Al-Mukhtasar · Tafsir · in English
المزمل
Al-Muzzammil
The Enshrouded One · Meccan · 20 ayahs
O you wrapped up in your clothes (i.e. the Prophet (peace be upon him)).
Offer prayer at night except for a little part of it.
Pray for half of it if you wish, or pray for a little less than half until you reach one third.
73:4Page 574
أَوۡ زِدۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ تَرۡتِيلًا ٤
Or add to it, and recite the Qur’ān with measured recitation.
Or increase it until you reach two thirds. Make the Qur’ān clear when you recite it and recite it slowly.
73:5Page 574
إِنَّا سَنُلۡقِي عَلَيۡكَ قَوۡلٗا ثَقِيلًا ٥
Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word.1
I am going to send down on you, O Messenger, the Qur’ān, which is a heavy word, due to the obligations, limits, provisions, etiquettes etc. that it contains.
73:6Page 574
إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطۡـٔٗا وَأَقۡوَمُ قِيلًا ٦
Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence [of heart and tongue]1 and more suitable for words.2
The hours of the night are more suited to the heart for recitation and more correct in speech.
73:7Page 574
إِنَّ لَكَ فِي ٱلنَّهَارِ سَبۡحٗا طَوِيلٗا ٧
Indeed, for you by day is prolonged occupation.
In the day you are busy in your work, and are distracted from reciting the Qur’ān, so pray at night.
73:8Page 574
وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلۡ إِلَيۡهِ تَبۡتِيلٗا ٨
And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion.
Remember Allah with various forms of remembrance, and devote yourself to Him (may He be glorified) fully by making your worship solely for Him.
73:9Page 574
رَّبُّ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱتَّخِذۡهُ وَكِيلٗا ٩
[He is] the Lord of the East and the West; there is no deity except Him, so take Him as Disposer of [your] affairs.1
The Lord of the East and the Lord of the West. There is none deserving of worship besides Him. So take Him as a Trustee Whom you rely on in all your affairs.
73:10Page 574
وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهۡجُرۡهُمۡ هَجۡرٗا جَمِيلٗا ١٠
And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance.
Be patient over the mockery and abuse uttered by those who deny, and leave them in a manner that causes no harm.
73:11Page 574
وَذَرۡنِي وَٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ أُوْلِي ٱلنَّعۡمَةِ وَمَهِّلۡهُمۡ قَلِيلًا ١١
And leave Me with [the matter of] the deniers, those of ease [in life], and allow them respite a little.
Do not be concerned about the state of those who deny, those who enjoy the pleasures of the world. Leave them to Me and wait a little for them until their appointed time comes.
73:12Page 574
إِنَّ لَدَيۡنَآ أَنكَالٗا وَجَحِيمٗا ١٢
Indeed, with Us [for them] are shackles and burning fire
In the afterlife, I have heavy chains and a blazing fire.
73:13Page 574
وَطَعَامٗا ذَا غُصَّةٖ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمٗا ١٣
And food that chokes and a painful punishment -
And a food that chokes the throats because of its extreme bitterness, and a painful punishment, in addition to the above.
73:14Page 574
يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَٱلۡجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَثِيبٗا مَّهِيلًا ١٤
On the Day the earth and the mountains will convulse and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down.
That punishment will occur to those who deny on the day when the earth and the mountains will shake and the mountains will become scattered flowing sand because of its extreme horror.
73:15Page 574
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكُمۡ رَسُولٗا شَٰهِدًا عَلَيۡكُمۡ كَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ رَسُولٗا ١٥
Indeed, We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness upon you just as We sent to Pharaoh a messenger.
I have sent to you a messenger as a witness over your actions on the day of judgment just as I sent to Pharaoh a messenger, who was Moses, (peace be upon him).
73:16Page 574
فَعَصَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُ أَخۡذٗا وَبِيلٗا ١٦
But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We seized him with a ruinous seizure.
But Pharaoh went against the messenger who was sent to him from his Lord, so I punished him with a severe punishment in the world by drowning and in the afterlife by the punishment of the fire. So you do not go against your messenger or you will be afflicted by what afflicted him.
73:17Page 574
فَكَيۡفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرۡتُمۡ يَوۡمٗا يَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡوِلۡدَٰنَ شِيبًا ١٧
Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a Day that will make the children white-haired?1
So how will you protect yourselves - if you reject Allah and deny His messenger - from a long, severe day that will make the head of young children white because of the severity of its horror and its length.
73:18Page 574
ٱلسَّمَآءُ مُنفَطِرُۢ بِهِۦۚ كَانَ وَعۡدُهُۥ مَفۡعُولًا ١٨
The heaven will break apart therefrom;1 ever is His promise fulfilled.
The sky will split because of its horror. Allah’s promise will be inevitably fulfilled.
73:19Page 574
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذۡكِرَةٞۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلًا ١٩
Indeed, this is a reminder, so whoever wills may take to his Lord a way.
This admonition - containing an exposition of the horror and severity of the day of judgment - is a reminder that is of benefit to the believers. So whoever wishes to take a path that leads to His Lord let him do so.
73:20Page 575
۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعۡلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدۡنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَنِصۡفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٞ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحۡصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرۡضَىٰ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضۡرِبُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَبۡتَغُونَ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنۡهُۚ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقۡرِضُواْ ٱللَّهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنٗاۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرٖ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيۡرٗا وَأَعۡظَمَ أَجۡرٗاۚ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمُۢ ٢٠
Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muḥammad], 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 Allāh determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it1 and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur’ān. 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 Allāh and others fighting for the cause of Allāh. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakāh and loan Allāh a goodly loan.2 And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allāh. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
Your Lord, O Messenger, knows that you sometimes spend less than two thirds of the night in prayer, sometimes you stand for half the night, sometimes a third, and a group of the believers stand with you. Allah determines the night and day and counts their hours. He (may He be glorified) knows that you are not able to count and keep a record of its hours, and thus standing for the most part of it seeking the required will be difficult for you. He therefore has accepted your repentance. So pray at night as much as is easy for you. Allah knows that some of you, O believers, may be ill and constrained by illness - others will be travelling seeking Allah’s provision, and others will be fighting the disbelievers seeking Allah’s pleasure and to promote Allah’s word. For these people standing in prayer at night is difficult, so pray at night as much as is easy for you and discharge the obligatory prayer in the most perfect manner. Give the charity of your wealth and spend from your wealth in Allah’s path. Whatever good you send forward for yourselves, you will find it to be better and greater in reward. Seek forgiveness from Allah. Allah Forgiving towards those of His servants who repent and He is merciful to them.
Text: Quranic Universal Library (Tarteel), via spa5k/tafsir_api (MIT), at a fixed version. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences