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Section/Ruku 1
[Verses 1 to 31]: The Prophet is enjoined to
warn: 1.
Introduction: 2. Translation: 1 O thou who wrappest thyself up,a 2 Arise and warn,a 4 And thy garments do purify,a 6 And do no favour seeking gain,a 7 And for the sake of thy Lord, be patient. 8 For when the trumpet is sounded, 9 That will be — that day — a difficult day, 10 For the disbelievers, anything but easy. 11 Leave Me alone with him whom I created, 13 And sons dwelling in his presence, 14 And made matters easy for him, 15 And yet he desires that I should give more!a 16 By no means! Surely he is inimical to Our messages. 17 I will make a distressing punishment overtake him.a 18 Surely he reflected and determined, 19 But may he be destroyed how he determined! 20 Again, may he be destroyed how he determined! 23 Then turned back and was big with pride, 24 Then said: This is naught but magic from of old! 25 This is naught but the word of a mortal! 27 And what will make thee realise what hell is? 28 It leaves naught, and spares naught. 30 Over it are nineteen.a 31 And We have made none but angels wardens of the Fire, and We have not made their number but as a trial for those who disbelieve, that those who have been given the Book may be certain and those who believe may increase in faith, and those who have been given the Book and the believers may not doubt; and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the disbelievers may say: What does Allah mean by this parable? Thus Allah leaves in error whom He pleases, and guides whom He pleases. And none knows the hosts of thy Lord but He. And this is naught but a Reminder to mortals. 3. Commentary: 2a. Compare with the address contained in the last chapter. There the Prophet is commanded to engage himself in devotion so that he should attain to perfection; here he is commanded to convey the message and to warn, to make others perfect. [Back to verse 2] 4a. Purification of the garments does not relate only to the outward act of purification, but also to the purification of the heart, as is shown in the next verse, which contains a command to shun every kind of uncleanness. [Back to verse 4] 6a. The reference is in particular to the great favour which the Prophet did to others by warning them and guiding them to the right way. But the words are general; even when conferring a worldly benefit on another, there should be no intention to receive any return for it. [Back to verse 6] 15a. This description is general, but the case of Walid ibn Mughirah is specially noted by almost all commentators. Rz gives details of an occurrence in which Walid was specially concerned. Abu Jahl and other leaders in the persecution of the Holy Prophet assembled together to ponder what name to give to the Prophet. Somebody suggested that he was a poet, but Walid said that his word was not like that of a poet. Another suggested that he was a soothsayer, but Walid rejected this, too, on the ground that Muhammad never spoke a lie, whereas the soothsayers often proved liars. A third suggestion was that he was a madman, but this too was found inconsistent with the circumstances of the Holy Prophet’s life. Then Walid left the company, his comrades thinking that he was going over to Islam. Abu Jahl followed him to question him about the matter, and was told that, after pondering deeply on the question, he had come to the conclusion that the Prophet was a sahir, i.e., an enchanter, because, he said, "It is the enchanter who separates the father from the son, the brother from the brother, and the husband from the wife". Thereupon a proclamation was made in the streets of Makkah that the Prophet was a sahir. [Back to verse 15] 17a. Three of Walid’s sons became converts to Islam, and the rest perished, his wealth began to diminish, and ultimately he himself died in disgrace and poverty. [Back to verse 17] 30a. It should be noted that this is called a parable in the next verse: what does Allah mean by this parable? All that the Qur’an says is that over it are nineteen. The commentators think that nineteen angels, or nineteen classes, or nineteen ranks may be meant. The particular number is considered to be due to the misuse of nineteen faculties which are enumerated by the commentators (Rz). [Back to verse 30]
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