Surah 73
Surah Al-Muzzammil (The Enshrouded One)
المزمل
Also written: Muzammil, Muzzammil
Surah Al-Muzzammil (المزمل) is surah 73 of the 114 surahs of the Quran. It has 20 ayahs, was revealed in Mecca (Meccan), and its name means “The Enshrouded One”.
- Number
- 73
- Ayahs
- 20
- Revelation
- Meccan
- Meaning
- The Enshrouded One
Names, meaning and Meccan/Medinan classification as listed in the quran-json dataset.
About Surah Al-Muzzammil
Al-Muzzammil, “The Enwrapped One”, is one of the earliest Meccan surahs. It addresses the Prophet, wrapped in his garments, and commands him to stand in prayer for much of the night and recite the Quran slowly and carefully, preparing him for the “weighty word” about to be given. Its long final verse, revealed later, eases the night prayer for him and the believers.
Preparing for the mission
- Night prayer (73:1–4): stand the night except a little — half of it, a little less or a little more — and recite the Quran with tartil, measured, distinct recitation. This verse is the basis of the term used for careful Quran recitation.
- The weighty word (73:5–7): a heavy responsibility is coming; rising at night is firmer in effect and more fitting for words, while the day is full of occupation.
- Devotion and patience (73:8–10): remember your Lord’s name, devote yourself to Him, take Him as guardian, bear what they say patiently and withdraw from them graciously.
- Warning (73:11–19): the comfortable deniers face shackles and fire on a day when the mountains become heaps of sand and children turn grey; a messenger has been sent to them as one was sent to Pharaoh.
The easing
73:20 acknowledges that the Prophet and some of those with him stood nearly two-thirds of the night, half or a third, and that God knew some would be ill, travelling to seek His bounty, or fighting in His cause — so recite what is easy of it, establish prayer, give zakat and lend God a goodly loan. A hadith in Sahih Muslim reports Aisha saying that night prayer was made obligatory at the start of this surah and that the relief came at its end a year later. Because of its content, many scholars consider this final verse to be Medinan.
Frequently asked questions
- What is tartil?
- Slow, measured and clear recitation of the Quran, commanded in Surah Al-Muzzammil, verse 4.
- Was night prayer obligatory?
- A hadith in Sahih Muslim from Aisha says it was obligatory at first and then eased by the last verse of Al-Muzzammil, becoming voluntary.
- How many verses are in Surah Al-Muzzammil?
- 20.
- How many ayahs are in Surah Al-Muzzammil?
- Surah Al-Muzzammil has 20 ayahs. It is surah number 73 in the Quran and is Meccan.
- Can I read Surah Al-Muzzammil in English or save it as a PDF?
- Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of every ayah with the Saheeh International English meaning under it. Use “Print / Save as PDF” for a clean printable copy that you can save as a PDF file from your browser.
- Is Surah Al-Muzzammil the same as Surah Muzammil?
- Yes. Muzammil, Muzzammil and Al-Muzzammil are different English spellings of the same surah name, المزمل.
Summaries describe the surah’s content and commonly cited reports for general readers; they are not a tafsir or a religious ruling.
Making a video of Surah Al-Muzzammil
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Surah Al-Muzzammil in Arabic with English meaning
Arabic: Uthmani script from The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia (quranenc.com), Uthmani script, via quran-json (CC-BY-SA 4.0), shown as in the verified dataset; open-tanween marks use the equivalent codepoints this font draws, as in the editor. English meaning: Saheeh International (tanzil.net). A translation conveys the meaning; it is not the Quran itself.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمُزَّمِّلُ ١
73:1O you who wraps himself [in clothing]
قُمِ ٱلَّيۡلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلࣰا ٢
73:2Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little
نِّصۡفَهُۥٓ أَوِ ٱنقُصۡ مِنۡهُ قَلِيلًا ٣
73:3Half of it - or subtract from it a little
أَوۡ زِدۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ تَرۡتِيلًا ٤
73:4Or add to it, and recite the Qur'an with measured recitation
إِنَّا سَنُلۡقِي عَلَيۡكَ قَوۡلࣰا ثَقِيلًا ٥
73:5Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word
إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطۡـࣰٔا وَأَقۡوَمُ قِيلًا ٦
73:6Indeed, the hours of the night are more effective for concurrence [of heart and tongue] and more suitable for words
إِنَّ لَكَ فِي ٱلنَّهَارِ سَبۡحࣰا طَوِيلࣰا ٧
73:7Indeed, for you by day is prolonged occupation
وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلۡ إِلَيۡهِ تَبۡتِيلࣰا ٨
73:8And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion
رَّبُّ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱتَّخِذۡهُ وَكِيلࣰا ٩
73:9[He is] the Lord of the East and the West; there is no deity except Him, so take Him as Disposer of [your] affairs
وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهۡجُرۡهُمۡ هَجۡرࣰا جَمِيلࣰا ١٠
73:10And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance
وَذَرۡنِي وَٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ أُوْلِي ٱلنَّعۡمَةِ وَمَهِّلۡهُمۡ قَلِيلًا ١١
73:11And leave Me with [the matter of] the deniers, those of ease [in life], and allow them respite a little
إِنَّ لَدَيۡنَآ أَنكَالࣰا وَجَحِيمࣰا ١٢
73:12Indeed, with Us [for them] are shackles and burning fire
وَطَعَامࣰا ذَا غُصَّةࣲ وَعَذَابًا أَلِيمࣰا ١٣
73:13And food that chokes and a painful punishment
يَوۡمَ تَرۡجُفُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَٱلۡجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَثِيبࣰا مَّهِيلًا ١٤
73:14On the Day the earth and the mountains will convulse and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكُمۡ رَسُولࣰا شَٰهِدًا عَلَيۡكُمۡ كَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ رَسُولࣰا ١٥
73:15Indeed, We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness upon you just as We sent to Pharaoh a messenger
فَعَصَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذۡنَٰهُ أَخۡذࣰا وَبِيلࣰا ١٦
73:16But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We seized him with a ruinous seizure
فَكَيۡفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرۡتُمۡ يَوۡمࣰا يَجۡعَلُ ٱلۡوِلۡدَٰنَ شِيبًا ١٧
73:17Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a Day that will make the children white- haired
ٱلسَّمَآءُ مُنفَطِرُۢ بِهِۦۚ كَانَ وَعۡدُهُۥ مَفۡعُولًا ١٨
73:18The heaven will break apart therefrom; ever is His promise fulfilled
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذۡكِرَةࣱۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلًا ١٩
73:19Indeed, this is a reminder, so whoever wills may take to his Lord a way
۞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 حَسَنࣰاۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرࣲ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيۡرࣰا وَأَعۡظَمَ أَجۡرࣰاۚ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِيمُۢ ٢٠
73:20Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], 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 Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. 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 Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful