يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُدَّثِّرُ ﴿١﴾
Yā ayyuhā al-muddaththir
O thou enveloped in thy cloak,
المدثر
74. Al-Muddaththir
The Cloaked One · Meccan · 56 verses
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Bismi Allāhi ar-raḥmāni ar-raḥīm
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ ﴿٢﴾
Qum faʾandhir
Arise and warn!
وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ ﴿٣﴾
Warabbaka fakabbir
Thy Lord magnify,
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ ﴿٤﴾
Wathiyābaka faṭahhir
Thy raiment purify,
وَٱلرُّجْزَ فَٱهْجُرْ ﴿٥﴾
War-rujza fāhjur
Pollution shun!
وَلَا تَمْنُن تَسْتَكْثِرُ ﴿٦﴾
Walā tamnun tastakthir
And show not favour, seeking wordly gain!
وَلِرَبِّكَ فَٱصْبِرْ ﴿٧﴾
Walirabbika fāṣbir
For the sake of thy Lord, be patient!
فَإِذَا نُقِرَ فِى ٱلنَّاقُورِ ﴿٨﴾
Faʾidhā nuqira fī an-nāqūr
For when the trumpet shall sound,
فَذَٰلِكَ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَوْمٌ عَسِيرٌ ﴿٩﴾
Fadhālika yawmaʾidhin yawmun ʿasīr
Surely that day will be a day of anguish,
عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ غَيْرُ يَسِيرٍ ﴿١٠﴾
ʿalā al-kāfirīna ghayru yasīr
Not of ease, for disbelievers.
ذَرْنِى وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيدًا ﴿١١﴾
Dharnī waman khalaqtu waḥīdā
Leave Me (to deal) with him whom I created lonely,
وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُۥ مَالًا مَّمْدُودًا ﴿١٢﴾
Wajaʿaltu lahu mālan mamdūdā
And then bestowed upon him ample means,
وَبَنِينَ شُهُودًا ﴿١٣﴾
Wabanīna shuhūdā
And sons abiding in his presence
وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُۥ تَمْهِيدًا ﴿١٤﴾
Wamahhadttu lahu tamhīdā
And made (life) smooth for him.
ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ ﴿١٥﴾
Thumma yaṭmaʿu an azīd
Yet he desireth that I should give more.
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا عَنِيدًا ﴿١٦﴾
Kallā innahu kāna liʾāyātinā ʿanīdā
Nay! For lo! he hath been stubborn to Our revelations.
سَأُرْهِقُهُۥ صَعُودًا ﴿١٧﴾
Saʾurhiquhu ṣaʿūdā
On him I shall impose a fearful doom.
إِنَّهُۥ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ ﴿١٨﴾
Innahu fakkara waqaddar
For lo! he did consider; then he planned -
فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ﴿١٩﴾
Faqutila kayfa qaddar
(Self-)destroyed is he, how he planned!
ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ﴿٢٠﴾
Thumma qutila kayfa qaddar
Again (self-)destroyed is he, how he planned! -
ثُمَّ نَظَرَ ﴿٢١﴾
Thumma naẓar
Then looked he,
ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ ﴿٢٢﴾
Thumma ʿabasa wabasar
Then frowned he and showed displeasure.
ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ ﴿٢٣﴾
Thumma adbara wāstakbar
Then turned he away in pride
فَقَالَ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ ﴿٢٤﴾
Faqāla in hādhā illā siḥrun yuʾthar
And said: This is naught else than magic from of old;
إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا قَوْلُ ٱلْبَشَرِ ﴿٢٥﴾
In hādhā illā qawlu al-bashar
This is naught else than speech of mortal man.
سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ ﴿٢٦﴾
Saʾuṣlīhi saqar
Him shall I fling unto the burning.
وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا سَقَرُ ﴿٢٧﴾
Wamā adrāka mā saqar
- Ah, what will convey unto thee what that burning is! -
لَا تُبْقِى وَلَا تَذَرُ ﴿٢٨﴾
Lā tubqī walā tadhar
It leaveth naught; it spareth naught
لَوَّاحَةٌ لِّلْبَشَرِ ﴿٢٩﴾
Lawwāḥatun lilbashar
It shrivelleth the man.
عَلَيْهَا تِسْعَةَ عَشَرَ ﴿٣٠﴾
ʿalayhā tisʿata ʿashar
Above it are nineteen.
وَمَا جَعَلْنَآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةً ۙ وَمَا جَعَلْنَا عِدَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِيَسْتَيْقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَيَزْدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنًا ۙ وَلَا يَرْتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۙ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ وَٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَا مَثَلًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَمَا هِىَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْبَشَرِ ﴿٣١﴾
Wamā jaʿalnā aṣḥāba an-nāri illā malāʾikatan wamā jaʿalnā ʿiddatahum illā fitnatan lilladhīna kafarū liyastayqina alladhīna ūtū al-kitāba wayazdāda alladhīna āmanū īmānan walā yartāba alladhīna ūtū al-kitāba wal-muʾminūna waliyaqūla alladhīna fī qulūbihim maraḍun wal-kāfirūna mādhā arāda Allāhu bihādhā mathalan kadhālika yuḍillu Allāhu man yashāʾu wayahdī man yashāʾu wamā yaʿlamu junūda rabbika illā huwa wamā hiya illā dhikrā lilbashar
We have appointed only angels to be wardens of the Fire, and their number have We made to be a stumbling-block for those who disbelieve; that those to whom the Scripture hath been given may have certainty, and that believers may increase in faith; and that those to whom the Scripture hath been given and believers may not doubt; and that those in whose hearts there is disease, and disbelievers, may say: What meaneth Allah by this similitude? Thus Allah sendeth astray whom He will, and whom He will He guideth. None knoweth the hosts of thy Lord save Him. This is naught else than a Reminder unto mortals.
