The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) now knew for certain that he had became the Prophet of Allah, The Ever-Merciful, The Ever-Generous. Jibreel (Gabriel), may Allah exalt his mention, came for the second time, and Allah The Almighty revealed to His Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) the verses in which He Says (what means): {O you who covers himself [with a garment], Arise and warn, And your Lord glorify, And your clothing purify, And uncleanliness avoid.} [Quran 74: 1-5]
These verses indicated to the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) that the past, with its sleeping and its calmness, had come to an end. Allah The Almighty informed him that he had to do great work and that he needed to be alert and exert great effort. Allah The Exalted told him that he had to warn people and inform them beyond any excuse of ignorance about the Message of Islam. So, he was required to convey the message, direct people, find amiability with the Divine Revelation, and be patient with its difficulty as it was the source of his message and call.
These verses are considered the first command for Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) to proclaim the Da'wah (call) and fulfill its duties and responsibilities. These verses refer to certain matters which are considered the summary of the call and the foundation upon which Islam is built - that is, the oneness of Allah, belief in the Last Day, purifying the souls, protecting the community against corruption and bringing benefit to it.
These verses were to boost the determination of the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) and to fulfill the obligation of proclaiming the message of his Lord and move forward his call, regardless of impediments and obstacles. The command started with this kind call {O you who covers himself} to boost his determination and urge him to abandon times of sleep and comfort.
This call was followed by a decisive command to arise; {Arise} in a challenging determination and strict power that tends in the direction of achieving the duty of conveying the Message. The command was restricted to warning, without commanding the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) to bring glad tidings, in the first address directed to him after the period when the Revelation had stopped for a while. This implied that his message was based on patient struggle and bitter challenge.
Then the verses boosted the determination of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) by further encouraging him and urging him to move forward in order to achieve the goal that he had been commanded to attain, regardless of the obstacles that would meet him in his way. Therefore, it was said to him: {And your Lord glorify} This was a command for the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) to neither exalt nor fear any of the affairs of creation, nor to fear anyone or any of their deeds. This was meant to tell the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) to glorify and exalt his Lord who had safeguarded him since he was still unborn.
These verses reminded Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) of Allah’s favors that encompassed him at all times and of Allah’s kindness and generosity. These verses were a reminder to Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) that Allah The Almighty supported him, prepared him physically and morally for the great Message of Islam until He made him His Prophet and Messenger. {And your Lord glorify} meant all glorification, exaltation and veneration, which is exclusively due to Allah The Almighty alone; none of His creatures are to share it with Him.
The verse what means: {And your clothing purify} is as if it was said to the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) that although Allah The Almighty created him to be pure and perfect as a human, granted him the noblest morals and granted him prophethood, despite all this Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) was required to seek further purification for himself, and thereby had to have further noble qualities with people as well as other animate and inanimate things. Allah The Almighty was telling Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) that he was now the Messenger of Allah to the worlds and that the perfection of the message was represented in the perfection of social manners such as patience, forbearance, forgiveness, benevolence, and persistence on exerting the utmost effort to call people to Allah The Almighty. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) was made to understand that whatever harm he might face, this was not to distract him from his goal, and whatever severe trial he might face should not stop him from proceeding towards his aim.
The verse that means {And uncleanliness avoid} is as if it was said to the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) let your aim and intention behind what you have avoided by nature be the fulfillment of the obligation of Allah The Almighty and to worship Him, so that you would be a role model for your Ummah (nation) and a symbol of its purification, thanks to the guidance of your Message.
