74: The One Wrapping Himself Up (Al-Muddaththir)
Revealed at Makkah
This chapter is the second in the order of revelation. A period of about six months had elapsed since the first revelation (96:1–5), and this interruption in revelation weighed heavily on the Holy Prophet. When the angel of the Lord appeared to him again, the Holy Prophet sought to wrap himself up in clothes, hence the title of this chapter. He is told not to seek seclusion but to arise and warn a people sunk low in evil.
Section 1 (Verses 74:1–74:31): The Prophet Enjoined to Warn
Some take the word muddaththir metaphorically, the meaning being one clad in the garments of prophethood.
In the last chapter, the Prophet is commanded to engage himself in devotion so that he should attain to perfection; here he is commanded to convey the message and to warn, to make others perfect.
Purification of the garments does not relate only to the outward act of purification, but also to the purification of the heart, as is shown in the next verse, which contains a command to shun every kind of uncleanness.
The reference is in particular to the great favour which the Holy Prophet did to others by warning them and guiding them to the right way. But the words are general; even when conferring a worldly benefit on another, there should be no intention to receive any return for it.
74:16
کَلَّا ؕ اِنَّہٗ کَانَ لِاٰیٰتِنَا عَنِیۡدًا ﴿ؕ۱۶﴾
By no means! Surely he is hostile to Our messages.
74:24
فَقَالَ اِنۡ ہٰذَاۤ اِلَّا سِحۡرٌ یُّؤۡثَرُ ﴿ۙ۲۴﴾
then said: This is nothing but magic from of old,
This is called a parable in the next verse: what does Allah mean by this parable? All that the Quran says is that over it are nineteen. The commentators think that nineteen angels, or nineteen classes, or nineteen ranks may be meant. The particular number is considered to be due to the misuse of nineteen faculties which are enumerated by the commentators.
74:31
وَ مَا جَعَلۡنَاۤ اَصۡحٰبَ النَّارِ اِلَّا مَلٰٓئِکَۃً ۪ وَّ مَا جَعَلۡنَا عِدَّتَہُمۡ اِلَّا فِتۡنَۃً لِّلَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡا ۙ لِیَسۡتَیۡقِنَ الَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡکِتٰبَ وَ یَزۡدَادَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِیۡمَانًا وَّ لَا یَرۡتَابَ الَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡکِتٰبَ وَ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ۙ وَ لِیَقُوۡلَ الَّذِیۡنَ فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ مَّرَضٌ وَّ الۡکٰفِرُوۡنَ مَاذَاۤ اَرَادَ اللّٰہُ بِہٰذَا مَثَلًا ؕ کَذٰلِکَ یُضِلُّ اللّٰہُ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ وَ یَہۡدِیۡ مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ وَ مَا یَعۡلَمُ جُنُوۡدَ رَبِّکَ اِلَّا ہُوَ ؕ وَ مَا ہِیَ اِلَّا ذِکۡرٰی لِلۡبَشَرِ ﴿٪۳۱﴾
And We have made none but angels (to be) wardens of the Fire, and We have made their number only as a trial for those who disbelieve, that those who have been given the Book may be certain and those who believe may increase in faith, and those who have been given the Book and the believers may not doubt; and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers may say: What does Allah mean by this parable? Thus Allah leaves in error whom He pleases, and guides whom He pleases. And none knows the forces of your Lord but He. And this is nothing but a Reminder to mortals.
Section 2 (Verses 74:32–74:56): The Warning
74:37
لِمَنۡ شَآءَ مِنۡکُمۡ اَنۡ یَّتَقَدَّمَ اَوۡ یَتَاَخَّرَ ﴿ؕ۳۷﴾
to him among you who will go forward or will remain behind.
The light of Truth would shine forth, we are told in these verses (32–40), but not without a grave misfortune to those who refuse to go forward, and this is a warning. Those who go forward, on the other hand, will not be affected by that, the gravest of misfortunes, for the people of the right hand will be in Gardens, every soul being pledged for what it earns. The prophetical strain adopted here regarding the doom of the opponents is continued to the end of the chapter.
74:43
قَالُوۡا لَمۡ نَکُ مِنَ الۡمُصَلِّیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۳﴾
They will say: We were not from among those who prayed,
Note the reply to v. 42 — What has brought you into hell? It is neglect of two chief duties: we did not pray and we did not feed the poor. These are thus the two pillars of faith, service of God and service of humanity.
74:48
فَمَا تَنۡفَعُہُمۡ شَفَاعَۃُ الشّٰفِعِیۡنَ ﴿ؕ۴۸﴾
So the intercession of intercessors will not avail them.
74:49
فَمَا لَہُمۡ عَنِ التَّذۡکِرَۃِ مُعۡرِضِیۡنَ ﴿ۙ۴۹﴾
What is then the matter with them, that they turn away from the Reminder,
74:52
بَلۡ یُرِیۡدُ کُلُّ امۡرِیًٔ مِّنۡہُمۡ اَنۡ یُّؤۡتٰی صُحُفًا مُّنَشَّرَۃً ﴿ۙ۵۲﴾
No, everyone of them desires that he should be given pages spread out —
Everyone of them would have a revelation granted to him direct from heaven. This they said repeatedly: Why does not Allah speak to us? (2:118).
74:53
کَلَّا ؕ بَلۡ لَّا یَخَافُوۡنَ الۡاٰخِرَۃَ ﴿ؕ۵۳﴾
By no means! But they do not fear the Hereafter.
74:56
وَ مَا یَذۡکُرُوۡنَ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ یَّشَآءَ اللّٰہُ ؕ ہُوَ اَہۡلُ التَّقۡوٰی وَ اَہۡلُ الۡمَغۡفِرَۃِ ﴿٪۵۶﴾
And they will not be mindful unless Allah please. He is Worthy that duty should be kept to Him and Worthy to forgive.
In the Quran God does not compel people to adopt one way or another. He points out the right course from the wrong and leaves it to the choice of the individual: So whoever wishes may be mindful of it (v. 55); We have truly shown him the way; he may be thankful or unthankful (76:3). Similar verses abound in the Quran. The statement, and they will not be mindful unless Allah please, means that Allah is pleased to guide those in the right way and to make those mindful who open their hearts to receive it. Note how clearly the verses preceding it depict the condition of those who do not even listen to the Reminder: What is then the matter with them, that they turn away from the Reminder, as if they were frightened donkeys, fleeing from a lion? (verses 49–51). See also 76:30.