In the name of God, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful.
1. O thou folded
In garments!
2. Stand (to prayer) by night,
But not all night,—
3. Half of it,—
Or a little less,
4. Or a little more;
And recite the Qur-ān
In slow, measured rhythmic tones.
5. Soon shall We send down
To thee a weighty Message.
6. Truly the rising by night
Is most potent for governing
(The soul), and most suitable
For (framing) the Word
(Of Prayer and Praise).
7. True, there is for thee
By day prolonged occupation
With ordinary duties:
8. But keep in remembrance
The name of thy Lord
And devote thyself
To Him whole-heartedly.
9. (He is) Lord of the East
And the West: there is
No god but He:
Take Him therefore
For (thy) Disposer of Affairs.
10. And have patience with what
They say, and leave them
With noble (dignity).
11. And leave Me
(Alone to deal with)
Those in possession of
The good things of life,
Who (yet) deny the Truth;
And bear with them
For a little while.
12. With Us are Fetters
(To bind them), and a Fire
(To burn them),
13. And a Food that chokes,
And a Penalty Grievous.
14. One Day the earth
And the mountains
Will be in violent commotion.
And the mountains will be
As a heap of sand
Poured out and flowing down.
15. We have sent to you,
(O men!) an apostle,
To be a witness concerning you,
Even as We sent
An apostle to Pharaoh.
16. But Pharaoh disobeyed
The apostle; so We
Seized him with
A heavy Punishment.
17. Then how shall ye,
If ye deny (God),
Guard yourselves against
A Day that will make
Children hoary-headed?—
18. Whereon the sky will be
Cleft asunder?
His Promise needs must
Be accomplished.
19. Verily this is an Admonition:
Therefore, whoso will, let him
Take a (straight) path
To his Lord!
20. Thy Lord doth know
That thou standest forth
(To prayer) nigh two-thirds
Of the night, or half
The night, or a third
Of the night, and so doth
A party of those with thee.
But God doth appoint Night
And Day in due measure.
He knoweth that ye are
Unable to keep count thereof.
So He hath turned to you
(In mercy): read ye,
Therefore, of the Qur-ān
As much as may be
Easy for you. He knoweth
That there may be (some)
Among you in ill-health;
Others travelling through the land,
Seeking of God's bounty;
Yet others fighting
In God's Cause. Read ye,
Therefore, as much of the Qur-ān
As may be easy (for you);
And establish regular Prayer
And give regular Charity;
And loan to God
A Beautiful Loan.
And whatever good
Ye send forth
For your souls,
Ye shall find it
In God's Presence,—
Yea, better and
Greater, in Reward.
And seek ye the Grace
Of God: for God is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.