بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمـٰنِ الرَّحيمِ يا أَيُّهَا المُزَّمِّلُ

O you, Enwrapped.

قُمِ اللَّيلَ إِلّا قَليلًا

Stand in prayer at night, except for a little.

نِصفَهُ أَوِ انقُص مِنهُ قَليلًا

Half of it, or subtract a little from it.

أَو زِد عَلَيهِ وَرَتِّلِ القُرآنَ تَرتيلًا

Or add to it, and recite the Quran with measured recitation.

إِنّا سَنُلقي عَلَيكَ قَولًا ثَقيلًا

We will send down to you a heavy word.

إِنَّ ناشِئَةَ اللَّيلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطئًا وَأَقوَمُ قيلًا

The night vigil is more effective, and more suitable for understanding.

إِنَّ لَكَ فِي النَّهارِ سَبحًا طَويلًا

You have during the day long engagements.

وَاذكُرِ اسمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّل إِلَيهِ تَبتيلًا

Invoke the name of your Lord, and dedicate yourself to Him wholeheartedly.

رَبُّ المَشرِقِ وَالمَغرِبِ لا إِلـٰهَ إِلّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذهُ وَكيلًا

Lord of the east and the west, there is no deity except Him, so take Him as Trustee.

وَاصبِر عَلىٰ ما يَقولونَ وَاهجُرهُم هَجرًا جَميلًا

And bear patiently what they say, and leave them in a dignified manner.

وَذَرني وَالمُكَذِّبينَ أُولِي النَّعمَةِ وَمَهِّلهُم قَليلًا

And leave Me and the deniers, the possessors of ease and comfort; and respite them for a while.

إِنَّ لَدَينا أَنكالًا وَجَحيمًا

We prepared chains, and a blazing fire.

وَطَعامًا ذا غُصَّةٍ وَعَذابًا أَليمًا

And food that gags, and a torment most painful.

يَومَ تَرجُفُ الأَرضُ وَالجِبالُ وَكانَتِ الجِبالُ كَثيبًا مَهيلًا

The Day the earth and the mountains will quake, and the mountains will become like shifting mounds of sand.

إِنّا أَرسَلنا إِلَيكُم رَسولًا شاهِدًا عَلَيكُم كَما أَرسَلنا إِلىٰ فِرعَونَ رَسولًا

We have sent to you a Messenger, a witness over you, just as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh.

فَعَصىٰ فِرعَونُ الرَّسولَ فَأَخَذناهُ أَخذًا وَبيلًا

But Pharaoh defied the Messenger, so We seized him with a devastating grip.

فَكَيفَ تَتَّقونَ إِن كَفَرتُم يَومًا يَجعَلُ الوِلدانَ شيبًا

If you persist in disbelief, how will you guard yourselves on a Day that will turn children’s hair white?

السَّماءُ مُنفَطِرٌ بِهِ ۚ كانَ وَعدُهُ مَفعولًا

The heavens will crack from it. His promise is always fulfilled.

إِنَّ هـٰذِهِ تَذكِرَةٌ ۖ فَمَن شاءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلىٰ رَبِّهِ سَبيلًا

This is a reminder, so whoever wills may take a path toward his Lord.

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقومُ أَدنىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ اللَّيلِ وَنِصفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطائِفَةٌ مِنَ الَّذينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ اللَّيلَ وَالنَّهارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَن تُحصوهُ فَتابَ عَلَيكُم ۖ فَاقرَءوا ما تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ القُرآنِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكونُ مِنكُم مَرضىٰ ۙ وَآخَرونَ يَضرِبونَ فِي الأَرضِ يَبتَغونَ مِن فَضلِ اللَّهِ ۙ وَآخَرونَ يُقاتِلونَ في سَبيلِ اللَّهِ ۖ فَاقرَءوا ما تَيَسَّرَ مِنهُ ۚ وَأَقيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكاةَ وَأَقرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرضًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَما تُقَدِّموا لِأَنفُسِكُم مِن خَيرٍ تَجِدوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيرًا وَأَعظَمَ أَجرًا ۚ وَاستَغفِرُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ

Your Lord knows that you stand for nearly two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or a third of it, and so do a party of those who are with you. God regulates the night and the day. He knew that you wouldn’t be able to do it, so He relented towards you. Read what’s easy from the Quran. He knows that some of you may be ill, others traveling through the land seeking God’s bounty, and others fighting in God’s cause. So read what’s easy from it. Establish prayer, give the purifying charity, and lend God a good loan. Whatever good you forward for yourselves, you’ll find it with God, better and more significant in reward. And seek forgiveness from God; God is Forgiving and Merciful.