The Quran › Tafsir › Surah Al-Muddaththir
Tafsir of Surah Al-Muddaththir (74) — The Cloaked One · المدثر
Meccan surah, 56 ayat. Read the whole surah
Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Quran — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies. QuranEnc.com (english_mokhtasar), 2026-10-30.
Al-Muddaththir 74:1
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُدَّثِّرُ
O you who covers himself [with a garment]
Tafsir 74:1
O you who is covered with his clothes (this refers to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
Al-Muddaththir 74:2
قُمۡ فَأَنذِرۡ
Arise and warn
Tafsir 74:2
Arise and warn of Allah’s punishment.
Al-Muddaththir 74:3
وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرۡ
And your Lord glorify
Tafsir 74:3
Declare the greatness of your Lord.
Al-Muddaththir 74:4
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرۡ
And your clothing purify
Tafsir 74:4
Purify yourself from sins and your clothes from impurities.
Al-Muddaththir 74:5
وَٱلرُّجۡزَ فَٱهۡجُرۡ
And uncleanliness avoid
Tafsir 74:5
Keep away from the worship of idols.
Al-Muddaththir 74:6
وَلَا تَمۡنُن تَسۡتَكۡثِرُ
And do not confer favor to acquire more
Tafsir 74:6
Do not think that you have done a favour to your Lord by regarding your righteous actions to be plenty.
Al-Muddaththir 74:7
وَلِرَبِّكَ فَٱصۡبِرۡ
But for your Lord be patient
Tafsir 74:7
Be patient for Allah’s sake over the harm that you incur.
Al-Muddaththir 74:8
فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِي ٱلنَّاقُورِ
And when the trumpet is blown
Tafsir 74:8
When the trumpet will be blown a second time.
Al-Muddaththir 74:9
فَذَٰلِكَ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَوۡمٌ عَسِيرٌ
That Day will be a difficult day
Tafsir 74:9
That day will be a severe day.
Al-Muddaththir 74:10
عَلَى ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ غَيۡرُ يَسِيرٖ
For the disbelievers - not easy
Tafsir 74:10
For those who reject Allah and His messengers it will not be easy.
Al-Muddaththir 74:11
ذَرۡنِي وَمَنۡ خَلَقۡتُ وَحِيدٗا
Leave Me with the one I created alone
Tafsir 74:11
Leave me, O Messenger, and the one whom I created alone in the womb of his mother without wealth or children (This refers to Walid bin Al Mughira).
Al-Muddaththir 74:12
وَجَعَلۡتُ لَهُۥ مَالٗا مَّمۡدُودٗا
And to whom I granted extensive wealth
Tafsir 74:12
I gave him plenty wealth.
Al-Muddaththir 74:13
وَبَنِينَ شُهُودٗا
And children present [with him]
Tafsir 74:13
I gave him children who were present with him, who attended gatherings with him and who did not leave him on account of travel due to the abundance of his wealth.
Al-Muddaththir 74:14
وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُۥ تَمۡهِيدٗا
And spread [everything] before him, easing [his life]
Tafsir 74:14
I extended to him his livelihood, provision and children profusely.
Al-Muddaththir 74:15
ثُمَّ يَطۡمَعُ أَنۡ أَزِيدَ
Then he desires that I should add more
Tafsir 74:15
Then despite his denial of Me he desires that I give him more after I gave him all of that.
Al-Muddaththir 74:16
كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِأٓيَٰتِنَا عَنِيدٗا
No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate
Tafsir 74:16
The matter is not as he thinks. He was opposed to My verses that I revealed to My messenger denying them.
Al-Muddaththir 74:17
سَأُرۡهِقُهُۥ صَعُودًا
I will cover him with arduous torment
Tafsir 74:17
I will impose on him difficulty from a punishment that he will not be able to bear.
Al-Muddaththir 74:18
إِنَّهُۥ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ
Indeed, he thought and deliberated
Tafsir 74:18
This disbeliever whom I bestowed with those favours thought about what he should say in order to refute the Qur’ān, and planned this within himself.
Al-Muddaththir 74:19
فَقُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ
So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated
Tafsir 74:19
So may he be cursed and punished. How did he plan!
Al-Muddaththir 74:20
ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيۡفَ قَدَّرَ
Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated
Tafsir 74:20
Again, may he be cursed and punished. How did he plan!
Al-Muddaththir 74:21
ثُمَّ نَظَرَ
Then he considered [again]
Tafsir 74:21
Then he reconsidered and carefully thought about what he should say.
Al-Muddaththir 74:22
ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ
Then he frowned and scowled
Tafsir 74:22
The he frowned and scowled when he did not find anything to challenge the Qur’ān with.
Al-Muddaththir 74:23
ثُمَّ أَدۡبَرَ وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ
Then he turned back and was arrogant
Tafsir 74:23
Then he turned away from faith and was too proud to follow the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Al-Muddaththir 74:24
فَقَالَ إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٞ يُؤۡثَرُ
And said, "This is not but magic imitated [from others]
Tafsir 74:24
He said: This what Muhammad brought is not Allah’s speech, but it is sorcery that he relates from others.
Al-Muddaththir 74:25
إِنۡ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوۡلُ ٱلۡبَشَرِ
This is not but the word of a human being
Tafsir 74:25
This is not Allah’s speech, but it is the speech of man.
Al-Muddaththir 74:26
سَأُصۡلِيهِ سَقَرَ
I will drive him into Saqar
Tafsir 74:26
I will enter this disbeliever into one of the levels of the Fire, which is Saqar, to suffer from its heat.
Al-Muddaththir 74:27
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا سَقَرُ
And what can make you know what is Saqar
Tafsir 74:27
What will tell you, O Muhammad, what Saqar is?!
Al-Muddaththir 74:28
لَا تُبۡقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ
It lets nothing remain and leaves nothing [unburned]
Tafsir 74:28
It does not spare any person that is punished in it except that it comes on him and does not leave him. Then he returns to how it was and it comes to him, again and again.
Al-Muddaththir 74:29
لَوَّاحَةٞ لِّلۡبَشَرِ
Blackening the skins
Tafsir 74:29
It severely burns and alters skins.
Al-Muddaththir 74:30
عَلَيۡهَا تِسۡعَةَ عَشَرَ
Over it are nineteen [angels]
Tafsir 74:30
There are nineteen angels over it who are its wardens.
Al-Muddaththir 74:31
وَمَا جَعَلۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٗۖ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا عِدَّتَهُمۡ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسۡتَيۡقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَيَزۡدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا وَلَا يَرۡتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَا يَعۡلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡبَشَرِ
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 hypocrisy and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allah intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allah leave astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity
Tafsir 74:31
I did not make the wardens of the Fire except angels, so humans do not have the power to face them. Abu Jahl was lying when he and his people claimed that they have the ability to attack them and then they will come out of the Fire. I did not make this number of theirs except to test those who reject Allah, so that the Jews who were given the Torah and the Christians who were given the Gospel will become certain when the Qur’ān that confirms what is in their scriptures is revealed, so that the faith of the believers increases when the people of the scripture agree with them and the Jews, Christians and the believers do not have any doubt, and so that those who waver in faith and those who are disbelievers say: What does Allah intend by this strange number?! Just as those who deny this number are misguided and those who accept it are guided, Allah misguides whoever He wishes to misguide and He guides whoever He wishes to guide. No one knows the forces of your Lord, because of their huge number, besides Him, may He be glorified. So let Abu Jahl who, mockingly and dismissively, said, “Does Muhammad only have nineteen aides?!” know this. The Fire is only a reminder for human beings, through which they can come to know of Allah’s greatness, may He be glorified.
Al-Muddaththir 74:32
كَلَّا وَٱلۡقَمَرِ
No! By the moon
Tafsir 74:32
The statement is not as claimed by some idolaters that he will suffice his companions against the wardens of Hell and take them out of it. Allah took an oath by the moon.
Al-Muddaththir 74:33
وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذۡ أَدۡبَرَ
And [by] the night when it departs
Tafsir 74:33
He took an oath by the night when it departs.
Al-Muddaththir 74:34
وَٱلصُّبۡحِ إِذَآ أَسۡفَرَ
And [by] the morning when it brightens
Tafsir 74:34
He took an oath by the morning when it lights up.
Al-Muddaththir 74:35
إِنَّهَا لَإِحۡدَى ٱلۡكُبَرِ
Indeed, the Fire is of the greatest [afflictions]
Tafsir 74:35
The fire of Hell is one the great calamities.
Al-Muddaththir 74:36
نَذِيرٗا لِّلۡبَشَرِ
As a warning to humanity
Tafsir 74:36
In order to strike terror and fear in people.
Al-Muddaththir 74:37
لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمۡ أَن يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوۡ يَتَأَخَّرَ
To whoever wills among you to proceed or stay behind
Tafsir 74:37
Whoever from amongst you, O people, wishes to go forward with faith in Allah and righteous actions, or to lag behind by disbelief and sins.
Al-Muddaththir 74:38
كُلُّ نَفۡسِۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ رَهِينَةٌ
Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained
Tafsir 74:38
Every soul will be taken to task for the actions that it did. Either its actions will destroy it or they will release and rescue it from destruction.
