73. Al-Muzzammil
73.1 Imam Ya’qub Karkhi (رحمه الله) says that
From the beginning of Surah Al-Muzzammil up to this verse there is reference to the maqamat suluk ‘journeying or a methodical travelling along the spiritual path through the various states and stations under the direction of a spiritual master or adept’. The references are as follows: [1] solitude at night to worship Allah; [2] preoccupation with Qur’an; [3] constant Remembrance of Allah; [4] severance of relationship with ‘everything other than Allah’ , and [5] total trust in Allah.
(Ma’ariful Qur’an)
73.2 Narrated by Ubayy ibn Ka’b (رضي الله عنه)
Whoever recites Surat al-Muzzammil will be relieved of hardship in this world and in the Hereafter.
(Tafsirs of al-Thalabi, al-Wahidi and al-Zamakhshari)
73.3 Hafiz Ibn Kathir (رحمه الله) related about
ورتل القرآن ترتيلا
And recite the Qur’an in slow, measured rhythmic tones (73:4)
Ahadith state the recommendation of slow rhythmic recitation and beautification of the voice while while reciting. For example:
“Beautify the Qur’an with your voices.”
“He is not of us who does not chant nicely with the recitation of the Qur’an.”
“Verily, he (Abu Musa) has been given this windpipe from the windpipes of the family of Dawud (عليه السلام) “. Abu Musa replied, “If I knew that you had been listening to my recitation, I would have truly beautified it for you.”
It has been narrated from Ibn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) that he said, “Do not scatter the (recitation of) Qur’an out like the scattering of sand, and do not rush through it like the hasty recitation of poetry. Stop at its amazing parts and make your heart move with it. None of you should let his concern be to reach the end of the chapter.” This has been recorded by Al-Baghawi.
Al-Bukhari recorded from Abi Wa’il (رضي الله عنه) that he said, “A man came to Ibn Mas’ud and said, “I read the Mufassal chapters (from Qaf to An-Nas) last night in one unit of prayer.” Ibn Mas’ud said, “This is rushing like the haste of reciting poetry.”
(Abridged from Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
73.4 Imam Suyuti (رحمه الله) related about
ورتل القرآن ترتيلا
And recite the Qur’an in slow, measured rhythmic tones (73:4)
It was narrated from Ibn Buraidah that his father told that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: The Quran will come on the Day of Resurrection, like a pale man, and will say: “I am the one that kept you awake at night and made you thirsty during the day.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 3781)
Mu’adh al-Juhani reported the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) as saying: “If anyone recites the Qur’an and acts according to its content, on the Day of Judgement his parents will be given to wear a crown whose light is better than the light of the sun in the dwellings of this world if it were among you. So what do you think of him who acts according to this?” (Sunan Abi Dawud 1453)
‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘As (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, “The one who was devoted to the Qur’an will be told on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Recite and ascend (in ranks) as you used to recite when you were in the world. Your rank will be at the last Ayah you recite.” (Riyad as-Salihin Book 9, Hadith 11)
The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, “Whoever recited the Qur’an, studied it, and acted according to what it contains; on the Day of Judgment his parents will be dressed with a crown of light, its brightness is like that of the sun. And his parents will be adorned with two bracelets, of which the whole world is not equivalent to them [in worth]. So they will say, ‘Why are we being adorned with these?’ It will be said, ‘This is because of your child taking [the recitation, teaching and acting upon] the Qur’an.” (Hakim, At-Targhib Wa’t Tarhib)
(Abridged from Dur Al-Manthur)
73.5 Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه)
When the opening verses of Surah Al-Muzammil was revealed, the Companions would pray as long as they would pray during Ramadan until its last verses were revealed. The period between the revelation of its opening and the last verses was one year.
73.6 Narrated Abdullah Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه)
In Surat al-Muzzammil (73), the verse:
قم الليل إلا قليلا نصفه
“Keep vigil at night but a little, a half thereof” (73:2-3)
has been abrogated by the following verse:
علم أن لن تحصوه فتاب عليكم فاقرءوا ما تيسر من القرآن
“He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy. Recite then of the Qur’an that which is easy for you” (73:20).
The phrase “the vigil of the night” (nashi’at al-layl) means the early hours of the night. They (the companions) would pray (the tahajjud prayer) in the early hours of the night.
He (Ibn Abbas) says: It is advisable to offer the prayer at night (tahajjud), prescribed by Allah for you (in the early hours of the night). This is because when a person sleeps, he does not know when he will awake. The words “speech more certain” (aqwamu qilan) means that this time is more suitable for the understanding of the Qur’an. He says: The verse:
إن لك في النهار سبحا طويلا
“Lo, thou hast by day a chain of business” (73:7)
means engagement for long periods (in the day’s work).
