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Surah 73 · Makkah · 20 āyāt
Phase 01 · Ḥirāʾ and the first call(c. 13–11 BH) — view in timelineAl-MuzzammilThe Enshrouded One
المزمل
Among the earliest revelations, addressed to the Prophet ﷺ wrapped in his cloak. It opens with a call to stand most of the night in prayer and recite the Qur'an with tartīl, preparing him to carry 'a weighty word'. It then turns to patience with the mockery of Quraysh, warns by the example of Pharaoh's fate with Mūsā عليه السلام, and closes with a long final āyah — revealed much later — that eases the night-prayer obligation into something lighter, alongside prayer, zakāh, and charity.
Why it was revealed
The Prophet ﷺ had just begun receiving revelation and would wrap himself in his cloak (izdimāl) from the awe and weight of what was descending upon him. Allah addressed him not by name but as 'O you who is enshrouded', and set him a nightly training in prayer before the far heavier task of daʿwah began.
Drawn fromṢaḥīḥ Muslim 746; al-Qurṭubī on 73:20; Ibn Kathīr on 73:1; Ibn Kathīr on 73:1–5; Ibn Kathīr on 73:15–16; Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1305
ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said: When the beginning of Sūrat al-Muzzammil was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ and his companions stood in night prayer for a year until Allah revealed the alleviation at the end of it, after which the night prayer became voluntary after having been obligatory.
Cited toṢaḥīḥ Muslim 746; Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1305
In the Prophet's ﷺ life
The weight of early revelation
In the first years after Ḥirāʾ, the Prophet ﷺ would be overcome by the descent of waḥy and wrap himself in his garment; Allah addresses him here by that state, 'O enshrouded one'.
Recalled in āyah 1
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُزَّمِّلُ
O you who wraps himself [in clothing]
Cited toIbn Kathīr on 73:1
- Madd — 2 vowels
- Madd — 2, 4 or 6 vowels
- Madd — 6 vowels (lāzim)
- Madd — 4 or 5 vowels (wājib)
- Ghunnah — 2 vowels
- Qalqalah
- Ikhfāʾ
- Ikhfāʾ shafawī
- Idghām shafawī
- Idghām with ghunnah
- Idghām without ghunnah
- Idghām mutajānisayn
- Idghām mutaqāribayn
- Iqlāb
- Hamzat al-waṣl
- Lām shamsiyyah
- Silent letter
Tajwīd markup and colour convention: Quran.com API (v4) — text_uthmani_tajweed. Recitation audio: Quran.com / Quran Foundation Audio API (v4).
The call to stand at night
Allah addresses His Messenger ﷺ as 'the enshrouded one' and commands him to rise in prayer through most of the night — half of it, or a little less, or a little more — as the opening act of prophetic preparation.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī, Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُزَّمِّلُ
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O you who wraps himself [in clothing]
قُمِ ٱلَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
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Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little -
نِّصْفَهُۥٓ أَوِ ٱنقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا
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Half of it - or subtract from it a little
أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ تَرْتِيلًا
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Or add to it, and recite the Qur’ān with measured recitation.
From the tafsīr
Al-muzzammil is one wrapped in his garment; he is commanded to rise for most of the night in prayer, a discipline given to him before the burden of the message was placed fully upon him.
Cited toIbn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
The choice of half, less, or more shows flexibility within a serious commitment — a floor of devotion rather than an exact, rigid measure.
Cited toAl-Saʿdī, Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān
Key takeaways
- Great tasks are preceded by quiet, private preparation.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī, Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
- The night is singled out because the heart is most present and least distracted then.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī, Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
- A wide range (half, less, more) shows Allah wants sincerity of intent, not scrupulous exactness.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī, Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān; Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
Reflect
What in your day could you move to the quiet of the night for the sake of focus?
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Question 1 of 2
To whom does the title 'the enshrouded one' refer?
Question 2 of 2
What range of the night is he ﷺ commanded to spend in prayer?
Tartīl and the weighty word
The Prophet ﷺ is told to recite the Qur'an with tartīl — slow, clear, deliberate recitation — because he is about to be given 'a weighty word', a description of the Qur'an itself and of the responsibility of carrying it.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr
أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ تَرْتِيلًا
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Or add to it, and recite the Qur’ān with measured recitation.
إِنَّا سَنُلْقِى عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا
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Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word.
From the tafsīr
Tartīl al-Qurʾān means reciting it slowly and distinctly, letter by letter, with reflection and without haste, as a measured recitation aids in understanding and pondering its meanings.
