B i s m i l l a a h i r R a h m a a n i r R a h e e m
Teachings of the Qur’aan Al-Muzammil Soorah 73:1-14 Ayub A. Hamid Name and Background The symbolic name for this Soorah has been taken from its first verse where the Prophet ŝall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has been addressed as Al-Muzammil. Al-Muzammil means a person who has wrapped himself in his mantle – a cloth sheet that Arabs used to keep with them. This mantle or sheet was considered an important accessory that was hung on one’s shoulder and used for multiple purposes as needed. It could be used as a cloak, as a blanket or other purposes. ‘Uqbah ibn Abee M‘uait once used it to strangulate the Prophet while he was praying in the Holy Ka‘bah and Aboo Bakr radhiallaahu ‘anhu interfered to save him. As per the tradition of the society, the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also used to keep such a sheet with him. It was this sheet that he used to place the Black Stone while resolving the dispute over its installation. When he wanted to welcome and honour someone, it was this sheet that he would spread for him or her to sit upon. It is human psychology that when a person is very sad, extremely worried, distressed, or in a deeply-reflective mood, he usually tends to keep wrapping himself in his mantle, cloak or blanket[1], while continually introspecting or thinking and reflecting upon the situation at hand. The Prophet, who used to be very much respected in the society before starting the Islamic mission, and who was so sincerely and so selflessly inviting people to Islam for their own benefit and salvation, was now being mistreated, rejected and taunted. Naturally, he felt very sad about this situation, and resorted to wrapping himself while contemplating his circumstances and reflecting upon the ignorant reaction of his people. Addressing the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam lovingly as Al-Muzzamil is to demonstrate understanding and appreciation of his mental state during that time. Timing The first section of this Soorah was revealed at a time when the opposition to the mission of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam by the chiefs of Makkah had grown so aggressive[2] and negative that the Prophet was feeling sad and distressed about it. This section also commands the Prophet to stay up reciting the Qur-aan for about a half of the night at a slow chanting pace. This indicates that enough of the Qur-aan had already been revealed to allow that long of a recitation. The main message of this section was to teach the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam how to cope with the situation he was facing. The Makkan chiefs have also been warned of the consequences of their behaviour through the example of Moosa (Moses) ‘alayhissalaam and Fir‘own (Pharaoh) In following the footsteps of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, many Muslims had also adopted this practise of getting up past the first half of the night and standing up for worship, reciting the Qur-aan. The second section was revealed in Madeenah[3] to give the believers leave from staying up that long at night to enable them to fulfill other Islamic obligations. Teachings and Commentary In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. As mentioned in the introductory section, the Soorah starts with instructions to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam on the best way to cope with the adverse circumstances. 1 O you who wraps himself in a mantle! 2 Stand up worshipping all night except a little, 3 last half of it, or a little less, 4 or a little more; and recite the Qur-aan with slow, measured chant. The first instruction is that the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam should get up at about the middle of the night and stand up for the worship of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, chanting the Qur-aan slowly and reflectively. The target is to do so more or less for the later half of the night. This is what will build his close relationship with Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, provide him the comfort and support that he needs and grant him inner strength, power and ability to withstand all sorts of adversities and challenges that he is and will be facing in his mission. Pursuant to this instruction, the Prophet used to offer this special worship at night for the rest of his life. Because it is performed by breaking one’s sleep, it is called Tahajjud. Although it was obligatory only for the Prophet, it is highly recommended for all Islamic workers. Also, pursuant to this instruction, the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to chant the Qur-aan slowly, enunciating every word clearly and stopping at the end of every verse, while reflecting on its message. Because of the profound levels of reflection, he would repeat some verses multiple times, glorify Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala at the mention of His greatness and glory, pray when occasion arose for supplicating, seek refuge of Allaah when reciting a verse mentioning Allaah’s anger or punishment, and express his gratitude and pleasure while reciting the verses mentioning the mercy and bounties of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. Similarly, he would instantly fall into prostration (Sajdah), if prostration to Allaah was mentioned in a verse. Thus, we learn that the proper way of the recitation of the Qur-aan is to stand up in worship in order to hear or recite the words of the Master, reflecting attentively on the text, reacting to the message instantly and acting upon it as required immediately. Unfortunately, Muslims have lost the prophetic style of recitation. It has become a mechanical ritual. Usually, they sit down, recite it like parrots, without any reflection, emotional involvement or action on its commands. Even when it is done in the standing position as part of the worship in Ramadhaan, the emphasis is merely on ritual completion. The next two verses explain the objective of this special worship through the recitation of the Qur-aan at night. 5 Surely soon shall We charge you with a word of weight. 