O You Enveloped (Sura 73:1; 74:1)

Allah Most High says to His Prophet (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam):

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ

O you wrapped in garments!

(Sura 73:1)

According to the exegetes:

{ يَـٰأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُزَّمِّلُ } النبي وأصله المتزمّل أدغمت التاء في الزاي، أي المتلفف بثيابه حين مجيء الوحي له خوفاً منه لهيبته

O you enwrapped in your garment! the Prophet al-muzzammil is actually al-mutazammil but the taa has been assimilated with the zay that is to say the one who wraps himself up in his clothes when the Revelation comes to him in fear of him (Angel Gabriel) because of his awe-inspiring presence. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn)

يعني بقوله { يأَيُّها المُزَّمِّلُ } هو الملتفّ بثيابه. وإنما عني بذلك نبيّ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. واختلف أهل التأويل في المعنى الذي وصف الله به نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم في هذه الآية من التزمُّل، فقال بعضهم وصفه بأنه مُتَزمل في ثيابه، متأهب للصلاة. ذكر من قال ذلك حدثنا بشر، قال ثنا يزيد، قال ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة { يَأَيُّها المُزَّمِّل } أي المتزمل في ثيابه. حدثنا ابن عبد الأعلى، قال ثنا ابن ثور، عن معمر، عن قتادة { يَأَيُّها المُزَّمِّلُ } هو الذي تزمَّل بثيابه. وقال آخرون وصفه بأنه متزمِّل النبوّة والرسالة. ذكر من قال ذلك حدثنا محمد بن المثنى، قال ثني عبد الأعلى، قال ثنا داود، عن عكرِمة، في قوله { يأيُّها المُزَّمِلُ قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إلاَّ قَلِيلاً } قال زُمِّلت هذا الأمر فقم به. قال أبو جعفر والذي هو أولى القولين بتأويل ذلك، ما قاله قتادة، لأنه قد عقبه بقوله { قُم اللَّيْلَ } فكان ذلك بيانا عن أن وصفه بالتزمُّل بالثياب للصلاة، وأن ذلك هو أظهر معنييه

In the above citation from Ibn Jarir al-Tabari’s commentary, it is mentioned that some of the exegetes interpreted the reality of this appellation, al-Muzzammil, as referring to the Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) wrapping himself in garments for the Salat worship. In the commentary of al-Qurtubi, the Mother of the Believers, sayyida A’isha (radi Allahu anha) is quoted as saying regarding this appellation:

قالت عائشة: بِمرطٍ طوله أربعة عشر ذراعاً، نصفه عليّ وأنا نائمة، ونصفه على النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يصلّي، واللَّهِ ما كان خَزًّا ولا قَزًّا ولا مِرعِزاءَ ولا إِبرِيسما ولا صُوفاً، كان سَداه شَعراً، ولُحمته وَبَراً

That the Prophet (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) would be wrapped in a mantle, its length being fourteen cubits, half of which fell upon her while she slept and the other half upon the Prophet (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) while he was in prayer.

According to another companion, Hudhaifa b. al-Yaman (radi Allahu anhu):

قُرِرْتُ فَأَلْبَسَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ فَضْلِ عَبَاءَةٍ كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ يُصَلِّي فِيهَا

“I began to feel cold, so the Apostle of Allah (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) covered me with the excess of his shawl in which he used to pray.” (Sahih Muslim)

Wrapping oneself in a lengthy garment appears to have some connection with the Prophets, particularly our Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) when he was in a state of prophesying or in a state of worship.

This connection between being covered in a large garment and prophesying is also evident from some of the Prophet’s rivals. For example, Ibn Sayyad was once in a date-palm garden, lying on a mattress and covered in a velvet sheet, murmuring something, while the Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) was concealing himself behind the tree trunks in an attempt to discern Ibn Sayyad’s reality. (Sahih al-Bukhari):

وَابْنُ صَيَّادٍ مُضْطَجِعٌ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ فِي قَطِيفَةٍ لَهُ فِيهَا رَمْزَةٌ

Interestingly, Ibn Sayyad later converted to Islam, at least outwardly, though many of the Prophet’s companions suspected he was the Antichrist. Likewise, Tulayha b. Khuwaylid al-Asadi initially claimed to be a prophet:

وطليحة متلفف فِي كساء لَهُ بفناء بيت لَهُ من شعر يتنبأ لهم والناس يقتتلون

“Tulayhah was wrapped up in a cloak of his in the courtyard of one of his hair tents, pretending to prophesy for them while the men were fighting.” (Tarikh al-Tabari)

But like Ibn Sayyad, Tulayha later repented and embraced Islam.

Next, Allah Most High addresses His Prophet Muhammad (sall Allahu alayhi wasallam) with the words:

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ

O you enveloped in garments!

(Sura 74:1)

Once again, a similar exegesis is given for this Ayah as the previous one:

{ يَٱأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُدَّثّرُ } النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأصله المتدثر أدغمت التاء في الدال ، أي المتلفف بثيابه عند نزول الوحي عليه

O you enveloped in your mantle the Prophet al-muddaththir is actually al-mutadaththir but the taa has been assimilated with the dal that is to say the one who is enwrapped in his clothes when the Revelation comes down on him (Tafsir al-Jalalayn)

In a Hadith:

عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ فَتْرَةِ الْوَحْىِ فَقَالَ فِي حَدِيثِهِ ‏"‏ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا أَمْشِي إِذْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَرَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي فَإِذَا الْمَلَكُ الَّذِي جَاءَنِي بِحِرَاءٍ جَالِسٌ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ، فَجَئِثْتُ مِنْهُ رُعْبًا فَرَجَعْتُ فَقُلْتُ زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي‏.‏ فَدَثَّرُونِي فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ‏{‏يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ‏}‏

Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah: I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) describing the period of pause of the Divine Inspiration. He said in his talk, “While I was walking, I heard voices from the sky. I looked up, and behold! I saw the same Angel who came to me in the cave of Hira sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was too much afraid of him (so I returned to my house) and said, ‘Fold me up in garments!' They wrapped me up. Then Allah revealed: ‘O you wrapped’” (Sahih al-Bukhari)