Section 1: Verses 1–19
Thematic progression across verses 1–19
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُزَّمِّلُ 1
Yaw ayyuhal muzzammil
O you Enwrapped one
قُمِ ٱلَّيۡلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلࣰ ا 2
Qumil laila illaa qaleelaa
Stay up during the night, except a little
نِّصۡفَهُۥٓ أَوِ ٱنقُصۡ مِنۡهُ قَلِيلًا 3
Nisfahooo awinqus minhu qaleelaa
For half of it, or reduce it a little
أَوۡ زِدۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ تَرۡتِيلًا 4
Aw zid 'alaihi wa rattilil Qur'aana tarteela
Or add to it; and chant the Quran rhythmically
إِنَّا سَنُلۡقِي عَلَيۡكَ قَوۡلࣰ ا ثَقِيلًا 5
Innaa sanulqee 'alika qawalan saqeelaa
We are about to give you a heavy message
إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطۡـࣰٔ ا وَأَقۡوَمُ قِيلًا 6
Inn naashi'atal laili hiya ashadddu wat anw wa aqwamu qeelaa
The vigil of night is more effective, and better suited for recitation
إِنَّ لَكَ فِي ٱلنَّهَارِ سَبۡحࣰ ا طَوِيلࣰ ا 7
Inna laka fin nahaari sabhan taweelaa
In the daytime, you have lengthy work to do
وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلۡ إِلَيۡهِ تَبۡتِيلࣰ ا 8
Wazkuris ma rabbika wa tabattal ilaihi tabteelaa
So remember the Name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him wholeheartedly
رَّبُّ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱتَّخِذۡهُ وَكِيلࣰ ا 9
Rabbul mashriqi wal maghriibi laaa ilaaha illaa Huwa fattakhizhu wakeelaa
Lord of the East and the West. There is no god but He, so take Him as a Trustee
وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهۡجُرۡهُمۡ هَجۡرࣰ ا جَمِيلࣰ ا 10
Wasbir 'alaa maa yaqoo loona wahjurhum hajran jameelaa
And endure patiently what they say, and withdraw from them politely
وَذَرۡنِي وَٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ أُوْلِي ٱلنَّعۡمَةِ وَمَهِّلۡهُمۡ قَلِيلًا 11
Wa zarnee walmukaz zibeena ulin na'mati wa mahhilhum qaleelaa
And leave Me to those who deny the truth, those of luxury, and give them a brief respite
إِنَّ لَدَيۡنَآ أَنكَالࣰ ا وَجَحِيمࣰ ا 12
Inna ladainaaa ankaalanw wa jaheemaa
With Us are shackles, and a Fierce Fire
وَطَعَامࣰ ا ذَا غُصَّةࣲ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمࣰ ا 13
Wa ta'aaman zaa ghussa tinw wa'azaaban aleemaa
And food that chokes, and a painful punishment
يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَٱلۡجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَثِيبࣰ ا مَّهِيلًا 14
Yawma tarjuful ardu waljibaalu wa kaanatil jibaalu kaseebam maheelaa
On the Day when the earth and the mountains tremble, and the mountains become heaps of sand
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكُمۡ رَسُولࣰ ا شَٰهِدًا عَلَيۡكُمۡ كَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ رَسُولࣰ ا 15
Innaa arsalnaaa ilaikum rasoolan shahidan 'alikum kamaaa arsalnaaa ilaa Fir'awna Rasoolna
We have sent to you a messenger, a witness over you, as We sent to Pharaoh a messenger
فَعَصَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُ أَخۡذࣰ ا وَبِيلࣰ ا 16
Fa'asaa Fir'awnur Rasoola fa akhaznaahu akhzanw wabeelaa
But Pharaoh defied the Messenger, so We seized him with a terrible seizing
فَكَيۡفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرۡتُمۡ يَوۡمࣰ ا يَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡوِلۡدَٰنَ شِيبًا 17
Fakaifa tattaqoona in kafartum yawmany yaj'alul wildaana sheeba
So how will you, if you persist in unbelief, save yourself from a Day which will turn the children gray-haired
ٱلسَّمَآءُ مُنفَطِرُۢ بِهِۦۚ كَانَ وَعۡدُهُۥ مَفۡعُولًا 18
Assamaaa'u munfatirum bih; kaana wa'duhoo maf'oola
The heaven will shatter thereby. His promise is always fulfilled
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذۡكِرَةࣱۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلًا 19
Inna haazihee tazkiratun fa man shaaa'at takhaza ilaa Rabbihee sabeelaa
This is a reminder. So whoever wills, let him take a path to his Lord
Section 2: Verses 20
Thematic progression across verses 20
۞إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعۡلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدۡنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَنِصۡفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةࣱ 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 حَسَنࣰ اۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرࣲ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيۡرࣰ ا وَأَعۡظَمَ أَجۡرࣰ اۚ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِيمُۢ 20
Inna Rabbaka ya'lamu annaka taqoomu adnaa min sulusa yil laili wa nisfahoo wa sulusahoo wa taaa'ifatum minal lazeena ma'ak; wal laahu yuqaddirul laila wanna haar; 'alima al lan tuhsoohu fataaba 'alaikum faqra'oo maa tayassara minal quraan; 'alima an sa yakoonu minkum mardaa wa aakharoona yadriboona fil ardi yabtaghoona min fadlil laahi wa aakharoona yuqaatiloona fee sabeelil laahi faqra'oo ma tayassara minhu wa aqeemus salaata wa aatuz zakaata wa aqridul laaha qardan hasanaa; wa maa tuqadimoo li anfusikum min khairin tajidoohu 'indal laahi huwa khayranw wa a'zama ajraa; wastaghfirul laahaa innal laaha ghafoorur raheem
Your Lord knows that you stay up nearly two-thirds of the night, or half of it, or one-third of it, along with a group of those with you. God designed the night and the day. He knows that you are unable to sustain it, so He has pardoned you. So read of the Quran what is possible for you. He knows that some of you may be ill; and others travelling through the land, seeking God’s bounty; and others fighting in God’s cause. So read of it what is possible for you, and observe the prayers, and give regular charity, and lend God a generous loan. Whatever good you advance for yourselves, you will find it with God, better and generously rewarded. And seek God’s forgiveness, for God is Forgiving and Merciful
Quran-Anchored Prophetic Context
Authentic narrations in the active corpus that explicitly cite, name, or explain verses in Surah Al-Muzzammil.
