Allah the Most Glorious and Exalted revealed this:" You who are shrouded, arise and deliver warning, your Lord magnify, your clothes cleanse and defilement shun," before making the prayer obligatory. I felt terror-stricken as narrated by Uqail.
The Book of Faith - Sahih Muslim 161 c
This narration from the Sahih Muslim collection describes the initial revelation commanding the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to begin his public mission of warning humanity and establishing tawhid (monotheism).
Context of Revelation
This divine address occurred during the early Meccan period, following the first revelations in Cave Hira. The command "arise and deliver warning" marks the transition from private revelation to public proclamation of Islam.
The instruction preceded the formal obligation of the five daily prayers, indicating the foundational nature of these commands in establishing Islamic worship and purification.
Scholarly Commentary
"You who are shrouded" refers to the Prophet wrapping himself in garments during periods of contemplation and revelation. This state signifies both physical covering and spiritual preparation for the weighty responsibility of prophethood.
"Your Lord magnify" establishes tawhid as the primary message - affirming Allah's greatness and supremacy above all creation, which forms the core of Islamic belief.
"Your clothes cleanse" encompasses both physical purification and spiritual cleansing from pre-Islamic practices, while "defilement shun" refers to avoiding idolatry and all forms of spiritual pollution.
Spiritual Significance
The narrator's feeling of terror reflects the profound awe and gravity associated with divine revelation. Classical scholars note this demonstrates the seriousness of the prophetic mission and the transformation required to deliver Allah's message to humanity.
This sequence of commands establishes the essential pillars of da'wah: purification of belief, moral rectitude, and courageous proclamation of truth - principles that remain fundamental to Islamic practice.