Surah 073
Al-Muzzammil
المزمل
20 verses · Meccan
Key structural observations
- The surah is structured around a reversal of lightness: the soul does not stabilise by escaping weight, but by accepting the revealed weight that gives it ballast.
- Night becomes the surah's workshop of formation: qiyām and tartīl build an interior counterweight that makes the day bearable instead of scattered.
- Its architecture therefore links chosen burden to true ease: what feels heavy at first is precisely what prevents the soul from becoming light in the wrong way.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ
O you who wraps himself [in clothing],
قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little -
نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انْقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا
Half of it - or subtract from it a little
أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا
Or add to it, and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation.
إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا
Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word.
إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْئًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا
Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence [of heart and tongue] and more suitable for words.
إِنَّ لَكَ فِي النَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا
Indeed, for you by day is prolonged occupation.
وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا
And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion.
رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا
[He is] the Lord of the East and the West; there is no deity except Him, so take Him as Disposer of [your] affairs.
وَاصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَاهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًا جَمِيلًا
And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance.
وَذَرْنِي وَالْمُكَذِّبِينَ أُولِي النَّعْمَةِ وَمَهِّلْهُمْ قَلِيلًا
And leave Me with [the matter of] the deniers, those of ease [in life], and allow them respite a little.
إِنَّ لَدَيْنَا أَنْكَالًا وَجَحِيمًا
Indeed, with Us [for them] are shackles and burning fire
وَطَعَامًا ذَا غُصَّةٍ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
And food that chokes and a painful punishment -
يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الْأَرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ الْجِبَالُ كَثِيبًا مَهِيلًا
On the Day the earth and the mountains will convulse and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down.
إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا
Indeed, We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness upon you just as We sent to Pharaoh a messenger.
فَعَصَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُ أَخْذًا وَبِيلًا
But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We seized him with a ruinous seizure.
فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْمًا يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَانَ شِيبًا
Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a Day that will make the children white- haired?
السَّمَاءُ مُنْفَطِرٌ بِهِ ۚ كَانَ وَعْدُهُ مَفْعُولًا
The heaven will break apart therefrom; ever is His promise fulfilled.
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ تَذْكِرَةٌ ۖ فَمَنْ شَاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِ سَبِيلًا
Indeed, this is a reminder, so whoever wills may take to his Lord a way.
۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِنْ ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَنْ سَيَكُونُ مِنْكُمْ مَرْضَىٰ ۙ وَآخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ ۙ وَآخَرُونَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا ۚ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.