Al-Muddaththir 74:39
إِلَّآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلۡيَمِينِ
Except the companions of the right
Tafsir 74:39
Except for the believers, who wont be taken to task for their sins. Instead, these will be overlooked because of their righteous actions.
Al-Muddaththir 74:40
فِي جَنَّـٰتٖ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ
[Who will be] in gardens, questioning each other
Tafsir 74:40
On the Day of Judgement, they will be in gardens asking one another.
Al-Muddaththir 74:41
عَنِ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ
About the criminals
Tafsir 74:41
About the disbelievers who destroyed themselves by the sins they committed.
Al-Muddaththir 74:42
مَا سَلَكَكُمۡ فِي سَقَرَ
[And asking them], "What put you into Saqar
Tafsir 74:42
They will say to them: What entered you into Hell?
Al-Muddaththir 74:43
قَالُواْ لَمۡ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ
They will say, "We were not of those who prayed
Tafsir 74:43
The disbelievers will answer them saying: We were not of those who discharged the obligatory prayer in the worldly life.
Al-Muddaththir 74:44
وَلَمۡ نَكُ نُطۡعِمُ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينَ
Nor did we used to feed the poor
Tafsir 74:44
We did not feed the poor from what Allah gave us.
Al-Muddaththir 74:45
وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلۡخَآئِضِينَ
And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it]
Tafsir 74:45
We used to be with the people of falsehood and go wherever they go. We used to speak to the people of misguidance and deviation.
Al-Muddaththir 74:46
وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
And we used to deny the Day of Recompense
Tafsir 74:46
We used to deny the day of recompense.
Al-Muddaththir 74:47
حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلۡيَقِينُ
Until there came to us the certainty
Tafsir 74:47
We persisted in this denial until death came to us and prevented us from repenting.
Al-Muddaththir 74:48
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمۡ شَفَٰعَةُ ٱلشَّـٰفِعِينَ
So there will not benefit them the intercession of [any] intercessors
Tafsir 74:48
On the Day of Judgment, the mediation of intercessors from the angels, prophets and pious ones, will not benefit them, because the requirement for the acceptance of intercession is that the thing for which intercession is made must be approved.
Al-Muddaththir 74:49
فَمَا لَهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلتَّذۡكِرَةِ مُعۡرِضِينَ
Then what is [the matter] with them that they are, from the reminder, turning away
Tafsir 74:49
What has made these idolaters turn away from the Qur’ān?!
Al-Muddaththir 74:50
كَأَنَّهُمۡ حُمُرٞ مُّسۡتَنفِرَةٞ
As if they were alarmed donkeys
Tafsir 74:50
As if they, in their turning away from and aversion to it, are wild donkeys that are extremely resistant.
Al-Muddaththir 74:51
فَرَّتۡ مِن قَسۡوَرَةِۭ
Fleeing from a lion
Tafsir 74:51
That have fled from a lion out of fear for it.
Al-Muddaththir 74:52
بَلۡ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُؤۡتَىٰ صُحُفٗا مُّنَشَّرَةٗ
Rather, every person among them desires that he would be given scriptures spread about
Tafsir 74:52
Instead, each one of these idolaters wants for there to be an open book by his head side that tells him that Muhammad is a messenger from Allah. The reason for this is not the lack of proof or weakness of evidence. It is only obstinacy and pride.
Al-Muddaththir 74:53
كَلَّاۖ بَل لَّا يَخَافُونَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ
No! But they do not fear the Hereafter
Tafsir 74:53
The matter is not like that. In fact, the reason for their persistence in their misguidance is that they do not have faith in the punishment of the afterlife, so they remained in their disbelief.
Al-Muddaththir 74:54
كَلَّآ إِنَّهُۥ تَذۡكِرَةٞ
No! Indeed, the Qur'an is a reminder
Tafsir 74:54
Indeed, this Qur’ān is an admonition and a reminder.
Al-Muddaththir 74:55
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ
Then whoever wills will remember it
Tafsir 74:55
Whoever wishes to read the Qur’ān and take lesson from it does so.
Al-Muddaththir 74:56
وَمَا يَذۡكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ هُوَ أَهۡلُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ وَأَهۡلُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِ
And they will not remember except that Allah wills. He is worthy of fear and adequate for [granting] forgiveness
Tafsir 74:56
None takes lesson from it besides those whom Allah wills to take lesson. He (may He be glorified) is worthy of being mindful of by the fulfilment of His instructions and the avoidance of His prohibitions. He is worthy of forgiving the sins of His servants when they repent to Him.
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Arabic: Uthmani text, Tanzil Project (tanzil.net) · English: Saheeh International · Bosnian: Besim Korkut