73.7 Narrated Ibn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه)
Alqamah and al-Aswad said: A man came to Ibn Mas’ud. He said: I recite the mufassal surahs in one rak’ah. You might recite it quickly as one recites verse (poetry) quickly, or as the dried dates fall down (from the tree).
But the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to recite two equal surahs in one rak’ah; he would recite (for instance) surahs an-Najm (53) and ar-Rahman (55) in one rak’ah, surahs Iqtarabat (54) and al-Haqqah (69) in one rak’ah, surahs at-Tur (52) and adh-Dhariyat (51) in one rak’ah, surahs al-Waqi’ah (56) and Nun (68) in one rak’ah, surahs al-Ma’arij (70) and an-Nazi’at (79) in one rak’ah, surahs al-Mutaffifin (83) and Abasa (80) in one rak’ah, surahs al-Muddaththir (74) and al-Muzzammil (73) in one rak’ah, surahs al-Insan (76) and al-Qiyamah (75) in one rak’ah, surahs an-Naba’ (78) and al-Mursalat (77) in one rak’ah, and surahs ad-Dukhan (44) and at-Takwir (81) in one rak’ah.
Abu Dawud said: This is the arrangement of Ibn Mas’ud himself.
73.8 Narrated Sa’d bin Hisham (رضي الله عنه)
I divorced my wife. I then came to Medina to sell my land that was there so that I could buy arms and fight in battle. I met a group of the Companions of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). They said: Six persons of us intended to do so (i.e. divorce their wives and purchase weapons), but the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) prohibited them. He said: For you in the Messenger of Allah there is an excellent model. I then came to Ibn ‘Abbas and asked him about the witr observed by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). He said: I point to you a person who is most familiar with the witr observed by the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). Go to ‘Aishah (رضي الله عنه). While going to her I asked Hakim b. Aflah to accompany me. He refused, but I adjured him. He, therefore, went along with me. We sought permission to enter upon ‘Aishah. She said: Who is this ? He said: Hakim b. Aflah. She asked: Who is with you ? He replied: Sa’d b. Hisham. She said: Hisham son of ‘Amir who was killed in the Battle of Uhud. I said: Yes. She said: What a good man ‘Amir was! I said: Mother of faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). She asked: Do you not recite the Quran ? The character of Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was the Qur’an. I asked: Tell me about his vigil and prayer at night. She replied: Do you not recite:
يا أيها المزمل
“O thou folded in garments” (73:1).
I said: Why not ?
When the opening of this Surah was revealed, the Companions stood praying (most of the night) until their fett swelled, and the concluding verses were not revealed for twelve months from heaven. At last the concluding verses were revealed and the prayer at night became voluntary after it was obligatory. I said: Tell me about the witr of the Prophet (ﷺ). She replied: He used to pray eight rak’ahs, sitting only during the eighth of them. Then he would stand up and pray another rak’ahs. He would sit only after the eighth and the ninth rak’ahs. He would utter salutation only after the ninth rak’ah. He would then pray two rak’ahs sitting and that made eleven rak’ahs, O my son. But when he grew old and became fleshy he observed a witr of seven, sitting only in sixth and seventh rak’ahs, and would utter salutation only after the seventh rak’ah. He would then pray two rak’ahs sitting, and that made nine rak’ahs, O my son. The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) would not pray through a whole night, or recite the whole Qur’an in a night or fast a complete month except in Ramadan. When he offered prayer, he would do that regularly. When he was overtaken by sleep at night, he would pray twelve rak’ahs.
The narrator said: I came to Ibn ‘Abbas and narrated all this to him. By Allah, this is really a tradition. Has I been on speaking terms with her, I would have come to her and heard it from her mouth. I said: If I knew that you were not on speaking terms with her, I would have never narrated it to you.
73.9 It is reported that
Allah removes poverty from the reciter of Surah Al-Muzzammil and along with this he will give him the reward of freeing slaves equal to number of jinns and satans (devils) present in this world.
(Tafseer Burhan)
73.10 Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (عليه السلام)said that
A person who recites Surah Al-Muzzammil properly will get a chance to meet the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and if he prays for something from Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) he will get it.
(Fawaid-e-Quran)
73.11 It is reported that
Whoever reads Surah Al-Muzzammil during troubles, Allah will eliminate troubles from him.
(Tafseer al-Kishaf)
﴾ بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ﴿ 
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