Surah 73
Enfolded
Al-Muzzammil 🌃
Giving crucial spiritual instructions to the Prophet during the difficult early days of his mission, this surah commands him to spend a large part of the night in prayer to prepare for the heavy revelation ahead. The title comes from the first verse, which affectionately addresses the Prophet as enfolded in his cloak.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
1You [Prophet], enfolded in your cloak!
2Stay up throughout the night, all but a small part of it,
3Half, or a little less,
4Or a little more; recite the Qur’an slowly and distinctly:
5We shall send a momentous message down to you.
6Night prayer makes a deeper impression and sharpens words —
7You are kept busy for long periods of the day —
8So celebrate the name of your Lord and devote yourself wholeheartedly to Him.
9He is Lord of the east and west, there is no god but Him, so take Him as your Protector,
10Patiently endure what they say, ignore them politely,
11And leave to Me those who deny the truth and live in luxury. Bear with them for a little while —
12We have fetters, a blazing fire,
13Food that chokes, and agonizing torment in store for them
14On the Day when the earth and the mountains will shake. The mountains will become a heap of loose sand.
15We have sent a messenger to you [people] to be your witness, just as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh,
16But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger and so We inflicted a heavy punishment on him.
17So if you disbelieve, how can you guard yourselves against a Day that will turn children’s hair grey,
18A Day when the sky will be torn apart? God’s promise will certainly be fulfilled.
19This is a reminder. Let whoever wishes take the way to his Lord.
20[Prophet], your Lord is well aware that you sometimes spend nearly two-thirds of the night at prayer — sometimes half, sometimes a third — as do some of your followers. God determines the division of night and day. He knows that you will not be able to keep a measure of it and He has relented towards all of you, so recite as much of the Qur’an as is easy for you. He knows that some of you will be sick, some of you travelling through the land seeking God’s bounty, some of you fighting in God’s way: recite as much as is easy for you, keep up the prayer, pay the prescribed alms, and make God a good loan. Whatever good you store up for yourselves will be improved and increased for you. Ask God for His forgiveness, He is most forgiving, most merciful.