O You Wrapped Up in Garments!
According to one opinion, the revelation stopped for some six months after the first revealed ayats. This time period was long, difficult, and full of sorrow...but then revelation of the ayats started again.
Today we will look at the first part of the Surat al-Muddassir which is one of the first revealed suras. The ayats are generally quite short and very influential.
The sura starts by addressing the Messenger of Allah (pbuh):
yaa ayyuhal-muddassir
74:1. O you wrapped up in garments!
Then the first warnings are sent, one after another. These are the first orders which call Rasulullah to duty, which are to build and shape the character of a muslim:
qum faanzir, warabbaka fakabbir, wasiyaabaka fatahhir
2-4. Arise and warn, do magnify your Lord, and do purify your garments
war-rujza fahjur, walaa tamnun tastaksir
5-6. Keep away from ar-rujz (the idols); give not a thing in order to have more.
Each and every one of these orders is worth of thinking about...to magnify and glorify Allah, to purify the garments and surroundings, and to purify the heart and the soul from everything which may lead one to destruction and to torment. Then comes the advice of not giving a thing in order to have more. Indeed, if a person gives just because he is expecting something more valuable in return, then there is obviously something wrong with this.
These orders are not easy to follow, though. As a matter of fact, followers of these orders have faced many kinds of oppression and many difficulties. To overcome all these difficulties, one should ask help from Allah and only from Allah...one should seek refuge in Allah and only in Allah:
walirabbika fasbir
7. For the sake of your Lord, be patient
Immediately after these ayats comes the emphasis for hereafter:
faizaa nuqira feennaqoori
8. Then, when the trumpet is sounded
fazaalika yawmaizin yawmun-'aseer
9. Truly, that day will be a diificult day
'alal-kaafireena gayru yaseer
10. Far from easy for the disbelievers.
Then comes the description of "that man". The scholars who study the reasons/circumstances of revelation, tell us the identity of that man: Walid bin Mughira, father of Khalid bin Walid. But actually it does not matter too much who he is, for there are a lot of people like him. Let's see their typical characteristics and the end which is waiting for them:
zarnee waman khalaqtu waheedaa
11. Leave Me (to deal) with him whom I created lonely
waja'altu lahuu maalan mamduudaa, wabaneena shuhuuda
12-13. To whom I granted resources in abundance, and children to be by his side
wamahhadtu lahuu tamheedaa
14. To whom I made (life) smooth and comfortable
summa yatma'u an azeed
15.Yet he desires that I should give more
kallaa, innahu kaana liaayaatinaa 'aneedaa
16. Nay! Verily, he has been stubborn and opposing Our ayats
saurhiquhu sa'uudaa
17. I shall oblige him to face a severe torment
The disbelievers in Mecca said every bad thing about Rasulullah. They said he was only a poet, a crazy man, a soothsayer and much more. But even themselves were very much aware of the fact that a man cannot be a poet and crazy at the same time. So then they were looking for another accusation and there was the idea of Walid bin Mughira which they all liked:
18. verily, he thought and plotted
19. so let him be cursed! How he plotted!
20. and once more let him be cursed, how he plotted!
Yes, that disbelieving oppressor plotted and this was obvious from what he did:
21-25. then he looked, then he frowned and he scowled; then he turned back and was haughtily; then he said: "This is nothing but magic from that of old. This is nothing but the word of a human being."
Here we go: A typical characteristics of disbelievers: Arrogance.
Arrogance is the ultimate barrier to belief in Allah.
26-30. Soon will I cast him into hellfire! And what will make you know exactly what hellfire is? It spares not, nor does it leave. Burning the skins! Over it are nineteen (angels as guardians and keepers of hell).
Several commentators have tried to explain the wisdom behind the number of these guardian angels, but I think that the most fitting sentence written about this subject is as follows: "Talking about the wisdom and reason behind this number is of no use for us whatsoever since this number has nothing to do with any kind of decision, judgement, or sentence".
Yet, this number has been a means of so many trials.
31. And We have set none but angels as guardians of the fire. We have fixed their number only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the people of the scripture may arrive at a certainty and the believers may increase in faith and that no doubts may be left for the people of the scripture and the believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers may say: "What does Allah intend by this example ?"
Thus Allah leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.
And none can know the forces of your Lord but He Himself. And this is nothing else than a reminder to mankind.
When this ayat was revealed, the disbelievers fell into sedition and asked each other: "How come is it possible that a few angels will keep so many people in the hell fire?" And during the 20. century some people have continued to fall into so many different seditions about this number.
Indeed one should be very careful about numbers: What is the intent and what is the means? Of course, every countable thing has a number. Mankind has two hands, two eyes, and one nose. There are five leaves on a rose branch and there are twelve parts at each cypress cone. Is it possible not to admire the geometry of the snowflakes? And let us not forget the hexagonal honeycombs of the bees! We face these kinds of regularities while observing the miracles of creation; they are all very pleasant and lovely. Similarly, some nice mathematical regularities can be found in Quran, too. These can give a pleasure for heart and they can also be considered as beauties which increase the level of faith. Besides one can think of them as an opportunity to use and show his intelligence, or as a puzzle solving pleasure...that's it...that's all...It will be of no use or help for our minds or for our souls to go beyond these limits, to deliver them to other people as if they are the ultimate truth, and to try to make mysterious calculations using these regularities.
