َ قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ ﴿۲﴾ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ ﴿۳﴾ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ ﴿۴﴾ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ ﴿۵﴾ وَلَا تَمْنُنْ تَسْتَكْثِرُ ﴿۶﴾

﴾2﴿ Qum fa anzir
﴾3﴿ Wa rabbaka fakabbir
﴾4﴿ Wa siyaabaka fatahhir
﴾5﴿ Warrujza fahjur
﴾6﴿ Wa laa tamnun tastaksir

﴾2﴿ Arise, then warn
﴾3﴿ And proclaim the greatness of your Lord alone
﴾4﴿ And keep your garments pure
﴾5﴿ And keep away from all impurity
﴾6﴿ And do not do a favor thinking that the work is too much

[2] (Qum) – The command means: wake up from sleep, rise from comfort, prepare yourself, and begin the mission. It does not simply mean to stand physically.
(Fa-andhir) – This is the purpose of rising: to deliver warning. Indhār means warning with clarity and seriousness—announce the truth of tawḥīd in such a way that those who reject it understand that a great punishment awaits.
[3] This verse explains the core of the warning (indhār), which is tawḥīd, by declaring the majesty and transcendence of Allah the Exalted.
According to Qurtubī, the meaning here is: declare that Allah is pure and free from any form of shirk (association), tashbīh (resemblance), or claims of having a child or consort.
It also implies: do not take any other being as a protector, do not set up another as a deity, do not attribute to anyone else ultimate choice or will, and do not accept blessings as if they come from anyone other than Allah.
[4] This verse mentions an etiquette of da‘wah (calling to Allah), and scholars have offered multiple interpretations: First meaning: Keep your clothing clean from physical impurities (najāsāt). Since the one calling to Allah must also perform prayer, and prayer requires clean clothing, purity is necessary—not only during prayer but also in general for a believer.
Second meaning: Purify your actions from shirk, showing off (riyā’), and seeking praise (sum‘ah).
Another interpretation: Purify your responsibility (dhimmah)—meaning, fulfill your obligation by conveying the message and unburden your neck through sincere da‘wah.
Third meaning: Cleanse your soul from evil traits such as arrogance, envy, greed, etc.
Fourth: Cleanse your heart from attachment to anything other than Allah.
Fifth meaning: Keep your clothing and appearance free from anything un-Islamic—do not wear clothing made from ḥarām (unlawful) wealth, do not wear silk (for men), and avoid dragging your clothes below the ankles (whether it’s a lower garment, trousers, or shirt)—all of which are clearly prohibited in authentic ḥadīths.
Sixth: Purify your religion from all forms of shirk, innovation (bid‘ah), and deviation.
In summary, this word (thiyābak) can carry all these meanings, and there is no contradiction between them—it comprehensively includes them all.
[5] This verse contains another etiquette for the dā‘ī (caller to Allah): (Al-rujz) – This word has multiple interpretations:
1. It is interpreted as idols, meaning the command is to avoid worshipping them.
2. It can also mean shirk (associating partners with Allah).
3. It may refer to sins in general.
4. Some scholars say it means punishment, with the implied wording being asbāb al-‘adhāb (the causes of punishment)—so the verse means: “Keep away from whatever leads to Allah’s punishment.”
5. Another interpretation is that it refers to the people of rujz (i.e., disbelievers or sinners), as in Sūrah al-Muzzammil (73:10), where the Prophet is commanded to detach himself from them. This is referred to as barā’ah (disavowal).
Therefore, this verse points to the necessity of al-walā’ wa al-barā’ in faith—loyalty and association for Allah’s sake, and disassociation from all forms of disbelief and disobedience.
It also emphasizes that a true dā‘ī must stay away from bad companionship, sinful gatherings, and environments that lead to disobedience.
[6] This verse presents another etiquette for the dā‘ī (caller to Allah). Qurtubī mentions eleven interpretations of this phrase. Some of the key meanings are: 1. Do not consider yourself as having done a favor to Allah by engaging in da‘wah, nor think you’ve done more than enough—a caller should not feel proud or entitled before Allah.
2. Do not use your efforts in da‘wah as a means of seeking wealth or honor from people—don’t turn the mission into a source of worldly gain.
3. Do not give anything to others (material or spiritual) with the intention of expecting something greater in return.
4. Do not weaken or stop your work in da‘wah by counting your past efforts and thinking you've already done a lot.
5. Do not do the work of da‘wah out of a mindset of self-glorification, thinking you are great because of how much you’ve done.
The sīn in tastakthir is interpreted as either expressing request or perception of abundance—depending on context.
Altogether, the verse teaches that the caller to Allah must act with sincerity, free from self-interest, pride, or expectation of reward—neither from Allah out of entitlement, nor from people out of desire.