Tafseer of The Cloaked One · Al-Muddaththir · 74:1
O you who covers himself [with a garment],
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
He, exalted is His praise, says: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak"), O you who wrap yourself in your garments when sleeping.
It has been mentioned that this was said to the Prophet of Allah ﷺ while he had wrapped himself in a velvet coverlet (qaṭīfa).
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Shuʿba, on the authority of al-Mughīra, on the authority of Ibrāhīm: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak"), he said: he had wrapped himself in a velvet coverlet.
It has been mentioned that this ayah was the first of the Qurʾān to be sent down upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and that it was said to him: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak").
As Yūnus related to us, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Yūnus informed us, on the authority of Ibn Shihāb, saying: Abū Salama ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān informed me, that Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Anṣārī said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, while relating about the interruption of the revelation: "While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky; I raised my head, and there was the angel who had come to me at Ḥirāʾ, seated upon a throne between the heaven and the earth." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "I was overcome with fear, and I came to my family and said: 'Wrap me up, wrap me up (zammilūnī zammilūnī)', and they wrapped me in a cloak." Then Allah sent down: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak, arise and warn, and magnify your Lord") up to His word: وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ ("and the abomination, shun it"). He said: thereafter the revelation followed in close succession one after another.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: al-Walīd ibn Muslim related to us, saying: al-Awzāʿī related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr related to me, saying: I asked Abū Salama: which part of the Qurʾān was sent down first? He said: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak"). I said: they say "Recite in the name of your Lord who created". Then Abū Salama said: I asked Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh: which part of the Qurʾān was sent down first? He said: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak"). I said: they say "Recite in the name of your Lord who created". Then he said: I only tell you what the Prophet ﷺ told us; he said: "I was secluded in retreat at Ḥirāʾ; when I had completed my retreat, I descended and made my way into the depth of the valley. I was called, and I looked to my right and my left, behind me and before me, but I saw nothing. Then I looked above my head, and there he was, seated upon a throne between the heaven and the earth, and I feared him" — thus said ʿUthmān ibn ʿAmr; it is merely: "I was overcome with fear" — "and I met Khadīja and said: wrap me in a cloak, and they wrapped me in a cloak and poured water over me." Then Allah sent down upon me: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak, arise and warn").
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Mubārak, on the authority of Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr, saying: I asked Abū Salama about the first that was sent down of the Qurʾān. He said: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak") was sent down first. He said: I said: they say "Recite in the name of your Lord who created". Then he said: I asked Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, and he said: I only tell you what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us; he said: "I was secluded in retreat at Ḥirāʾ; when I had completed my retreat, I descended and heard a voice. I looked to my right but saw nothing, and I looked behind me but saw nothing, and I raised my head and saw something. Then I came to Khadīja and said: wrap me in a cloak and pour cold water over me." Then يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak") was sent down.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of al-Zuhrī, saying: the revelation was interrupted for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for a time, and he became greatly grieved, so much so that he began to run to the peaks of high mountains to cast himself down from them. Every time he reached the summit of a mountain, Jibrīl, peace be upon him, appeared to him and said: you are the Prophet of Allah, so that his heart was set at ease and his soul became calm. The Prophet ﷺ used to relate about this, saying: "While I was walking one day, I saw the angel who used to come to me at Ḥirāʾ, upon a throne between the heaven and the earth, and I was overcome with dread. I returned to Khadīja and said: 'Wrap me up', and they wrapped him up, that is: they enveloped him in a cloak." Then Allah sent down: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّر ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak, arise and warn, and magnify your Lord, and purify your garments"). Al-Zuhrī said: the very first that was sent down upon him was: "Recite in the name of your Lord who created..." until he reached "...what he did not know".
The people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) differ over the meaning of His word: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak"). Some of them said: the meaning of it is: O you who sleep in your garments.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak"), he said: O you who sleep.
Bishr related to us, Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak"), he says: he who wraps himself in his garments.
Others said: no, the meaning of it is: O you who have taken upon yourself the burden of prophethood and its heavy loads.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Dāwūd was asked about this ayah يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ("O you who wrap yourself in a cloak"), and he related to us on the authority of ʿIkrima that he said: you have taken upon yourself this matter, so arise for it.
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Footnotes:
(1) "Juthithtu minhu", constructed in the passive voice: I was seized with dread and feared.
