Surah 73. Al-Muzzammil

O THOU enwrapped one!¹

  - Mohammad Asad

The expression muzzammil has a meaning similar to that of muddaththir, which occurs at the beginning of the next surah: namely, "one who is covered [with anything]", "enwrapped" or "enfolded [in anything]"; and, like that other expression, it may be understood in a concrete, literal sense - i.e., "wrapped up in a cloak" or "blanket" - as well as metaphorically, i.e., "wrapped up in sleep" or even "wrapped up in oneself". Hence, the commentators differ widely in their interpretations of the above apostrophe, some of them preferring the literal connotation, others the metaphorical; but there is no doubt that irrespective of the linguistic sense in which the address "O thou enwrapped one" is understood, it implies a call to heightened consciousness and deeper spiritual awareness on the part of the Prophet.

O Muzzammil (folded in garments - one of the nick names of the Prophet Muhammad)!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

O thou wrapped up in thy raiment!

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Keep awake [in prayer] at night, all but a small part

  - Mohammad Asad

Stand in prayers at night, but not the whole night,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Keep vigil the night long, save a little--

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

of one-half thereof² - or make it a little less than that,

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus Zamakhshari, relating the phrase illa qalilan ("all but a small part" to the subsequent word nisfahu ("one-half thereof", i.e., of the night).

half of it or a little less,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

A half thereof, or abate a little thereof

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

or add to it [at will]; and [during that time] recite the Qur'an calmly and distinctly, with thy mind attuned to its meaning.³

  - Mohammad Asad

This, I believe, is the closest possible rendering of the phrase rattil al-qur'ana tartilan. The term tarts primarily denotes "the putting [of something] together distinctly, in a well-arranged manner, and without any haste" (Jawhari, Baydawi; also Lisan al-'Arab, Qamus). When applied to the recitation of a text, it signifies a calm, measured utterance with thoughtful consideration of the meaning to be brought out. A somewhat different significance attaches to a variant of this phrase in 25:32 , applying to the manner in which the Qur'an was revealed.

or a little more; and recite the Qur'an with measured tone.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Or add (a little) thereto and chant the Qur'an in measure,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Behold, We shall bestow upon thee a weighty message -

  - Mohammad Asad

Soon We are going to send you a weighty message.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

For We shall charge thee with a word of weight.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[and,] verily, the hours of night impress the mind most strongly and speak with the clearest voice,⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "are strongest of tread and most upright of speech".

Surely the getting up at night for prayer is most effective for controlling the self and most suitable for reciting the Qur'an as well;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! the vigil of the night is (a time) when impression is more keen and speech more certain.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

whereas by day a long chain of doings is thy portion.

  - Mohammad Asad

because, during the day you are hard pressed with worldly affairs.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! thou hast by day a chain of business.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But [whether by night or by day,] remember thy Sustainer's name, and devote thyself unto Him with utter devotion.

  - Mohammad Asad

Remember the name of your Rabb and devote yourself to Him exclusively.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So remember the name of thy Lord and devote thyself with a complete devotion--

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The Sustainer of the east and the west [is He]: there is no deity save Him: hence, ascribe to Him alone the power to determine thy fate,⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

For this rendering of the term wakil, see surah {17}, note [4].

He is the Rabb of the east and the west: there is no god but Him, therefore, take Him as your Protector.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lord of the East and the West; there is no God save Him; so choose thou Him alone for thy defender--

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and endure with patience whatever people may say [against thee], and avoid them with a comely avoidance.

  - Mohammad Asad

Bear patiently with what they say and leave their company in a polite manner.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And bear with patience what they utter, and part from them with a fair leave-taking.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And leave Me alone [to deal] with those who give the lie to the truth⁶ - those who enjoy the blessings of life [without any thought of God] - and bear thou with them for a little while:

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. 74:11 and the last sentence of the corresponding note [5].

Let me deal with rejecters who are enjoying the comforts of this life, so put up with them for a while.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Leave Me to deal with the deniers, lords of ease and comfort (in this life); and do thou respite them awhile.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

for, behold, heavy fetters [await them] with Us, and a blazing fire,

  - Mohammad Asad

We have in store for them heavy fetters and a blazing fire,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! with Us are heavy fetters and a raging fire,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and food that chokes, and grievous sufferings⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Explaining this symbolism of torment in the hereafter, Razi says: "These four conditions may well be understood as denoting the spiritual consequences [of one's doings in life]. As regards the 'heavy fetters', they are a symbol of the soul's remaining shackled to its [erstwhile] physical attachments and bodily pleasures...: and now that their realization has become impossible, those fetters and shackles prevent the [resurrected] human personality (an-nafs) from attaining to the realm of the spirit and of purity. Subsequently, those spiritual shackles generate spiritual 'fires', inasmuch as one's strong inclination towards bodily concerns, together with the impossibility of attaining to them, give rise, spiritually, to [a sensation of] severe burning...: and this is [the meaning of] 'the blazing fire' (al-jahim). Thereupon [the sinner] tries to swallow the choking agony of deprivation and the pain of separation [from the objects of his desire]: and this is the meaning of the words, 'and food that chokes'. And finally, because of these circumstances, he remains deprived of all illumination by the light of God, and of all communion with the blessed ones: and this is the meaning of the words 'and grievous suffering'....But [withal,] know that I do not claim to have exhausted the meaning of these [Qur'an-] verses by what I have stated [above]...."

choking food and a painful punishment.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And food which choketh (the partaker), and a painful doom

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

on the Day when the earth and the mountains will be convulsed, and the mountains will [crumble and] become like a sand-dune on the move!⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

See the first part of 14:48 , and the corresponding note [63], as well as note [90] on {20:105-107}.

On the day when the earth with all it's mountains will be in a violent commotion, and the mountains will crumble into heaps of shifting sand.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

On the day when the earth and the hills rock, and the hills become a heap of running sand.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

BEHOLD, [O men,] We have sent unto you an apostle who shall bear witness to the truth before you, even as We sent an apostle unto Pharaoh:⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

This is probably the oldest Qur'anic reference to the earlier prophets, to the historic continuity in mankind's religious experience, and, by implication, to the fact that the Qur'an does not institute a "new" faith but represents only the final, most comprehensive statement of a religious principle as old as mankind itself: namely, that "in the sight of God, the only [true] religion is [man's] self-surrender unto Him" 3:19 , and that "if one goes in search of a religion other than self-surrender unto God, it will never be accepted from him" 3:85 .

O mankind, We have sent towards you a Rasool, to bear witness for you or against you, as We sent a Rasool towards Fir'on (Pharaoh) before you.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! We have sent unto you a messenger as witness against you, even as We sent unto Pharaoh a messenger.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall