The Mantled One
In the Name of Allah,
the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
(1) O you wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad SAW)!
(2) Stand (to pray) all night, except a little.
(3) Half of it, or a little less than that,
(4) Or a little more; and recite the Quran (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style.
(5) Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word (i.e. obligations, legal laws, etc.).
(6) Verily, the rising by night (for Tahajjud prayer) is very hard and most potent and good for governing (the soul), and most suitable for (understanding) the Word (of Allah).
(7) Verily, there is for you by day prolonged occupation with ordinary duties,
(8) And remember the Name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with a complete devotion.
(9) (He Alone is) the Lord of the east and the west, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). So take Him Alone as Wakil (Disposer of your affairs).
(10) And be patient (O Muhammad SAW) with what they say, and keep away from them in a good way.
(11) And leave Me Alone to deal with the beliers (those who deny My Verses, etc.), and those who are in possession of good things of life. And give them respite for a little while.
(12) Verily, with Us are fetters (to bind them), and a raging Fire.
(13) And a food that chokes, and a painful torment.
(14) On the Day when the earth and the mountains will be in violent shake, and the mountains will be a heap of sand poured out and flowing down.
(15) Verily, We have sent to you (O men) a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) to be a witness over you, as We did send a Messenger [Musa (Moses)] to Fir'aun (Pharaoh).
(16) But Fir'aun (Pharaoh) disobeyed the Messenger [Musa (Moses)], so We seized him with a severe punishment.
(17) Then how can you avoid the punishment, if you disbelieve, on a Day that will make the children grey-headed (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)?
(18) Whereon the heaven will be cleft asunder? His Promise is certainly to be accomplished.
(19) Verily, this is an admonition, therefore whosoever will, let him take a Path to His Lord!
(20) Verily, your Lord knows that you do stand (to pray at night) a little less than two-thirds of the night, or half the night, or a third of the night, and so do a party of those with you, And Allah measures the night and the day. He knows that you are unable to pray the whole night, so He has turned to you (in mercy). So, recite you of the Quran as much as may be easy for you. He knows that there will be some among you sick, others travelling through the land, seeking of Allah's Bounty; yet others fighting in Allah's Cause. So recite as much of the Quran as may be easy (for you), and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat, and lend to Allah a goodly loan, and whatever good you send before you for yourselves, (i.e. Nawafil non-obligatory acts of worship: prayers, charity, fasting, Hajj and 'Umrah, etc.), you will certainly find it with Allah, better and greater in reward. And seek Forgiveness of Allah. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.
