In the name of Allah, Most
Gracious, 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 Wakeel (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
(Moosa (Moses)) to Firaun
(Pharaoh)
.
16.
But Firaun
(Pharaoh)
disobeyed the Messenger (Moosa (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.