Tafsir of Al-Muzzammil 73:5

Al-Muzzammil (The Enshrouded One): Verse 5

إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا (Indeed, We will cast upon you a weighty saying.)

Regarding the interpretation of "weighty" (ثَقِيلًا), several views have been mentioned.

The intended meaning is that the greatness of its status and the majesty of its importance are what is meant by its weightiness. Everything that possesses great status and importance is described as heavy (thaqīl) or weighty (thāqil).

This aligns with the narration from Ibn Abbas (via 'Ata): "{A weighty saying}" means a great word.

Relevance to the Context (Nathm): Since Allah commanded him (the Prophet) to observe the night vigil (Salat al-Layl), it is as if He is saying: "I have only commanded you to observe the night vigil because We will cast upon you a great word. Therefore, you must strive to make your soul prepared to receive this great word."

This preparation is achieved only through the night vigil. When a person engages in the worship of Allah, turns to His remembrance and praise, and supplicates before Him in the darkness of the night, free from sensory distractions and bodily impediments, the soul becomes ready for the illumination of Allah's Majesty to shine upon it. It prepares itself for complete detachment and the greatest unveiling possible for human capacity.

Because the night vigil has this effect of preparing the soul for this reality, it is appropriate that Allah said: "I have only commanded you to observe the night vigil because We will cast upon you a weighty saying. So, make yourself ready to receive that meaning."

This meaning is completed by the Prophet's saying: "Indeed, your Lord has breaths (moments of special favor) during the days of your lifetime; so expose yourselves to them."

Second View: The "weighty saying" refers to the Qur'an, with its commands and prohibitions, which constitute difficult obligations (takālīf) that are heavy for the general populace, and especially heavy for the Messenger, as he bears them himself and conveys them to his Ummah. In essence, its weight relates to the difficulty of acting upon it, as obligation inherently implies a burden and hardship in its execution.

Third View: Narrated from Al-Hasan: It is heavy in the balance scale on the Day of Resurrection, indicating the abundance of its benefits and the great reward for acting upon it.

Fourth View: It means that the Prophet (PBUH) felt a heaviness when revelation descended upon him. It is narrated that revelation descended while he was on his she-camel, and she became so heavy that she could not move and lowered her chest to the ground. Ibn Abbas reported that when revelation descended upon him, it became heavy for him, and his face became covered (with sweat/awe). 'Aisha (RA) said: "I saw him when revelation descended on a severely cold day, and he would break away from it, and his forehead would be streaming with sweat."

Fifth View (Al-Farra'): "{A weighty saying}" means it is not light or trivial, because it is the word of our Lord, the Blessed and Exalted.

Sixth View (Al-Zajjaj): It means it is a sound statement in its truthfulness, clarity, and benefit, just as you say, "This is a judicious statement" or "This is a statement that carries weight" when you find it excellent and know that it has achieved the pinnacle of wisdom and articulation.

Seventh View (Abu 'Ali al-Farsi): It is heavy upon the hypocrites, in that it exposes their secrets and invalidates their religions and sayings.

Eighth View: That which is heavy tends to remain in its place and not disappear. Thus, "weighty" is used as a metaphor for the permanence of the Qur'an throughout time, as Allah says: {Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian} (Al-Hijr: 9).

Ninth View: It is weighty because a single intellect cannot fully grasp all its benefits and meanings. The theologians have plunged into the seas of its rational concepts, the jurists have focused on researching its rulings, as have the linguists, grammarians, and masters of semantics. Yet, every later scholar gains insights that the predecessors did not reach. Thus, we know that one person cannot independently bear its full weight; it becomes like a heavy load that creation is incapable of carrying.

Tenth View: It is weighty because it comprises the unambiguous (muhkam) and the allegorical (mutashābih), and the abrogating (nāsikh) and the abrogated (mansūkh). Distinguishing between these categories can only be managed by the deeply rooted scholars who encompass all rational and philosophical sciences. Since this is the case, grasping it fully is heavy for most people.

إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْئًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا (Indeed, the rising of the night [for prayer] is more intense in impact and more steadfast in speech.)