Tafsir of Surah Al Muddathir

It has been confirmed in the Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Salamah that Jabir bin `Abdullah informed him that he heard the Messenger of Allah speaking about the time period (of the pause in) revelation. The Prophet said,

فَبَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي إِذْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَرَفَعْتُ بَصَرِي قِبَلَ السَّمَاءِ فَإِذَا الْمَلَكُ الَّذِي جَاءَنِي بِحِرَاءَ قَاعِدٌ عَلَى كُرْسِيَ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالاَْرْضِ فَجُيِثْتُ مِنْهُ حَتْى هَوَيْتُ إِلَى الاَْرْضِ فَجِيْتُ إِلَى أَهْلِي فَقُلْتُ زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي فَزَمَّلُونِي فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ تَعَالى

While I was walking I heard a voice from the sky. So I lifted my gaze towards the sky and saw the same angel who had come to me at the cave of Hira'. He was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. So I fled from him (in fear) until I fell down to the ground. Then, I went to my family and I said, `Wrap me up, wrap me up.

So, they wrapped me up!

So Allah revealed,

يأَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ

O you enveloped in garments! Arise and warn! And magnify your Lord! And purify your garments! And keep away from Ar-Rujz!

Here, Abu Salamah added, `Ar-Rujz means idols.'

After this, the revelation started coming strongly and frequently in succession.

This is the wording of Al-Bukhari.

The way this Hadith is narrated necessitates that revelation had descended before this. This is due to the Prophet's statement,

فَإِذَا الْمَلَكُ الَّذِي جَاءَنِي بِحِرَاء

the same angel who had come to me at the cave of Hira'."

That angel was Jibril, who had came to him with Allah's statement,

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ

خَلَقَ الاِنسَـنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الاٌّكْرَمُ

الَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ

عَلَّمَ الاِنسَـنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created.

He has created man from a clot.

Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.

Who has taught by the pen.

He has taught man that which he knew not. (96:1-5)

After this first occurrence (in the cave) there was a period of time that passed, then the angel descended again.

Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Salamah bin `Abdur-Rahman that Jabir bin `Abdullah informed him that he heard the Messenger of Allah saying,

ثُمَّ فَتَرَ الْوَحْيُ عَنِّي فَتْرَةً فَبَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَرَفَعْتُ بَصَرِي قِبَلَ السَّمَاءِ فَإِذَا الْمَلَكُ الَّذِي جَاءَنِي قَاعِدٌ عَلى كُرْسِيَ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالاَْرْضِ فَجُيِثْتُ مِنْهُ فَرَقًا حَتْى هَوَيْتُ إِلَى الاَْرْضِ فَجِيْتُ أَهْلِي فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي فَزَمَّلُونِي فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ تَعَالى

يأَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ

ثُمَّ حَمِيَ الْوَحْيُ وَتَتَابَع

Then the revelation ceased coming to me for a period of time. Then, while I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. So I lifted my gaze towards the sky to see the same angel who had come to me, sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. So I fled from him a short distance before I fell down to the ground. Then I came to my family and said to them,

`Wrap me up, wrap me up!

So, they wrapped me up!

Then Allah revealed,

يأَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ

O you enveloped in garments! Arise and warn! And magnify your Lord! And purify your garments! And keep away from Ar-Rujz!

After this, the revelation started coming strongly and frequently in succession.

They both (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) recorded this Hadith by way of Az-Zuhri. At-Tabarani recorded from Ibn `Abbas that he said,

"Verily, Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah prepared some food for the Quraysh. So when they had eaten from it he said,

`What do you have to say about this man'

Some of them said, `He is a magician.' Others said, `He is not a magician.'

Then some of them said, `He is a soothsayer.' But others said, `He is not a soothsayer.'

Some of them said, `He is a poet.' But others said, `He is not a poet.'

Some of them said, `This is magic from that of old.'

Thus, they eventually all agreed that it was magic from ancient times.

Then, when this news reached the Prophet, he became grieved, covered his head and wrapped himself up. This is when Allah revealed,

يأَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ

وَلَا تَمْنُن تَسْتَكْثِرُ

وَلِرَبِّكَ فَاصْبِرْ

O you enveloped in garments! Arise and warn! And magnify your Lord! And purify your garments! And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols)! And give not a thing in order to have more (or consider not your deeds of obedience to Allah as a favour to Him). And be patient for the sake of your Lord (i.e., perform your duty to Allah)!

Concerning Allah's statement,

قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