بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ﴿۱﴾

﴾1﴿ Yaaa ayyuhal muddassir

﴾1﴿ O you wrapped up in your blanket

Surah Al Muddaththir

The One Enveloped

Relevancy: This Surah (Al-Muddaththir) is related to Surah Al-Muzzammil in several ways. One such way is that in the previous Surah (Al-Muzzammil), the command was to recite the Quran during the night for devotion, humility, and gaining knowledge of the Quran. In this Surah (Al-Muddaththir), the command is to proclaim and convey the Quran openly. Thus, it signifies learning at night and practicing or acting upon that knowledge during the day.
Claim of this surah: It encourages and commands the propagation of the Quran to manifest the greatness and majesty of Allah by proclaiming His Oneness (Tawhid). The basis for this call is found in verses 2 and 3 of Surah Al-Muddaththir, along with mentioning the etiquettes of invitation (Da'wah). Furthermore, for attaining knowledge of Allah, it mentions four of His names and attributes: Allah, Rabb (Lord), Ahl al-Taqwa (the One deserving of reverence and piety), and Ahl al-Maghfirah (the One deserving of forgiveness).
Summary of the surah: At first, the Surah encourages calling people (to Islam) and outlines its etiquettes through six commands and one prohibition up to verse 7. Then, it describes the warnings about the Hereafter, followed by a brief consolation and stern reprimand for deniers, mentioning six attributes and ten reactions they show upon hearing the Quran (up to verse 25). Next, the Surah describes further warnings by mentioning six characteristics of Hellfire (Saqar), up to verse 20, followed by addressing a doubt regarding the number (19 angels) and clarifying its purpose and wisdom in verse 31. Then, it presents proofs supporting the truth of the Quran and the gravity of Hellfire until verse 37. It further mentions the two groups (believers and disbelievers), providing good news and warnings along with causes of punishment up to verse 47, including denial of intercession as an additional warning in verse 48. Again, it reprimands the disbelievers by describing six of their conditions until verse 53. Lastly, it concludes by urging people toward the Quran until verse 56.

interpretation

[1] The authentic Hadith narrated by Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Sahihayn clearly indicates that Surah Al-Muddaththir was revealed after Surah Al-‘Alaq. Those narrations mentioning that this Surah was the first revelation refer to a relative firstness (أولیت اضافی). Meaning, after the initial revelation of Surah Al-‘Alaq, revelation paused for a significant period (known as Fatrah al-Wahy). Then, Surah Al-Muddaththir was revealed, marking the first revelation after this interval. Ibn Kathir similarly reports this statement from Imam Ahmad. Al-Bukhari narrates that when the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace) saw Jibril (peace be upon him) sitting on a throne suspended in the sky, he became overwhelmed with fear and trembling, returned to Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), and said: "Cover me up! Cover me up! And pour cold water over me." Another narration mentions, "Wrap me up (Zammiluni)," which has essentially the same meaning—perhaps narrated by meaning rather than exact wording. Thus, the address (يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ) refers gently to the Prophet by his current state of being wrapped up, comforting him by indicating: "O you who seek comfort wrapped in your blanket, now is not the time to rest. Rather, it is the time to rise and proclaim." This interpretation also resolves the apparent contradiction between covering oneself warmly and pouring cold water: He first poured cold water over himself to relieve anxiety, became cold, and then covered himself to regain warmth. In this context, revelation came: "O you wrapped up (in garments), arise!"