The Cloaked One
A personal address to one covered in a cloak is followed by a brief, active command. Notice the change from stillness to action. Compare the wording with the previous chapter without assuming that their detailed settings are identical.
Based on Quran 74:1–2. Original study prompt, not a complete tafsir. Compare the passage ↗English Translation - Noor International Center · QuranEnc.com · v1.1.2 ↗
Issued by Noor International Center. Publisher footnotes appear with their verses.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُدَّثِّرُ
(1) O you who covers himself [with a garment],[1788]
قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ
(2) Arise and warn
وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ
(3) And your Lord glorify
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ
(4) And your clothing purify
وَٱلرُّجْزَ فَٱهْجُرْ
(5) And uncleanliness[1789] avoid
وَلَا تَمْنُن تَسْتَكْثِرُ
(6) And do not confer favor to acquire more[1790]
وَلِرَبِّكَ فَٱصْبِرْ
(7) But for your Lord be patient.
فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِى ٱلنَّاقُورِ
(8) And when the trumpet is blown,
فَذَٰلِكَ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ يَوْمٌ عَسِيرٌ
(9) That Day will be a difficult day
عَلَى ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ غَيْرُ يَسِيرٍۢ
(10) For the disbelievers - not easy.
ذَرْنِى وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيدًۭا
(11) Leave Me with the one I created alone[1791]
وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُۥ مَالًۭا مَّمْدُودًۭا
(12) And to whom I granted extensive wealth
وَبَنِينَ شُهُودًۭا
(13) And children present [with him]
وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُۥ تَمْهِيدًۭا
(14) And spread [everything] before him, easing [his life].
ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ
(15) Then he desires that I should add more.
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِءَايَٰتِنَا عَنِيدًۭا
(16) No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate.
سَأُرْهِقُهُۥ صَعُودًا
(17) I will cover him with arduous torment.
إِنَّهُۥ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ
(18) Indeed, he thought and deliberated.[1792]
فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ
(19) So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ
(20) Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
ثُمَّ نَظَرَ
(21) Then he considered [again];
ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ
(22) Then he frowned and scowled;
ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ
(23) Then he turned back and was arrogant
فَقَالَ إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌۭ يُؤْثَرُ
(24) And said, "This is not but magic imitated [from others].
إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوْلُ ٱلْبَشَرِ
(25) This is not but the word of a human being."
سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ
(26) I will drive him into Saqar.[1793]
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا سَقَرُ
(27) And what can make you know what is Saqar?
لَا تُبْقِى وَلَا تَذَرُ
(28) It lets nothing remain and leaves nothing [unburned],
لَوَّاحَةٌۭ لِّلْبَشَرِ
(29) Altering [i.e., blackening] the skins.
عَلَيْهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ
(30) Over it are nineteen [angels].
وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَٰٓئِكَةًۭ ۙ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةًۭ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَيَزْدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِيمَٰنًۭا ۙ وَلَا يَرْتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ وَٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلًۭا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِىَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ
(31) And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve - that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is disease [i.e., hypocrisy] and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allāh intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allāh send astray whom He wills and guide whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And it [i.e., mention of the Fire] is not but a reminder to humanity.
كَلَّا وَٱلْقَمَرِ
(32) No! By the moon
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذْ أَدْبَرَ
(33) And [by] the night when it departs
وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَآ أَسْفَرَ
(34) And [by] the morning when it brightens,
إِنَّهَا لَإِحْدَى ٱلْكُبَرِ
(35) Indeed, it [i.e., the Fire] is of the greatest [afflictions]
نَذِيرًۭا لِّلْبَشَرِ
(36) As a warning to humanity -
لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوْ يَتَأَخَّرَ
(37) To whoever wills among you to proceed[1794] or stay behind.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ
(38) Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained[1795]
إِلَّآ أَصْحَٰبَ ٱلْيَمِينِ
(39) Except the companions of the right,[1796].
فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ
(40) [Who will be] in gardens, questioning each other
عَنِ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
(41) About the criminals,
مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِى سَقَرَ
(42) [And asking them], "What put you into Saqar?"
قَالُوا۟ لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ
(43) They will say, "We were not of those who prayed,
وَلَمْ نَكُ نُطْعِمُ ٱلْمِسْكِينَ
(44) Nor did we used to feed the poor.
وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلْخَآئِضِينَ
(45) And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it],
وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
(46) And we used to deny the Day of Recompense
حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلْيَقِينُ
(47) Until there came to us the certainty [i.e., death]."
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَٰعَةُ ٱلشَّٰفِعِينَ
(48) So there will not benefit them the intercession of [any] intercessors.
فَمَا لَهُمْ عَنِ ٱلتَّذْكِرَةِ مُعْرِضِينَ
(49) Then what is [the matter] with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away
كَأَنَّهُمْ حُمُرٌۭ مُّسْتَنفِرَةٌۭ
(50) As if they were alarmed donkeys
فَرَّتْ مِن قَسْوَرَةٍۭ
(51) Fleeing from a lion?
بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُؤْتَىٰ صُحُفًۭا مُّنَشَّرَةًۭ
(52) Rather, every person among them desires that he[1797] would be given scriptures spread about.[1798]
كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا يَخَافُونَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ
(53) No! But they do not fear the Hereafter.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهُۥ تَذْكِرَةٌۭ
(54) No! Indeed, it [i.e., the Qur’ān] is a reminder
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ
(55) Then whoever wills will remember it.
وَمَا يَذْكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ هُوَ أَهْلُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ وَأَهْلُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ
(56) And they will not remember except that Allāh wills. He is worthy of fear and adequate for [granting] forgiveness.