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ ابْنُ شَبُّويَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ النَّحْوِيِّ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ فِي الْمُزَّمِّلِ { قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً * نِصْفَهُ } نَسَخَتْهَا الآيَةُ الَّتِي فِيهَا { عَلِمَ أَنْ لَنْ تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ } وَنَاشِئَةُ اللَّيْلِ أَوَّلُهُ وَكَانَتْ صَلاَتُهُمْ لأَوَّلِ اللَّيْلِ يَقُولُ هُوَ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ تُحْصُوا مَا فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الإِنْسَانَ إِذَا نَامَ لَمْ يَدْرِ مَتَى يَسْتَيْقِظُ وَقَوْلُهُ { أَقْوَمُ قِيلاً } هُوَ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ يُفْقَهَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ وَقَوْلُهُ { إِنَّ لَكَ فِي النَّهَارِ سَبْحًا طَوِيلاً } يَقُولُ فَرَاغًا طَوِيلاً .
In Surat al-Muzzammil (73), the verse: "Keep vigil at night but a little, a half thereof" (2-3) has been abrogated by the following verse: "He knoweth that ye count it not, and turneth unto you in mercy. Recite then of the Qur'an that which is easy for you" (v.20). The phrase "the vigil of the night" (nashi'at al-layl) means the early hours of the night. They (the companions) would pray (the tahajjud prayer) in the early hours of the night. He (Ibn Abbas) says: It is advisable to offer the prayer at night (tahajjud), prescribed by Allah for you (in the early hours of the night). This is because when a person sleeps, he does not know when he will awake. The words "speech more certain" (aqwamu qilan) means that this time is more suitable for the understanding of the Qur'an. He says: The verse: "Lo, thou hast by day a chain of business" (v.7) means engagement for long periods (in the day's work).
حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ زُرَارَةَ بْنِ أَوْفَى، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ، قَالَ : طَلَّقْتُ امْرَأَتِي فَأَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ لأَبِيعَ عَقَارًا كَانَ لِي بِهَا، فَأَشْتَرِيَ بِهِ السِّلاَحَ وَأَغْزُوَ، فَلَقِيتُ نَفَرًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالُوا : قَدْ أَرَادَ نَفَرٌ مِنَّا سِتَّةٌ أَنْ يَفْعَلُوا ذَلِكَ فَنَهَاهُمُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَالَ : " لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ " . فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ وِتْرِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ : أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَعْلَمِ النَّاسِ بِوِتْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأْتِ عَائِشَةَ رضى الله عنها . فَأَتَيْتُهَا فَاسْتَتْبَعْتُ حَكِيمَ بْنَ أَفْلَحَ فَأَبَى فَنَاشَدْتُهُ فَانْطَلَقَ مَعِي، فَاسْتَأْذَنَّا عَلَى عَائِشَةَ، فَقَالَتْ : مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ : حَكِيمُ بْنُ أَفْلَحَ . قَالَتْ : وَمَنْ مَعَكَ قَالَ : سَعْدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ . قَالَتْ : هِشَامُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ الَّذِي قُتِلَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ : نَعَمْ . قَالَتْ : نِعْمَ الْمَرْءُ كَانَ عَامِرًا . قَالَ قُلْتُ : يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَدِّثِينِي عَنْ خُلُقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . قَالَتْ : أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّ خُلُقَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ الْقُرْآنَ . قَالَ قُلْتُ : حَدِّثِينِي عَنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ قَالَتْ : أَلَسْتَ تَقْرَأُ { يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ } قَالَ قُلْتُ : بَلَى . قَالَتْ : فَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ نَزَلَتْ، فَقَامَ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى انْتَفَخَتْ أَقْدَامُهُمْ، وَحُبِسَ خَاتِمَتُهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ اثْنَىْ عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، ثُمَّ نَزَلَ آخِرُهَا فَصَارَ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ تَطَوُّعًا بَعْدَ فَرِيضَةٍ . قَالَ قُلْتُ : حَدِّثِينِي عَنْ وِتْرِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم . قَالَتْ : كَانَ يُوتِرُ بِثَمَانِ رَكَعَاتٍ لاَ يَجْلِسُ إِلاَّ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ، ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي رَكْعَةً أُخْرَى، لاَ يَجْلِسُ إِلاَّ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ وَالتَّاسِعَةِ، وَلاَ يُسَلِّمُ إِلاَّ فِي التَّاسِعَةِ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنَىَّ، فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعِ رَكَعَاتٍ لَمْ يَجْلِسْ إِلاَّ فِي السَّادِسَةِ وَالسَّابِعَةِ، وَلَمْ يُسَلِّمْ إِلاَّ فِي السَّابِعَةِ، ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ، فَتِلْكَ هِيَ تِسْعُ رَكَعَاتٍ يَا بُنَىَّ، وَلَمْ يَقُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيْلَةً يُتِمُّهَا إِلَى الصَّبَاحِ، وَلَمْ يَقْرَإِ الْقُرْآنَ فِي لَيْلَةٍ قَطُّ، وَلَمْ يَصُمْ شَهْرًا يُتِمُّهُ غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ، وَكَانَ إِذَا صَلَّى صَلاَةً دَاوَمَ عَلَيْهَا، وَكَانَ إِذَا غَلَبَتْهُ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ بِنَوْمٍ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثِنْتَىْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً . قَالَ : فَأَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ . فَقَالَ : هَذَا وَاللَّهِ هُوَ الْحَدِيثُ، وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أُكَلِّمُهَا لأَتَيْتُهَا حَتَّى أُشَافِهَهَا بِهِ مُشَافَهَةً . قَالَ قُلْتُ : لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكَ لاَ تُكَلِّمُهَا مَا حَدَّثْتُكَ .
I divorced my wife. I then came to Medina to sell my land that was there so that I could buy arms and fight in battle. I met a group of the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ). They said: Six persons of us intended to do so (i.e. divorce their wives and purchase weapons), but the Prophet (ﷺ) prohibited them. He said: For you in the Messenger of Allah there is an excellent model. I then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the witr observed by the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: I point to you a person who is most familiar with the witr observed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Go to 'Aishah. While going to her I asked Hakim b. Aflah to accompany me. He refused, but I adjured him. He, therefore, went along with me. We sought permission to enter upon 'Aishah. She said: Who is this ? He said: Hakim b. Aflah. She asked: Who is with you ? He replied: Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Hisham son of 'Amir who was killed in the Battle of Uhud. I said: Yes. She said: What a good man 'Amir was! I said: Mother of faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She asked: Do you not recite the Quran ? The character of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was the Qur'an. I asked: Tell me about his vigil and prayer at night. She replied: Do you not recite: "O thou folded in garments" (73:1). I said: Why not ? When the opening of this Surah was revealed, the Companions stood praying (most of the night) until their fett swelled, and the concluding verses were not revealed for twelve months from heaven. At last the concluding verses were revealed and the prayer at night became voluntary after it was obligatory. I said: Tell me about the witr of the Prophet (ﷺ). She replied: He used to pray eight rak'ahs, sitting only during the eighth of them. Then he would stand up and pray another rak'ahs. He would sit only after the eighth and the ninth rak'ahs. He would utter salutation only after the ninth rak'ah. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting and that made eleven rak'ahs, O my son. But when he grew old and became fleshy he observed a witr of seven, sitting only in sixth and seventh rak'ahs, and would utter salutation only after the seventh rak'ah. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting, and that made nine rak'ahs, O my son. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would not pray through a whole night, or recite the whole Qur'an in a night or fast a complete month except in Ramadan. When he offered prayer, he would do that regularly. When he was overtaken by sleep at night, he would pray twelve rak'ahs. The narrator said: I came to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated all this to him. By Allah, this is really a tradition. Has I been on speaking terms with her, I would have come to her and heard it from her mouth. I said: If I knew that you were not on speaking terms with her, I would have never narrated it to you.
حَدَّثَنَا نُوحُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ، وَيَحْيَى بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ طَاوُسٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ : بِتُّ عِنْدَ خَالَتِي مَيْمُونَةَ فَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُصَلِّي مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى ثَلاَثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مِنْهَا رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ، حَزَرْتُ قِيَامَهُ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ بِقَدْرِ { يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ } لَمْ يَقُلْ نُوحٌ : مِنْهَا رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ .
I spent a night with my maternal aunt Maymunah. The Prophet (ﷺ) got up to pray at night. He prayed thirteen rak'ahs including two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer. I guessed that he stood in every rak'ah as long as one could recite Surah al-Muzzammil (73).