1. O you wrapped in garments!

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 Qur'an (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style .

5. Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word .

6. Verily, the rising by night (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, none has the right to be worshipped but He.
So take Him Alone as Disposer of your affairs.

10. And be patient (O Muhammad) with what they say, and keep away from them in a good way.

11. And leave Me Alone to deal with the deniers,
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 humankind) a Messenger (Muhammad) to be a witness over you, as We did send a Messenger [Moses] to Pharaoh.

16. But Pharaoh disobeyed the Messenger [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?

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. [Prophet], your Lord is well aware that you sometimes spend nearly two-thirds of the night at prayer––sometimes half, sometimes a third––as do some of your followers. Allah determines the division of night and day. He knows that you will not be able to keep a measure of it and He has relented towards all of you, so recite as much of the Quran as is easy for you. He knows that some of you will be sick, some of you travelling through the land seeking Allah’s bounty, some of you fighting in Allah’s way: recite as much as is easy for you, keep up the prayer, pay the prescribed alms, and make Allah a good loan. Whatever good you store up for yourselves will be improved and increased for you. Ask Allah for His forgiveness, He is most forgiving, most merciful.