كَلَّا وَٱلْقَمَرِ ﴿٣٢﴾
Kallā wal-qamar
Nay, by the Moon
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذْ أَدْبَرَ ﴿٣٣﴾
Wallayli idh adbar
And the night when it withdraweth
وَٱلصُّبْحِ إِذَآ أَسْفَرَ ﴿٣٤﴾
Waṣ-ṣubḥi idhā asfar
And the dawn when it shineth forth,
إِنَّهَا لَإِحْدَى ٱلْكُبَرِ ﴿٣٥﴾
Innahā laʾiḥdā al-kubar
Lo! this is one of the greatest (portents)
نَذِيرًا لِّلْبَشَرِ ﴿٣٦﴾
Nadhīran lilbashar
As a warning unto men,
لِمَن شَآءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَتَقَدَّمَ أَوْ يَتَأَخَّرَ ﴿٣٧﴾
Liman shāʾa minkum an yataqaddama aw yataʾakhkhar
Unto him of you who will advance or hang back.
كُلُّ نَفْسٍۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ ﴿٣٨﴾
Kullu nafsin bimā kasabat rahīnah
Every soul is a pledge for its own deeds;
إِلَّآ أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْيَمِينِ ﴿٣٩﴾
Illā aṣḥāba al-yamīn
Save those who will stand on the right hand.
فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ﴿٤٠﴾
Fī jannātin yatasāʾalūn
In gardens they will ask one another
عَنِ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ ﴿٤١﴾
ʿani al-mujrimīn
Concerning the guilty:
مَا سَلَكَكُمْ فِى سَقَرَ ﴿٤٢﴾
Mā salakakum fī saqar
What hath brought you to this burning?
قَالُوا۟ لَمْ نَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ ﴿٤٣﴾
Qālū lam naku mina al-muṣallīn
They will answer: We were not of those who prayed
وَلَمْ نَكُ نُطْعِمُ ٱلْمِسْكِينَ ﴿٤٤﴾
Walam naku nuṭʿimu al-miskīn
Nor did we feed the wretched.
وَكُنَّا نَخُوضُ مَعَ ٱلْخَآئِضِينَ ﴿٤٥﴾
Wakunnā nakhūḍu maʿa al-khāʾiḍīn
We used to wade (in vain dispute) with (all) waders,
وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ﴿٤٦﴾
Wakunnā nukadhdhibu biyawmi ad-dīn
And we used to deny the Day of Judgment,
حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰنَا ٱلْيَقِينُ ﴿٤٧﴾
Ḥattā atānā al-yaqīn
Till the Inevitable came unto us.
فَمَا تَنفَعُهُمْ شَفَـٰعَةُ ٱلشَّـٰفِعِينَ ﴿٤٨﴾
Famā tanfaʿuhum shafāʿatu ash-shāfiʿīn
The mediation of no mediators will avail them then.
فَمَا لَهُمْ عَنِ ٱلتَّذْكِرَةِ مُعْرِضِينَ ﴿٤٩﴾
Famā lahum ʿani at-tadhkirati muʿriḍīn
Why now turn they away from the Admonishment,
كَأَنَّهُمْ حُمُرٌ مُّسْتَنفِرَةٌ ﴿٥٠﴾
Kaʾannahum ḥumurun mustanfirah
As they were frightened asses
فَرَّتْ مِن قَسْوَرَةٍۭ ﴿٥١﴾
Farrat min qaswarah
Fleeing from a lion?
بَلْ يُرِيدُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُؤْتَىٰ صُحُفًا مُّنَشَّرَةً ﴿٥٢﴾
Bal yurīdu kullu imriʾin minhum an yuʾtā ṣuḥufan munashsharah
Nay, but everyone of them desireth that he should be given open pages (from Allah).
كَلَّا ۖ بَل لَّا يَخَافُونَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ﴿٥٣﴾
Kallā bal lā yakhāfūna al-ākhirah
Nay, verily. They fear not the Hereafter.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهُۥ تَذْكِرَةٌ ﴿٥٤﴾
Kallā innahu tadhkirah
Nay, verily. Lo! this is an Admonishment.
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ ﴿٥٥﴾
Faman shāʾa dhakarah
So whosoever will may heed.
وَمَا يَذْكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ هُوَ أَهْلُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ وَأَهْلُ ٱلْمَغْفِرَةِ ﴿٥٦﴾
Wamā yadhkurūna illā an yashāʾa Allāhu huwa ahlu at-taqwā waʾahlu al-maghfirah
And they will not heed unless Allah willeth (it). He is the fount of fear. He is the fount of Mercy.
Arabic: the Uthmani text of the Tanzil Project, used unchanged under CC BY 3.0. Quran text © Tanzil Project - check tanzil.net/updates for changes.
Transliteration: made by Anoor from the Tanzil text, each word as it is said on its own - in recitation the words run together.
Translation: Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), in the public domain.
Plain English: written by Anoor from Tafsir al-Jalalayn (al-Mahalli and al-Suyuti), one of the most widely read classical commentaries. It is a simple explanation, not a scholarly commentary - for a ruling or a deeper reading, ask a scholar. Something wrong? Tell us.