The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:03 A brief commentary

0:32 on the book *Identification Cards*

0:35 *for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*,

0:38 by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Naseef,

0:42 may Allah preserve him.

0:44 Surah al-Muddaththir.

0:46 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.

0:51 We are still presenting the brief commentary on the identification cards,

0:54 today focusing on Surah al-Muddaththir.

0:56 I would like to pause over three observations regarding this surah.

0:57 The first observation

0:59 concerns the name of the surah.

1:01 Indeed, the name of this surah

1:03 reminds us of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),

1:06 just as Surah al-Muzzammil does.

1:07 It reminds us of the states through which the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed—

1:13 states that should never slip from our minds.

1:17 It shows how he suffered (peace be upon him),

1:20 how intense the revelation was upon him at the very beginning,

1:23 and then what Allah instructed him to do

1:25 in order to remain firm.

1:26 This is the path of those who stand firm on the way of truth:

1:29 "Stand [in prayer] by night, except a little" over there,

1:31 and here: "Arise and warn!

1:33 And your Lord glorify! And your garments purify!"

1:35 This brings me to the second observation,

1:39 which is that

1:41 when you look at the subject matter of the surah,

1:44 as well as its placement,

1:46 you see how seamlessly it complements

1:48 Surah al-Muzzammil.

1:50 Surah al-Muzzammil

1:51 directs the Prophet (peace be upon him)

1:53 in his worship and private seclusion,

1:55 which mostly takes place at night.

1:58 Surah al-Muddaththir, on the other hand, directs him to warn and preach,

2:02 which occurs—

2:03 especially in those early times when

2:06 modern means of artificial lighting did not exist—

2:09 primarily during the day.

2:13 It is as though this surah complements the previous one:

2:15 that one is for the night, and this one is for the day;

2:17 that one focuses on inner worship

2:20 through which the servant turns to Allah,

2:22 while Surah al-Muddaththir focuses on warning and calling people to the faith.

2:27 Nevertheless,

2:29 and this is the main point I wish to highlight in this observation,

2:31 we notice that the spiritual, faith-building aspect

2:34 remains prominently present in this surah as well.

2:37 Thus, remembrance and glorifying the Lord

2:40 and similar duties are not exclusive to Surah al-Muzzammil;

2:43 rather, Surah al-Muddaththir is built upon this foundation too.

2:46 "O you who covers himself [with a garment]! Arise and warn! And your Lord glorify!"

2:49 Notice: "And your Lord glorify!

2:51 And your garments purify!"—and among its meanings is:

2:53 purify your soul as well—

2:55 "And uncleanliness avoid! And do not confer favor expecting more!"

2:57 These are inner deeds of the heart;

2:59 many of them are spiritual acts of the heart,

3:01 alongside a few physical observances.

3:04 This proves to you that

3:06 even if you commune with your Lord in the solitude of the night

3:09 and your faith grows strong,

3:11 that does not mean that when you go out to preach and warn by day,

3:15 you are no longer in need of these magnificent spiritual meanings.

3:19 You draw spiritual sustenance by night,

3:21 and you continue to draw upon it throughout the day.

3:24 As for the third and final observation,

3:27 it relates to what is mentioned in the first section of the surah—

3:33 specifically, where a model is given for those who turn away in indifference,

3:37 and another for those who raise objections against the parables and teachings of the Noble Qur'an.

3:41 Notice that we have a model for those who turn away:

3:45 "Leave Me alone with the one I created."

3:48 The verses describing this model are short and forceful:

3:52 "Leave Me alone with the one I created,

3:54 to whom I granted extensive wealth

3:56 and children present with him."

3:57 They are short, matching the short rhythm at the beginning of the surah.

4:00 Then comes a single verse in which Allah says:

4:05 "And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels..."

4:08 This long verse represents the model of those who object

4:12 to the parables of the Noble Qur'an and to what is mentioned within it.

4:15 What I wish to emphasize in this observation

4:19 is that the discourse used for the one who turns away indifferently

4:23 differs from the discourse used for the objector.

4:27 For the objector, the explanation is extended within a single verse.

4:32 This is quite striking,

4:33 as neither the verses preceding it nor those following it match its length.

4:37 This brings to mind Surah al-Muzzammil,

4:39 where the very last verse is distinctly different in length.

4:41 This phenomenon deserves deep reflection and study after gathering all such occurrences,

4:45 as there may be other similar verses that do not immediately come to mind.

4:50 Typically, a surah maintains verses of uniform length—either long, medium, or short;

4:54 yet sometimes a verse appears that immediately catches your attention

4:58 because its length differs completely from the rest of the surah. In Surah al-Muzzammil,

5:02 half a page is taken up by a single verse,

5:05 whereas the page before it contains numerous short verses,

5:10 reflecting a clear variation in length.

5:13 My point is that this distinct length here in al-Muddaththir

5:16 and there in al-Muzzammil calls for contemplation.

5:19 What is the reason requiring such elaboration here—

5:23 lengthen the verse while keeping those before and after it short?

5:28 As I mentioned, this occurs in both al-Muzzammil and al-Muddaththir.

5:31 However, in al-Muzzammil it occurs in the final verse,

5:33 which abrogates the previous ruling;

5:36 whereas in al-Muddaththir it occurs in the middle of the surah,

5:40 because it addresses a matter that requires refuting misconceptions, providing detail,

5:44 and categorizing people's reactions to the statement "Over it are nineteen."

5:49 It is as if the one who turns away requires a different approach than the objector:

5:52 the objector argues and claims to possess arguments,

5:56 so the explanation is lengthened for him.

5:57 I offer this as a initial impression that warrants further study and research.

6:02 Yes, the objector is given an extended discourse,

6:06 whereas the indifferent denier receives stern warnings

6:09 meant to awaken whoever Allah wills to be guided and awakened.

6:14 I will stop at this point regarding this magnificent surah.

6:19 May Allah send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his family and Companions.

6:24 All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif | Surah Al-Muddaththir

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