The second descent of Jibril: the opening of surat al-Muddaththir

After the pause in revelation, Gabriel came to the Prophet a second time, and God sent down the opening verses of Surat al-Muddaththir, commanding him to rise and warn. Revelation then came back and followed one after another. ^{1 2 3}

Al-Bukhari relates from Jabir ibn Abd Allah that he heard the Prophet speak of the pause in revelation: while he was walking he heard a voice from heaven, and raised his eyes to see the angel who had come to him at Hira sitting on a chair between heaven and earth; he was seized with fear until he fell to the ground. He came home and asked to be wrapped up, and God sent down al-Muddaththir 1 to His words "and abandon" (al-Muddaththir 5), and then revelation came back and followed one after another. ^{1 2 3}

The author holds that the commands at the start of al-Muddaththir, to rise and warn, to magnify the Lord, to purify garments, to abandon uncleanness, and not to seek increase by favour, and to be patient for the Lord, are simple in their outward sense and far-reaching in their effect. ⁴ He explains their aims: that no one opposed to God's pleasure is left without warning; that no pride remains on earth without being broken before the pride of God; that the purification of the outward and the inward should reach its goal; that a man should not count his efforts great; and that he should bear the harm of the obstinate purely for the pleasure of his Lord. ⁴ The materials of the call he drew from them are set out in the materials of the call. ⁵

The author quotes from Sayyid Qutb's Fi Zilal al-Qur'an the meaning of the call at the opening of the surah: one who lives for himself may live at ease, but the bearer of this burden has passed the time of sleep and rest; the Prophet rose after it and stood in the call for more than twenty years, not resting and not living for himself or his family. ^{5 6 7}

• The last two paragraphs are the author's and Sayyid Qutb's interpretation, not a historical description.
• The hadith in al-Bukhari, in the book of commentary, chapter "And the uncleanness, abandon", is the one the author refers to. ²