and here he is told to seek that protection through prayer. The chapter begins by telling the Holy Prophet to pass the night in prayer, and it ends with a general command to all believers always to be mindful of prayer. In between, the Holy Prophet is told to bear patiently the ill-treatment by his enemies, who would soon receive their punishment as did Pharaoh when he wanted to destroy Moses. The revelation of this chapter belongs to the early period at Makkah. The reference to fighting in v. 20 does not make that verse a later revelation, as that reference is prophetical.
Section 1 (Verses 73:1–73:19): The Prophet Enjoined to Pray
The ordinary explanation is that, on receiving the Call, his first revelation, the Holy Prophet came back home trembling and said to his wife: Cover me, cover me. But various other explanations are given and some take it as an allusion to his preparation for prayers. The Prophet’s own words, as recorded in Bukhari (1:1), make it clear that the reference here is to his covering himself up on receiving the first revelation. He is in fact told that he should not fear or tremble on account of the tremendous responsibility placed on him of reforming humanity, but should seek the help of God, through prayer to Him, the most effective prayer being prayer in the night, when the world is asleep.
73:4
اَوۡ زِدۡ عَلَیۡہِ وَ رَتِّلِ الۡقُرۡاٰنَ تَرۡتِیۡلًا ؕ﴿۴﴾
or add to it, and recite the Quran (distinctly) at a leisurely pace.
73:5
اِنَّا سَنُلۡقِیۡ عَلَیۡکَ قَوۡلًا ثَقِیۡلًا ﴿۵﴾
Surely We shall charge you with a weighty word.
Being burdened with the guidance of the whole world was indeed a weighty word, the weightiest word with which any human being has been charged in the whole history of humanity.
73:6
اِنَّ نَاشِئَۃَ الَّیۡلِ ہِیَ اَشَدُّ وَطۡاً وَّ اَقۡوَمُ قِیۡلًا ؕ﴿۶﴾
The rising (to pray) by night is surely the firmest way to tread and most effective in speech.
The praying at night is here described as being, firstly, the firmest way to tread — to tread the way of life, to tread upon all evil inclinations — and, secondly, the most effective in speech — what one says to other people becomes most effective. The speaker, the inviter to Truth, has his heart strengthened with force Divine through his lengthened devotions in the still of the night, and his word therefore carries the Divine force with it and enters the hearts of those who listen to him. Thus was the Prophet fortified doubly, in his deeds as well as in his words, to carry his message to other people, and thus should his true followers try to get strength from the same Divine source in the dead of night. The Divine light in its full brilliance then illumines the heart of man which reflects that light and illumines the world.
73:8
وَ اذۡکُرِ اسۡمَ رَبِّکَ وَ تَبَتَّلۡ اِلَیۡہِ تَبۡتِیۡلًا ؕ﴿۸﴾
And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with (complete) devotion.
73:9
رَبُّ الۡمَشۡرِقِ وَ الۡمَغۡرِبِ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا ہُوَ فَاتَّخِذۡہُ وَکِیۡلًا ﴿۹﴾
The Lord of the East and the West — there is no god but He — so take Him for Protector.
73:10
وَ اصۡبِرۡ عَلٰی مَا یَقُوۡلُوۡنَ وَ اہۡجُرۡہُمۡ ہَجۡرًا جَمِیۡلًا ﴿۱۰﴾
And bear patiently what they say and turn away from them with a dignified withdrawal.
73:11
وَ ذَرۡنِیۡ وَ الۡمُکَذِّبِیۡنَ اُولِی النَّعۡمَۃِ وَ مَہِّلۡہُمۡ قَلِیۡلًا ﴿۱۱﴾
And leave Me and the deniers, possessors of plenty, and give them respite for a little while.
73:12
اِنَّ لَدَیۡنَاۤ اَنۡکَالًا وَّ جَحِیۡمًا ﴿ۙ۱۲﴾
Surely with Us are heavy fetters and a flaming Fire,
73:13
وَّ طَعَامًا ذَا غُصَّۃٍ وَّ عَذَابًا اَلِیۡمًا ﴿٭۱۳﴾
and food that chokes and a painful punishment.
73:14
یَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ الۡاَرۡضُ وَ الۡجِبَالُ وَ کَانَتِ الۡجِبَالُ کَثِیۡبًا مَّہِیۡلًا ﴿۱۴﴾
On the day when the earth and the mountains quake and the mountains become (as) heaps of sand let loose.
Verses 12–14 speak of the wretched condition in which the present possessors of ease and plenty would find themselves, and how the great obstacles to the spread of truth would be removed before the advance of Truth; see 20:105.
73:15
اِنَّاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡکُمۡ رَسُوۡلًا ۬ۙ شَاہِدًا عَلَیۡکُمۡ کَمَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَاۤ اِلٰی فِرۡعَوۡنَ رَسُوۡلًا ﴿ؕ۱۵﴾
Surely We have sent to you a Messenger, a witness against you, as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh.
