English Translation and Tafsir of Surah Al-Muzzammil Ayah 1-9
73:1 O you wrapped in your garments,
73:2 stand for prayer at night, but a little
73:3 Half of it, or a little less thereof.
73:4 or add more thereto and recite the Quran distinctly.
73:5 Indeed, We shall reveal to you a weighty word.
73:6 Verily, worship at night is most effective and suitable for the speech.
73:7 Surely, in the day, you have a prolonged occupation.
73:8 And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with wholehearted devotion.
73:9 He is the Lord of the East and the West; there is no god but Him. Thus, take Him as your Guardian.
Tafsir
Jabir Ibn Abdul Allah, may Allah be pleased with them, narrated this narration about the period of intermission of the divine revelation to Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him]. He reported that Messenger Muhammad said, ‘While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. Then, I raised my head and saw the angel, who came to me in the mount of Hira. He was sitting on a chair between heaven and earth. Thus, I was frightened of him. Then, I returned to my family and said, ‘Wrap me up, wrap me up.’ Thereupon, Allah, Exalted be He, revealed, ‘74:1 O you enveloped in your cloak, 74:2 Arise and warn! 74:3 And your Lord magnify, 74:4 and your garments purify, 74:5 and uncleanness do shun,’
73:1 O you wrapped in your garments,
73:2 stand for prayer at night, but a little.
73:3 Half of it, or a little less thereof.
73:4 or add more thereto and recite the Quran distinctly.
Surah Al-Muzzammil begins with a vocative mode to indicate the importance of commands and prohibitions that the addressee will receive.
Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him] is called one, who wraps himself in his garment, to make him feel at ease, cheer up his soul, and make him feel endeared, so that he would actively convey Islam to people.
O you wrapped in your garments after seeing the angel Gabriel in his real shape! O you wrapped in your garments after hearing the hideous things that the disbelievers say about Allah! Stand for prayer at night to worship your God. Stand for prayer at night, but a little part of it to take some rest. Stand for prayer half of the night or little less than thereof. You can also stand for prayer more than that and recite the Quran distinctly. Recite the Quran slowly, which will help you to reflect on its meanings.
In other words, O you wrapped in your garments! Stand for prayer half of the nigh and assign the other half for sleep and rest. This indicates the easiness of Islam as it commands the believers to diligently worship Allah, but at the same time instructs them to take care of their bodies by giving them sufficient sleep and rest.
The night is specifically assigned for worship and prayer because it is a time of calmness and serenity, which enable the believer to worship Allah sincerely and humbly.
Sa’d Ibn Hisham said, ‘I asked Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, about the prayer of the night. She said, ‘Do you not recite [73:1 O you wrapped in your garments,]? I said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘When the beginning of this surah was revealed, the companions of Messenger Muhammad prayed at night until their feet swelled, and the last part of the surah was delayed for twelve months. Then, it was revealed. Thereupon, the night prayer has become voluntary after it was obligatory.’
In sum, Allah, Exalted be He, as a way of easing and instruction to what may comfort the soul of Messenger Muhammad, say, ‘O noble Messenger Muhammad, who wraps himself in his garments, stand for worship and prayer in the night, leaving some time thereof for rest and sleep. You may stand for worship and prayer half of the night, less or more than that. Recite the Quran beautifully and distinctly, which is a helpful means to understand and reflect on its meanings.’
73:5 Indeed, We shall reveal to you a weighty word.
O noble Messenger Muhammad, stand for worship and prayer in the night to come close to your Lord, Allah, by offering different kinds of worship as a weighty word shall be revealed to you, namely, the noble Quran. It is a weighty word in the balance of the truth, its effect on the hearts, and its obligations and commands.
Allah, Exalted be He, says, interpretation of the meaning,
59:21 Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, surely, you would have seen it humble itself and split for fear of Allah. And such are the similitudes which We expound to people that they may reflect.
Had the Quran, which was revealed to guide to the truth, been sent to a mountain, and the mountain is able to understand the discourse of the Quran, it would have perceived the meanings of the Quran and become humble which would have caused it to split.
In other words, had the mountain in the place of the disbelievers, who refuse to listen to the Quran and benefit from its guidance, it would have split and become dust out of fear of Allah, Exalted be He.
Many authentic narrations confirm that the Quran is a heavy word. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, ‘I saw Messenger Muhammad when the divine revelation came to him. His forehead would drip sweat on a very cold day after receiving the divine revelation.’
Indeed, the Quran is a heavy word because it is the speech of Allah, the Lord of the world. It is heavy because it contains great obligations and commands, namely, promising to reward the believers and warning to the evil doers, lawful and unlawful rules, and the law of punishment. No matter how deeply the scholars try to understand its meanings, they will find them comprehensive and they will acknowledge that they need to study it harder and harder.
Qatada, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘The Quran is heavy. By Allah, its rules and law of punishment are heavy.’
73:6 Verily, worship at night is most effective and suitable for the speech.
O noble Messenger Muhammad, who wrapped himself in his garment, stand for worship and prayer in the night because it is most effective for remedying the heart and mending the soul. In addition, worship and prayer in the night are most suitable for reciting the Quran because the heart becomes humble as it humbly concentrates on worship.
73:7 Surely, in the day, you have a prolonged occupation.
O noble Messenger Muhammad, We have commanded you to stand for worship and prayer in the night because you have a prolonged occupation in the day for fulfilling your duties and carrying out your obligations, which makes you unable to devote your time for worship and prayer. However, you can stand for worship and prayer in the night because it is a time for rest and sleep after finishing all duties of the day.
In other words, the ayah refers to the wisdom behind commanding to pray in the night. Allah, Exalted be He, has made it easy for Messenger Muhammad and his nation as He has made the day for fulfilling their life occupations and duties, and made a part of the night for worship and prayer.
73:8 And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with wholehearted devotion.
In this ayah, Allah, Exalted be He, commanded Messenger Muhammad to remember Him day and night.
O noble Messenger Muhammad, remember the name of your Lord constantly. You should glorify and thank Him for all His blessings and you should devote yourself to worship and obey Him with wholehearted devotion. Do not let anything make you unmindful of remembering and worshipping your Lord, Allah. Whenever you finish your duties and occupations, devote yourself to remember your Lord by performing different kinds of worship.
73:9 He is the Lord of the East and the West; there is no god but Him. Thus, take Him as your Guardian.
O noble Messenger Muhammad, your Lord, Allah, is the Lord of the East and the West. There is no god, who deserves worship and obedience, but Him. Thus, take Him as your Guardian in all your affairs. Seek His help and guidance in all your affairs. He will help and guide you.
Learned Lessons from Surah Al-Muzzammil Ayah 1-9
• Standing for worshipping Allah and praying in the night is the method followed by the righteous slaves of Allah.
• Recitation of the Quran should be done beautifully and carefully.
• Praying in the night is better than praying during the day because one can concentrate on the worship, as he is free from the occupations and duties of the day.
• One should remember Allah as much as he can by performing different kinds of worship, such as glorifying Allah, praying, and seeking beneficial knowledge.
• Relying on Allah concerning all one’s affairs is a manifestation of one’s submission to Allah and acknowledging that He is the only God, who deserves worship and obedience.
• Devoting oneself to worship and prayer does not contradict fulfilling one’s obligations and duties. Rather, one should do his best to be moderate and give every part of his life its due devotion.
• The Quran is a heavy word as it contains commands, prohibitions, and obligations, which are hard to comply with except by the help of Allah.
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