Cited toIbn Kathīr
'A weighty word' (qawlan thaqīlan) refers to the Qur'an's weight in meaning, in the obligations it brings, and even physically upon the Prophet ﷺ at the moment of revelation.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān
Key takeaways
- Recitation is not a race; tartīl trains the heart to receive meaning, not just sound.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr
- Something can be a mercy and still be heavy — weight and blessing are not opposites.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr
- Night prayer is preparation for the weight of daytime responsibility.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān; Ibn Kathīr
Reflect
Do you recite to finish quickly, or to let the words settle?
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Question 1 of 2
What does the command to recite with tartīl require?
Question 2 of 2
What does 'a weighty word' (qawlan thaqīlan) refer to?
Patience and beautiful separation
Between the discipline of night prayer and the trials of daʿwah, the Prophet ﷺ is told to remember his Lord's name and devote himself fully to Him, to be patient over what the deniers say, and to leave them with a 'beautiful separation' — while Allah Himself deals with the arrogant deniers of blessing.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān; Ibn Kathīr
وَٱذْكُرِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا
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And remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him with [complete] devotion.
رَّبُّ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا
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[He is] the Lord of the East and the West; there is no deity except Him, so take Him as Disposer of [your] affairs.
وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهْجُرْهُمْ هَجْرًا جَمِيلًا
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And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance.
وَذَرْنِى وَٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ أُو۟لِى ٱلنَّعْمَةِ وَمَهِّلْهُمْ قَلِيلًا
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And leave Me with [the matter of] the deniers, those of ease [in life], and allow them respite a little.
From the tafsīr
'Hajrahum hajran jamīlā' — leave them with no harshness, no revenge sought, and no reproach; a departure without bitterness, entrusting the matter to Allah.
Cited toIbn Kathīr
'The deniers, possessors of ease' refers to the leaders of Quraysh given comfort and wealth in this world, who used that ease to reject the message rather than thank for it.
Cited toAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān
Key takeaways
- Remembrance of Allah's name and devotion to Him are the fuel for patience with people.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān; Ibn Kathīr
- 'Beautiful separation' is dignified distance, not a slammed door of anger.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān; Ibn Kathīr
- Worldly ease is not proof of Allah's approval — it can be exactly what blinds someone to truth.
Drawn fromAl-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān; Ibn Kathīr
Reflect
Can you disagree with someone and still leave them 'beautifully'?
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Question 1 of 2
Who are 'the deniers, possessors of ease' in āyah 11?
Question 2 of 2
What kind of departure is commanded in āyah 10?
The warning: Pharaoh's example
Allah sent Quraysh a Messenger ﷺ just as He sent Mūsā عليه السلام to Firʿawn. Firʿawn disobeyed the messenger and was seized with a ruinous seizure — a warning that if the Day of Judgement is disbelieved in, it will make children grey-haired and split the sky asunder.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī; Ibn Kathīr
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَـٰهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا
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Indeed, We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness upon you just as We sent to Pharaoh a messenger.
فَعَصَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُ أَخْذًا وَبِيلًا
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But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We seized him with a ruinous seizure.
فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْمًا يَجْعَلُ ٱلْوِلْدَٰنَ شِيبًا
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Then how can you fear, if you disbelieve, a Day that will make the children white-haired?
From the tafsīr
The parallel is deliberate: just as a messenger came to Firʿawn and he denied him and was destroyed, a messenger has come to Quraysh, so let them fear the same fate for the same denial.
Cited toIbn Kathīr
'A day that will make the children grey-haired' expresses the sheer terror of the Day of Judgement — a horror so severe it would age even the young, described here to move the heart to fear and preparation.
Cited toAl-Saʿdī
Key takeaways
- History's patterns repeat: rejecting a clear messenger has consequences across time.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī; Ibn Kathīr
- Fear of the Last Day is meant to move the heart, not merely inform the mind.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī; Ibn Kathīr
- A warning delivered through someone else's story is often received more calmly than a direct rebuke.
Drawn fromAl-Saʿdī; Ibn Kathīr
Reflect
What modern 'ease' plays the role Pharaoh's power played for him?
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Question 1 of 2
How is the severity of that Day described in āyah 17?
Question 2 of 2
How does the Pharaoh narrative function as a warning here?
The concluding relief and its rulings
The long final āyah, revealed roughly a year after the surah's opening, eases the obligation of extended night prayer — acknowledging that some will be sick, others travelling for Allah's bounty, and others striving in His cause — and instead commands whatever of the Qur'an is easy, alongside establishing prayer, giving zakāh, and offering a good loan to Allah.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَىِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٌ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَىٰ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا ۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌۢ
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Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muḥammad], 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 Allāh 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’ān. 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 Allāh and others fighting for the cause of Allāh. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakāh and loan Allāh a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allāh. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
From the tafsīr
Allah knows none can precisely count the night hours, so He turned to them in mercy and lightened the command to 'recite what is easy of the Qur'an' — the obligation of lengthy qiyām was lifted, though voluntary night prayer remained recommended.
