Verse That Changed Everything: Journey Through the Qur’an | #13
As-salamu alaykum everyone!
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Today, again, we will not reflect on just one verse, but rather two, as they are inseparable in meaning and significance.
These verses mark a defining moment, not just in the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, but in the history of the world.
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يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُدَّثِّرُ
"O you who are covered!"
قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ
"Arise and warn!"
Surah Al-Muddathir (74:1-2):
The Silence Before the Command
After the first revelation in the cave of Hira, where Jibril a.s. commanded the Prophet ﷺ to "Read!" (Surah Al-‘Alaq 96:1-5), a long period of silence followed. No new revelation came. Jibril a.s. did not return. There was only uncertainty.
The Prophet ﷺ was left alone with the weight of his mission, with only his thoughts and fears as companions. Was it real? Was he truly chosen? Had something gone wrong? These questions must have haunted him.
Then, one day, overwhelmed by this burden, he left Makkah and walked into the desert, seeking solitude. And there, in the vast emptiness, Jibril appeared again, this time covering the entire sky.
"O Muhammad!
You are truly the messenger of Allah!
Do not doubt it!"
The sight shook him to his core. Terrified, he ran. He ran past the crowds of Makkah, past the Ka‘bah, past all the familiar streets, until he reached the only place of comfort he knew: his home.
"Cover me! Cover me!" he pleaded, trembling, and his wife, Khadijah r.a., wrapped him in a thick cloak, shielding him from the world.
And then, Allah spoke:
"O You Who Are Covered, Arise and Warn!"
In that moment, revelation came again:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُدَّثِّرُ
"O you who are covered!"
قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ
"Arise and warn!"
This was not just a command. It was a transformation.
Until this moment, the Prophet ﷺ had been a man experiencing revelation. Now, he was a Messenger with a mission.
Until this moment, he was afraid. Now, he had no time for fear.
Until this moment, he was waiting. Now, he was sent forth.
He did not hesitate. He threw off the cloak and embraced his mission.
This verse defined him.
What Does It Mean to Follow the Sunnah?
For the next 23 years, every hardship, every trial, every battle, every tear, and every sacrifice was guided by these two words:
قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ
Arise and Warn!
It shaped his nights, as he stood in prayer for hours, pleading for his people. It shaped his days, as he tirelessly called people to Allah, enduring rejection, exile, and war. It shaped his heart, as he wept for humanity, caring more for their Akhirah than for his own comfort.
This was his Sunnah.
Yet, today, when people talk about the “Sunnah,” they often reduce it to outward appearances, how short your trousers are, how long your beard is. But these were just his physical characteristics, not his mission.
The real essence of Sunnah is Qum Fa’andhir.
The real Sunnah is to stand for Tawheed.
The real Sunnah is to warn people about the reality of the Hereafter.
The real Sunnah is to care for every single soul and its fate before Allah.
If we truly claim to follow the Prophet ﷺ, then we must ask ourselves:
Are we living by Qum Fa’andhir?
Are we carrying the message forward?
Are we warning humanity about what truly matters?
Because this verse did not just define him, it defines me as well, in my opinion, it should define every Muslim.
May Allah allow us to carry this responsibility with sincerity. Ameen.