6 Truly the getting up for the latter part of the night is most effective for concentration and most suitable for assimilating the words. The objective is to prepare the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam for the tremendously difficult work of the mission that lies ahead. And the best time for this objective is at night. Not only does it train the person for hardships by sacrificing his best opportunity to sleep but it also affords reflective, meditative and devotional benefits. But this night-time worship is not enough – the communication with and remembrance of Allaah has to continue during the day as well. 7 You also have opportunity to glorify[4] him all day long. 8 So remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him utterly and exclusively -- 9 the Lord of the East and the West, there is not deity except Him, therefore, take Him as your Defender. This is the second instruction for strengthening the relationship with Allaah and gaining inner strength. The Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam should remember Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala all day long, in every step of his day-to-day life. He should not keep any hope or expectation of support or help from anyone except Allaah to Whom he should be exclusively devoted. This attitude of total hope in and complete dependence on Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, exclusive of everyone else in this world, gave the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam such courageous independence that nothing and no one could ever come into the way of his mission or impact his level of all out efforts. Pursuant to the command of remembrance throughout the day, he would consciously glorify Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala and call upon for His mercy and bounty at every step in his life. His words are well documented about how he used to do so while going to bed, while getting up from the bed, while going to the washroom or coming out of it, while eating or drinking, while finishing eating or drinking, while going out of the house, while entering the house, while stepping into the Masjid, while exiting the Masjid, while riding an animal, while looking into the mirror, while setting on a journey, while entering the city, and so on and so forth. He never made any move without remembering Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, glorifying Him or seeking His mercy. 10 And be patient over what they say and steer clear of them in a gracious manner. 11 And let Me deal with the deniers – the well-to-do – and allow them a little respite. 12 Verily, with Us are heavy fetters and a flaming fire, 13 and food that chokes and a painful punishment; 14 on the day when the earth and the mountains shall quake violently, and the mountains shall become like heaps of loose sand. This is the third instruction for the Prophet to follow to deal with the adverse circumstances. He should continue to do his work in a positive manner without worrying about, responding to or caring for his opponents. He should leave their matter with Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala. His job is to continue giving his message in the best manner. Taking care of the adversaries is Allaah’s responsibility. He may not take care of them immediately, for which he should allow them some respite. Even if they are not punished in the world, a dreadful punishment is waiting for them in the Hereafter. It should be noted that the Prophet’s adversaries at that time were the rich and famous chiefs of Makkah who perceived his mission as a threat to their power, wealth and influence. Their life of comfort and delicious food will be replaced with painful punishment and the food that will be difficult to swallow. It should be remembered that the fetters will not be there to keep them from running away because they will not be able to run away anywhere – the heavy fetters will be actually used to keep them burdened to add to their punishment and misery. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] The mental state similar to that of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam at the time of the revelation of these verses is also experienced by those who sincerely and dedicatedly work for Allaah’s Deen when they initially encounter unwarranted but strong opposition and criticism from the community in response to their sincere and best efforts. An earlier example of this occurred when the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was visited by Jibreel for the first time with the first revelation, the Prophet came home worried and trembling and asked his wife to cover him with a blanket. [2] This is indicated by verses 10-15. [3] There are different opinions about the timing of the revelation of this section; however, the mention of qitaal (fighting) and Zakaah indicate that it was revealed in Madeenah about 10 years after the first section, as Sa‘eed ibn Jubair has claimed. [4] This translation is according to Amin Ahsan Islahi, who is of the opinion that “sabhan” cannot be taken to mean “being busy or occupied”. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2009 Ayub A. Hamid All rights reserved This document may be used, only with this copyright notice included. Permission is granted to circulate among private individuals and groups, to post on internet forums, and include in not-for-profit publications subject to the following conditions: (1) Material used must be produced faithfully in full, without alteration or omission; (2) The author’s subject title must remain unchanged, in whole or in part; (3) Material must be attributed to the author Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid. Contact the author for all other rights, which are reserved. Note: This series is providing the teachings of the Qur‘aan, not a literal translation. Instead of literal translation, it gives interpretive meanings of the verses, along with their contextual details. Please remember that any translation of the Holy Qur‘aan is in fact only an expression of the translator’s understanding of the Word of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta‘aala, and hence cannot be equated with the Qur‘aan itself. Only the original Arabic text can be called the Holy Qur‘aan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid is a visionary and strategic Islamic thinker residing in Canada for the last 34 years. His recently published books are: 1. Islam - Does It Make Sense? 2. Unveiling the Commands—The Truth about Hijaab, Khimaar and Jilbaab. 3. Finding A Soulmate - A Guide for Parents and Youth. 4. A Book Unlike Any Other. 5. Islam - Adopting Its Paradigms. 6. Exploring the Islamic Beliefs. http://soundvisioncanada.com/shop/pbrowse.asp?Pg=3&Cat=10004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following soowar ‘Teachings of the Qur‘aan’ series by Ustaadz Ayub A. Hamid, are available on request:- Al Faatihah Al Baqarah Aali ‘Imraan A Nisaa‘ Al Maaidah Al An’aam Al A’raaf Al Anfaal At Teen Al`Alaq Al Qadr Al Bayyinah Al Zilzaal Al Aadiyatt Al Qaari`ah At Takaathur Al`Asr Al Humazah Al Feel Al Quraish Al Maa`oon Al-Kowthar Al Kaafiroon Al Nasr Al Lahab Al Ikhlaas Al Falaq An Naas Al Mulk Al Qalam Al Haaqqah Al Ma`aarij Nooh Al Jinn K a r i m a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
