Surah Al-Muddaththir is among the earliest suwahs revealed to the Prophet Peace upon him. It is widely believed that its revelation occurred after the opening verses of Surah Iqraa (Al-Alaq).
This is supported by what was narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, among others, from Aa'ishah peace upon her, who said:
The revelation first came to the Prophet Peace Upon him while he was in the Cave of Hira. The angel came to him and said: "اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ، خَلَقَ الْإِنْسانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ" (Read in the name of your Lord who created; created man from a clinging clot).
Also, Al-Bukhari and Muslim, along with other scholars, reported from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, who said:
I asked Abu Salama ibn AbdurRahman about the first revelation of the Qur'an, and he said: "O you who are enveloped (Al-Muddaththir)."
I replied: "But people say it was 'Read in the name of your Lord...'"
He responded: "I asked Jabir ibn Abdullah about this, and he said: 'O you who are enveloped (Al-Muddaththir).' I will only tell you what the Messenger of Allah Peace Upon him told us. He said: 'I was in seclusion in Hira, and when my retreat ended, I descended into the valley. Suddenly, I heard a voice calling me from my right, but I saw nothing. Then, I looked to my left and saw nothing. I raised my head and saw the angel who had come to me in Hira, sitting on a throne between the sky and the earth. I hurried back to my family and said, "Cover me, cover me." Then, the revelation came down:
"يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ، قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ" (O you who are enveloped, arise and warn).'
Al-Imam Al-Aalusi summarized this matter as follows:
> The apparent meaning of this hadith suggests that Surah Al-Muddaththir was revealed before Surah Iqra'. However, what is authentically reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from Aa'isha is that Surah Iqra' was the first revelation, and this is the view held by the majority of scholars. Some even assert that this is the correct position.
To reconcile these two narrations, scholars have proposed different explanations:
Jaabir's use of "first revelation" may have been specific to the first revelation that came after a pause in revelation, rather than being the absolute first revelation, which was Surah Iqraa.
Jaabir may have been referring to the first complete surah to be revealed, while Surah Iqra' was revealed only in part at first.
Jaabir's statement may have been based on personal reasoning, while Aisha’s narration is based on an explicit report from the Prophet Peace upon him, making it more authoritative.
I say: This hadith indicates that the angel had previously visited the Messenger of Allah Peace Upon him in the Cave of Hira before this encounter. The revelation began in the Cave of Hira with Allah’s words:
> "اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ..." (Read in the name of your Lord who created...)
This confirms that Iqraa was indeed the very first revelation, as recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of Aa'isha peace upon her.
In any case, Surah Al-Muddaththir is considered among the earliest revelations to the Prophet Peace upon him, as is evident from its verses, which urge the Prophet Peace Upon him to warn people about his divine message.
The surah consists of 56 verses in the Kufan recension of the Qur'an and 55 verses in the Basran recension.
Among the most significant objectives of this surah are:
Honoring the Prophet Peace Upon him.
Commanding him to deliver the message revealed to him by Allah Almighty.
Consoling him regarding the harm inflicted upon him by his opponents.
Threatening his enemies with severe punishment.
Highlighting the good end of the believers and the terrible fate of the deniers.
Refuting the claims of the disbelievers with strong counterarguments.
Allah began Surah Al-Muddaththir with a tone of kindness and comfort, just as He did with Surah Al-Muzzammil.
The word Al-Muddaththir is an active participle derived from the verb تدثر (taddathara), meaning to wrap oneself in a cloak or blanket. The dithar is the outer garment worn over the shi’ar, which is the clothing that touches the skin. This meaning is found in the hadith:
"The Ansar are like the shi’ar (inner garment), while other people are like the dithar (outer garment)."
Al-Imam Al-Qurtubi said:
"Allah addressed him with tenderness, calling him by his state (Al-Muddaththir) and describing him with a gentle attribute, instead of calling him by name (Muhammad) or any other designation. This was to instill a sense of gentleness and compassion from his Lord, as was similarly done in Surah Al-Muzzammil."
A comparable form of address is seen in the statement of the Prophet Peace Upon him to Ali when he found him sleeping in the mosque:
"Get up, O Abu Turab."
Ali had left his home after a disagreement with Faatimah peace upon herand his cloak had fallen off, covering him in dust.
Likewise, the Prophet Peace Upon him addressed Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yaman on the night of the Battle of the Trench by saying:
"Get up, O sleepy one."
Thus, this surah conveys both a sense of affection and a divine call to action.
