Surah 73 · Meccan · 20 Verses
المزمل
SURAH AL-MUZZAMMIL
The Enshrouded One
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
قُمِ ٱلَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا
Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little -
نِّصْفَهُۥٓ أَوِ ٱنقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا
Half of it - or subtract from it a little
أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ تَرْتِيلًا
Or add to it, and recite the Qur’ān with measured recitation.
إِنَّ لَكَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ سَبْحًۭا طَوِيلًۭا
Indeed, for you by day is prolonged occupation.
وَٱذْكُرِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًۭا
And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion.
وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًۭا جَمِيلًۭا
And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance.
وَذَرْنِى وَٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ أُو۟لِى ٱلنَّعْمَةِ وَمَهِّلْهُمْ قَلِيلًا
And leave Me with [the matter of] the deniers, those of ease [in life], and allow them respite a little.
إِنَّ لَدَيْنَآ أَنكَالًۭا وَجَحِيمًۭا
Indeed, with Us [for them] are shackles and burning fire
وَطَعَامًۭا ذَا غُصَّةٍۢ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمًۭا
And food that chokes and a painful punishment -
يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَثِيبًۭا مَّهِيلًا
On the Day the earth and the mountains will convulse and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down.
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًۭا شَٰهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًۭا
Indeed, We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness upon you just as We sent to Pharaoh a messenger.
فَعَصَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَٰهُ أَخْذًۭا وَبِيلًۭا
But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We seized him with a ruinous seizure.
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذْكِرَةٌۭ ۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلًا
Indeed, this is a reminder, so whoever wills may take to his Lord a way.
۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَىِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَىٰ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًۭا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍۢ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًۭا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًۭا ۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۢ
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 it1785 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.1786 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.
About This Surah
Surah Al-Muzzammil prepares the Messenger for a weighty message through night prayer, measured recitation, remembrance, patience, and trust. Its closing verse recognizes illness, travel, work, and struggle, easing the earlier night schedule and commanding what is manageable. The chapter supports disciplined worship without promoting sleep deprivation, fixed universal quotas, health neglect, or guaranteed success from a particular recitation count.
Al-Muzzammil addresses the wrapped Messenger and calls him to stand for much of the night, reciting the Quran in a measured manner. The reason is preparation for a weighty message. Night quiet supports focused devotion, while daytime contains prolonged activity.
The instruction is tied to the Messenger’s formation and is later moderated explicitly. The final verse acknowledges that exact calculation is difficult and names illness, travel in search of provision, and struggle. It commands reciting what is manageable, maintaining prayer, giving charity, and seeking forgiveness.
This internal easing is essential. The surah must not be used to impose chronic sleep deprivation, shame people with illness or caregiving burdens, or establish one schedule as the measure of faith. Medical needs, disability, work safety, and necessary rest are real responsibilities.
The chapter also instructs remembrance, devoted reliance, patience toward hostile speech, and dignified withdrawal. Judgment scenes recall Pharaoh’s rejection and warn of a day that makes children gray, but no date is supplied.
Measured recitation concerns attentive delivery and engagement. It does not establish a guaranteed manifestation technique, exam result, income promise, or fixed-count cure. Worship is demanding yet proportioned by the text itself.
Core Themes
- Night worship preparing for responsibility
- Measured and attentive recitation
- A weighty message and daytime work
- Patience and dignified withdrawal
- Explicit easing for illness and travel
- Worship proportioned to capacity
Structure
Verses 1-9: Night standing, measured recitation, and remembrance — 1-9
Verses 1-9 focus on night standing, measured recitation, and remembrance.
Verses 10-14: Patience, dignified withdrawal, and warning — 10-14
Verses 10-14 focus on patience, dignified withdrawal, and warning.
Verses 15-19: Pharaoh and the final Day — 15-19
Verses 15-19 focus on pharaoh and the final day.
Verses 20: Easing, capacity, prayer, charity, and forgiveness — 20
Verses 20 focus on easing, capacity, prayer, charity, and forgiveness.
Key Passages
Night standing, measured recitation, and remembrance — 1-9
Verses 1-9 address night standing, measured recitation, and remembrance.
Patience, dignified withdrawal, and warning — 10-14
Verses 10-14 address patience, dignified withdrawal, and warning.
Pharaoh and the final Day — 15-19
Verses 15-19 address pharaoh and the final day.
Easing, capacity, prayer, charity, and forgiveness — 20
Verses 20 address easing, capacity, prayer, charity, and forgiveness.
Recitation Note
No exclusive time, fixed repetition count, or guaranteed worldly outcome is asserted here for reciting Surah Al-Muzzammil. Reading it is worship and study; any claim about protection, healing, provision, family outcomes, or a prescribed number requires separate exact evidence and narrow wording.
Interpretation Limits
- The night schedule must not be imposed as a universal quota or used to promote sleep deprivation.
- Illness, disability, caregiving, travel, and work safety must not be shamed.
- Measured recitation does not guarantee exams, income, healing, or other worldly outcomes.
- Final-judgment imagery supplies no date or current-event prediction.