Tafsir of Al-Muddathir 74:3

Al-Muddaththir (The Cloaked One): Verse 3

وَ رَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ (And your Lord, so magnify Him.)

There are several interpretations regarding the command to magnify (Takbir):

1. Al-Kalbi stated: It means to magnify your Lord above what the idolaters say.
2. Muqatil stated: It means saying, "Allahu Akbar" (God is the Greatest). It is narrated that when this verse was revealed, the Prophet (PBUH) stood up and said, "Allahu Akbar Kabiran" (God is the Greatest, the Great). Khadijah rejoiced and knew that revelation had come to him.
3. It refers to the Takbir performed in the formal prayers (Salawat).
   • Objection: This Surah was revealed at the beginning of the Prophetic mission when prayer was not yet obligatory.
   • Response: It is not unlikely that the Prophet (PBUH) had voluntary prayers at that time, and he was commanded to magnify his Lord in them.
4. My view (Al-Razi's): Since he was commanded, "Rise and warn" (قم فأنذر), it was then said to him, "And your Lord, so magnify Him" (وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ), meaning, magnify Him away from idle talk and frivolity. Know that He did not command you with this warning except for a profound wisdom and great duties that you must not neglect. Thus, the phrase "And your Lord" serves as an emphasis confirming the command, "Rise and warn."
5. Another view (Al-Razi's): Since he was commanded to warn, it is as if a questioner asked, "With what should he warn?" The answer was: By magnifying his Lord above partners, rivals, equals, and anything resembling contingent or created things. This is similar to His saying in Surah An-Nahl: "Warn them that there is no god but Me, so fear Me" (16:2). This indicates that the call to the knowledge of God and the knowledge of His absolute transcendence (Tanzih) precedes all other types of calls.

There are several views regarding the Fa' (so/then) in the phrase فَكَبِّرْ:

1. Abu al-Fath al-Mawsili stated: Just as one says, "Zayd, so strike him" (زيداً فاضرب), and "Amr, so thank him" (عمراً فاشكر), meaning, "Strike Zayd and thank Amr," he considers the Fa' to be superfluous (za'idah).
2. Al-Zajjaj stated: The Fa' is included to convey the meaning of consequence/result (jaza'iyyah). The meaning is: "Rise, so magnify your Lord," and the subsequent commands follow this interpretation.
3. The author of Al-Kashshaf stated: The Fa' is included to convey the meaning of conditionality (shart). The implied meaning is: "Whatever the situation may be, do not cease magnifying Him."

وَ ثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ (And your garments, so purify them.)