Cited toIbn Kathīr
The āyah names three excuses that justify easing a hardship: illness, travel for provision, and striving (jihād) in Allah's cause — each shows that the sharīʿah accommodates real human circumstance.
Cited toAl-Qurṭubī
Key takeaways
- Allah's legislation moves toward ease once a lesson has been firmly instilled.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
- Sickness, travel, and striving in His cause are all legitimate grounds for concession in worship.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
- Prayer, zakāh, and charity ('a good loan to Allah') are named together as the enduring core of practice.
Drawn fromAl-Qurṭubī; Ibn Kathīr
Reflect
Where do you need to replace guilt over an ideal with acceptance of a lawful ease?
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Question 1 of 2
What relief does the closing āyah bring to the night-prayer obligation?
Question 2 of 2
What three excuses are mentioned in āyah 20?
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Roots from this surah
Learn the three-letter root and you unlock every word built from it — across the whole Qur'an, not just this surah.
ز م ل
āyāt 1to wrap, to bear a burden wrapped up
- مُزَّمِّلone wrapped in a garment
- زَامِلa carrier, bearer of a burden
ق و م
āyāt 2, 6, 20to stand, to rise, to establish
- قُمْstand!
- قِيَامstanding
- أَقْوَمmore upright, most suitable
ر ت ل
āyāt 4to arrange in order, to recite slowly and distinctly
- رَتِّلْrecite slowly!
- تَرْتِيلmeasured, clear recitation
- رَتَلeven, well-arranged (of teeth)
ث ق ل
āyāt 5to be heavy, weighty
- ثَقِيلheavy
- ثِقْلa weight, a burden
- أَثْقَالburdens
ب ت ل
āyāt 8to cut off, to devote oneself wholly
- تَبَتَّلْdevote yourself fully!
- بَتُولone wholly devoted (a title of Maryam and Fāṭimah)
ه ج ر
āyāt 10to separate, to leave, to migrate
- ٱهْجُرْleave / separate from!
- هِجْرَةmigration
- مُهَاجِرone who migrates
ك ذ ب
āyāt 11to lie, to deny
- مُكَذِّبdenier, one who calls a lie
- كِذْبa lie
- تَكْذِيبdenial
ي س ر
āyāt 20to be easy, to become manageable
- تَيَسَّرَit became easy
- يُسْرease
- مَيْسَرَةa state of ease, affordability
Carry this with you
- Great missions are prepared for in the quiet of the night, not only in the noise of the day.
- Recitation with reflection outweighs recitation for speed.
- Patience with mockery is paired with dignified, unembittered distance, not silence out of weakness.
- History's rejection of messengers is a warning meant to move the heart, not just inform the mind.
- Allah's commands move toward ease once their lesson has taken root in the heart.
Where this surah connects
Cross-surah threads
Parts of the Qurʾān explain other parts. Each thread below opens the same subject as it is argued across every other surah you have studied, in revelation order.
Sources behind Sūrah Al-Muzzammil
Every line of context, tafsīr and takeaway on this page traces back to one of these references. Ḥadīth numbers open on sunnah.com and āyah references open on quran.com, so you can check the claim rather than take it on trust. The Arabic text itself is fetched live from a verified public corpus.
Ḥadīth1
Tafsīr19
- Al-Qurṭubī
- al-Qurṭubī on 73:20
- Al-Qurṭubī on 73:20
- Al-Qurṭubī on 73:5
- Al-Qurṭubī, al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān
- Al-Saʿdī
- Al-Saʿdī on 73:17
- Al-Saʿdī on 73:2–3
- Al-Saʿdī, Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān
- Al-Ṭabarī on 73:11
- Al-Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-Bayān
- Ibn Kathīr
- Ibn Kathīr on 73:1
- Ibn Kathīr on 73:1–5
- Ibn Kathīr on 73:10
- Ibn Kathīr on 73:15–16
- Ibn Kathīr on 73:20
- Ibn Kathīr on 73:4
- Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm
Other references1
- Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1305
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Al-Muzzammil · The concluding relief and its rulings
Which three circumstances does āyah 20 name as grounds for easing the obligation?
Arabic (Uthmānī script) and the Ṣaḥīḥ International translation are fetched live from the Quran.com API (v4), sourced from the King Fahd Complex muṣḥaf — api.quran.com API docs · Translation: Ṣaḥīḥ International · Integrity & testing protocol