The Holy Prophet’s likeness to Moses is stated in the clearest terms in this, one of the earliest revelations, and thus the Holy Prophet’s claim to be the promised prophet of Deuteronomy 18:18, who is expressly stated to be the “like” of Moses, is as old as his revelation.
73:16
فَعَصٰی فِرۡعَوۡنُ الرَّسُوۡلَ فَاَخَذۡنٰہُ اَخۡذًا وَّبِیۡلًا ﴿۱۶﴾
But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We seized him with a violent grip.
73:17
فَکَیۡفَ تَتَّقُوۡنَ اِنۡ کَفَرۡتُمۡ یَوۡمًا یَّجۡعَلُ الۡوِلۡدَانَ شِیۡبَۨا ﴿٭ۖ۱۷﴾
How, then, if you disbelieve, will you guard yourselves on the day which will make children grey-headed,
73:18
السَّمَآءُ مُنۡفَطِرٌۢ بِہٖ ؕ کَانَ وَعۡدُہٗ مَفۡعُوۡلًا ﴿۱۸﴾
the heaven being torn apart thereby? His promise is ever fulfilled.
The description in verses 17–18 is applicable to both the day of Resurrection and the doom of the opponents in this life. Such phrases as the rolling up of heaven (21:104), the heaven being torn apart (as here and in 82:1), the removing of the covering of heaven (81:11), and other similar phrases, all really speak of the sweeping away of the old order of things to give place to a new, attended by the necessary terrors and disasters, and hence the description applies to the doom of a nation in this world as well as to the entirely new order of things which will be ushered in with the Resurrection.
73:19
اِنَّ ہٰذِہٖ تَذۡکِرَۃٌ ۚ فَمَنۡ شَآءَ اتَّخَذَ اِلٰی رَبِّہٖ سَبِیۡلًا ﴿٪۱۹﴾
Surely this is a Reminder; so whoever wishes may take a way to his Lord.
Section 2 (Verse 73:20): Prayer Enjoined on Muslims
73:20
اِنَّ رَبَّکَ یَعۡلَمُ اَنَّکَ تَقُوۡمُ اَدۡنٰی مِنۡ ثُلُثَیِ الَّیۡلِ وَ نِصۡفَہٗ وَ ثُلُثَہٗ وَ طَآئِفَۃٌ مِّنَ الَّذِیۡنَ مَعَکَ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یُقَدِّرُ الَّیۡلَ وَ النَّہَارَ ؕ عَلِمَ اَنۡ لَّنۡ تُحۡصُوۡہُ فَتَابَ عَلَیۡکُمۡ فَاقۡرَءُوۡا مَا تَیَسَّرَ مِنَ الۡقُرۡاٰنِ ؕ عَلِمَ اَنۡ سَیَکُوۡنُ مِنۡکُمۡ مَّرۡضٰی ۙ وَ اٰخَرُوۡنَ یَضۡرِبُوۡنَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ یَبۡتَغُوۡنَ مِنۡ فَضۡلِ اللّٰہِ ۙ وَ اٰخَرُوۡنَ یُقَاتِلُوۡنَ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ۫ۖ فَاقۡرَءُوۡا مَا تَیَسَّرَ مِنۡہُ ۙ وَ اَقِیۡمُوا الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ اٰتُوا الزَّکٰوۃَ وَ اَقۡرِضُوا اللّٰہَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنًا ؕ وَ مَا تُقَدِّمُوۡا لِاَنۡفُسِکُمۡ مِّنۡ خَیۡرٍ تَجِدُوۡہُ عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ ہُوَ خَیۡرًا وَّ اَعۡظَمَ اَجۡرًا ؕ وَ اسۡتَغۡفِرُوا اللّٰہَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿٪۲۰﴾
Your Lord knows indeed that you pass in prayer nearly two-thirds of the night, and (sometimes) half of it, and (sometimes) a third of it, as do a group of those with you. And Allah measures the night and the day. He knows that (all of) you are not able to do it, so He has turned to you (mercifully); so read of the Quran whatever is easy for you. He knows that there are sick among you, and others who travel in the land seeking of Allah’s bounty, and others who fight in Allah’s way. So read as much of it as is easy (for you), and keep up prayer and give the due charity and offer to Allah a goodly gift. And whatever of good you send on beforehand for yourselves, you will find it with Allah — that is best and greatest in reward. And ask forgiveness of Allah. Surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
The Holy Prophet and those with him passed sometimes two-thirds, sometimes a half, and sometimes a third of the night in prayer. All Muslims could not follow their example, and hence they are told that they might pray by night so long as it was easy to them and not a burden. By the reading of the Quran is here meant its recital in the night-prayer called tahajjud.