May Allah protect us all from falling into seditions.
Today we will look at the first part of the Surat al-Muddassir which is one of the first revealed suras. The ayats are generally quite short and very influential.
The sura starts by addressing the Messenger of Allah (pbuh):
yaa ayyuhal-muddassir
74:1. O you wrapped up in garments!
Then the first warnings are sent, one after another. These are the first orders which call Rasulullah to duty, which are to build and shape the character of a muslim:
qum faanzir, warabbaka fakabbir, wasiyaabaka fatahhir
2-4. Arise and warn, do magnify your Lord, and do purify your garments
war-rujza fahjur, walaa tamnun tastaksir
5-6. Keep away from ar-rujz (the idols); give not a thing in order to have more.
Each and every one of these orders is worth of thinking about...to magnify and glorify Allah, to purify the garments and surroundings, and to purify the heart and the soul from everything which may lead one to destruction and to torment. Then comes the advice of not giving a thing in order to have more. Indeed, if a person gives just because he is expecting something more valuable in return, then there is obviously something wrong with this.
These orders are not easy to follow, though. As a matter of fact, followers of these orders have faced many kinds of oppression and many difficulties. To overcome all these difficulties, one should ask help from Allah and only from Allah...one should seek refuge in Allah and only in Allah:
walirabbika fasbir
7. For the sake of your Lord, be patient
Immediately after these ayats comes the emphasis for hereafter:
faizaa nuqira feennaqoori
8. Then, when the trumpet is sounded
fazaalika yawmaizin yawmun-'aseer
9. Truly, that day will be a diificult day
'alal-kaafireena gayru yaseer
10. Far from easy for the disbelievers.
Then comes the description of "that man". The scholars who study the reasons/circumstances of revelation, tell us the identity of that man: Walid bin Mughira, father of Khalid bin Walid. But actually it does not matter too much who he is, for there are a lot of people like him. Let's see their typical characteristics and the end which is waiting for them:
zarnee waman khalaqtu waheedaa
11. Leave Me (to deal) with him whom I created lonely
waja'altu lahuu maalan mamduudaa, wabaneena shuhuuda
12-13. To whom I granted resources in abundance, and children to be by his side
wamahhadtu lahuu tamheedaa
14. To whom I made (life) smooth and comfortable
summa yatma'u an azeed
15.Yet he desires that I should give more
kallaa, innahu kaana liaayaatinaa 'aneedaa
16. Nay! Verily, he has been stubborn and opposing Our ayats
saurhiquhu sa'uudaa
17. I shall oblige him to face a severe torment
The disbelievers in Mecca said every bad thing about Rasulullah. They said he was only a poet, a crazy man, a soothsayer and much more. But even themselves were very much aware of the fact that a man cannot be a poet and crazy at the same time. So then they were looking for another accusation and there was the idea of Walid bin Mughira which they all liked:
18. verily, he thought and plotted
19. so let him be cursed! How he plotted!
20. and once more let him be cursed, how he plotted!
Yes, that disbelieving oppressor plotted and this was obvious from what he did:
21-25. then he looked, then he frowned and he scowled; then he turned back and was haughtily; then he said: "This is nothing but magic from that of old. This is nothing but the word of a human being."
Here we go: A typical characteristics of disbelievers: Arrogance.
Arrogance is the ultimate barrier to belief in Allah.
26-30. Soon will I cast him into hellfire! And what will make you know exactly what hellfire is? It spares not, nor does it leave. Burning the skins! Over it are nineteen (angels as guardians and keepers of hell).
Several commentators have tried to explain the wisdom behind the number of these guardian angels, but I think that the most fitting sentence written about this subject is as follows: "Talking about the wisdom and reason behind this number is of no use for us whatsoever since this number has nothing to do with any kind of decision, judgement, or sentence".
Yet, this number has been a means of so many trials.
31. And We have set none but angels as guardians of the fire. We have fixed their number only as a trial for the disbelievers, in order that the people of the scripture may arrive at a certainty and the believers may increase in faith and that no doubts may be left for the people of the scripture and the believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers may say: "What does Allah intend by this example ?"
Thus Allah leads astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.
And none can know the forces of your Lord but He Himself. And this is nothing else than a reminder to mankind.
When this ayat was revealed, the disbelievers fell into sedition and asked each other: "How come is it possible that a few angels will keep so many people in the hell fire?" And during the 20. century some people have continued to fall into so many different seditions about this number.
Indeed one should be very careful about numbers: What is the intent and what is the means? Of course, every countable thing has a number. Mankind has two hands, two eyes, and one nose. There are five leaves on a rose branch and there are twelve parts at each cypress cone. Is it possible not to admire the geometry of the snowflakes? And let us not forget the hexagonal honeycombs of the bees! We face these kinds of regularities while observing the miracles of creation; they are all very pleasant and lovely. Similarly, some nice mathematical regularities can be found in Quran, too. These can give a pleasure for heart and they can also be considered as beauties which increase the level of faith. Besides one can think of them as an opportunity to use and show his intelligence, or as a puzzle solving pleasure...that's it...that's all...It will be of no use or help for our minds or for our souls to go beyond these limits, to deliver them to other people as if they are the ultimate truth, and to try to make mysterious calculations using these regularities.
May Allah protect us all from falling into seditions.
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