Tafsir of Al-Muddathir 74:49-56

{ عن التذكرة } (From the Reminder): Meaning the admonition. It refers to the Qur’an or other forms of exhortation.

{ معرضين } (Turning away): In the accusative case as a circumstantial qualifier (ḥāl), similar to saying, "Why are you standing?" (mālika qāʾiman).

{ والمستنفرة } (Fleeing): Extremely averse, as if they seek to flee from their very selves in their gathering and being driven toward it. It is also read with a fatḥa (al-mustanfarah), meaning "driven," compelled to flee.

{ والقسورة } (The lion/hunter): A group of hunters who track them. It is also said to mean the lion; one says luyūth qasāwir (lions). It is of the pattern faʿūlah derived from qasr, meaning coercion and overcoming. Ḥaydarah (another name for the lion) follows the same weight. Ibn Abbas said it refers to the clamor of people and their voices. Ikrimah said it refers to the darkness of the night.

They are likened in their turning away from the Qur’an, their refusal to listen to the reminder, and their flight from it, to wild donkeys that have been startled by something that frightened them. Comparing them to donkeys is a clear disparagement and an obvious degradation of their state, as in the verse: "Like the donkey carrying books" (Jumuʿah: 5), serving as testimony to their stupidity and lack of intellect. There is nothing like the flight of wild donkeys and their rapid running when they perceive a threat. This is why the Arabs most often use the donkey to describe the speed of camels and their flight when they arrive at water and sense a hunter.

{ صحفاً منشرة } (Unrolled scrolls): Sheets that are spread out. It is read as kutub (books) that are written, or books written in heaven and brought down by angels at the moment of their writing, spread out in their hands, fresh and moist, not yet folded. This is because they said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "We will not follow you until you bring to each one of us a book from heaven, addressed from the Lord of the Worlds to so-and-so, son of so-and-so, commanding us to follow you." This is similar to: "And they said: We will not believe in you until you send down to us a book that we may read" (Isra’: 93), and: "And if We had sent down to you a book on parchment and they had touched it with their hands..." (Anʿam: 7). It is also said they meant: "If Muhammad is truthful, let there be at the head of every man among us a scroll containing his acquittal and security from the Fire." Others said they used to say: "We heard that a man from the Children of Israel would wake up with his sin and his atonement written above his head; bring us the like of that." This is far removed from the meaning of "unrolled scrolls," unless it means simply "open, exposed writings." Saʿid ibn Jubayr read it with the takhfīf (lightening) of both words, as nashara and anshara are synonymous, like anzala and nazzala.

{ كلا } (Nay): A rebuke to them regarding that demand, and a restraint against their proposing signs. Then He said: { بل لا يخافون الآخرة } (But they do not fear the Hereafter). Thus, they turned away from the Reminder, not because of the impossibility of providing the scrolls.

{ إنه تذكرة } (It is a reminder): Meaning an eloquent, sufficient reminder, its sufficiency being absolute. { فمن شاء } (So whoever wills) to remember it, not forget it, and keep it before his eyes, let him do so, for the benefit of that returns to him. The pronoun in innahu (it) and dhakara (remembers) refers to the tadhkirah (Reminder) in the verse "Why are they turning away from the Reminder?" It is masculine because it carries the meaning of dhikr (remembrance) or Qur’an.

{ وما يذكرون إلا أن يشاء الله } (And they will not remember unless Allah wills): Meaning, unless He compels them to remember and forces them to it, for their hearts are sealed. It is known that they will not believe by their own choice.

{ هو أهل التقوى وأهل المغفرة } (He is worthy of being feared and worthy of forgiving): He is worthy that His servants should fear Him and dread His punishment, so they believe and obey; and He is worthy of forgiving them when they believe and obey. Anas narrated from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "He is worthy to be feared, and worthy to forgive those who fear Him."

It is read as "yadhakkirūn" (they remember) with the ya and ta, both light and heavy.

From the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Whoever recites Surah al-Muddaththir, Allah will give him ten good deeds for every person who believed in Muhammad or denied him in Makkah."