۞إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعۡلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدۡنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَنِصۡفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٞ 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 حَسَنٗاۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرٖ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيۡرٗا وَأَعۡظَمَ أَجۡرٗاۚ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمُۢ
Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muúammad], 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 AllŒh determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it[1] and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the QurÕŒn. 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 AllŒh and others fighting for the cause of AllŒh. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakŒh and loan AllŒh a goodly loan.[2] And whatever good you put forward for yourselves – you will find it with AllŒh. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of AllŒh. Indeed, AllŒh is Forgiving and Merciful.
1- AllŒh has known that if they were to continue in such long periods of worship each night, the people would be caused much hardship.
2- In the form of charities and contributions to His cause.
وَمَا جَعَلۡنَآ أَصۡحَٰبَ ٱلنَّارِ إِلَّا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٗۖ وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا عِدَّتَهُمۡ إِلَّا فِتۡنَةٗ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِيَسۡتَيۡقِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَيَزۡدَادَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِيمَٰنٗا وَلَا يَرۡتَابَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَلِيَقُولَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٞ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَٰذَا مَثَلٗاۚ كَذَٰلِكَ يُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَا يَعۡلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَمَا هِيَ إِلَّا ذِكۡرَىٰ لِلۡبَشَرِ
And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve – that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is disease [i.e., hypocrisy] and the disbelievers will say, "What does AllŒh intend by this as an example?" Thus does AllŒh send astray whom He wills and guide whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And it [i.e., mention of the Fire] is not but a reminder to humanity.
وَمَا يَذۡكُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ هُوَ أَهۡلُ ٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ وَأَهۡلُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِ
And they will not remember except that AllŒh wills. He is worthy of fear and adequate for [granting] forgiveness.
أَيَحۡسَبُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ أَلَّن نَّجۡمَعَ عِظَامَهُۥ
Does man think that We will not assemble his bones?
بَلَىٰ قَٰدِرِينَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّسَوِّيَ بَنَانَهُۥ
Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips.
أَلَمۡ يَكُ نُطۡفَةٗ مِّن مَّنِيّٖ يُمۡنَىٰ
Had he not been a sperm from semen emitted?
ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةٗ فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ
Then he was a clinging clot, and [AllŒh] created [his form] and proportioned [him]
فَجَعَلَ مِنۡهُ ٱلزَّوۡجَيۡنِ ٱلذَّكَرَ وَٱلۡأُنثَىٰٓ
And made of him two mates, the male and the female.
أَلَيۡسَ ذَٰلِكَ بِقَٰدِرٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يُحۡـِۧيَ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ
Is not that [Creator] Able to give life to the dead?
نَّحۡنُ خَلَقۡنَٰهُمۡ وَشَدَدۡنَآ أَسۡرَهُمۡۖ وَإِذَا شِئۡنَا بَدَّلۡنَآ أَمۡثَٰلَهُمۡ تَبۡدِيلًا
We have created them and strengthened their forms, and when We will, We can change their likenesses with [complete] alteration.
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦ تَذۡكِرَةٞۖ فَمَن شَآءَ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِۦ سَبِيلٗا
Indeed, this is a reminder, so he who wills may take to his Lord a way.
وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمٗا
And you do not will except that AllŒh wills. Indeed, AllŒh is ever Knowing and Wise.
يُدۡخِلُ مَن يَشَآءُ فِي رَحۡمَتِهِۦۚ وَٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ أَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِيمَۢا
He admits whom He wills into His mercy; but the wrongdoers – He has prepared for them a painful punishment.
ءَأَنتُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقًا أَمِ ٱلسَّمَآءُۚ بَنَىٰهَا
Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He [i.e., AllŒh] constructed it.
رَفَعَ سَمۡكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا
He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.
وَأَغۡطَشَ لَيۡلَهَا وَأَخۡرَجَ ضُحَىٰهَا
And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.[1]
1- i.e., created the day from within the surrounding darkness.
وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ دَحَىٰهَآ
And after that He spread the earth.
أَخۡرَجَ مِنۡهَا مَآءَهَا وَمَرۡعَىٰهَا
He extracted from it its water and its pasture,
وَٱلۡجِبَالَ أَرۡسَىٰهَا
And the mountains He set firmly
مَتَٰعٗا لَّكُمۡ وَلِأَنۡعَٰمِكُمۡ
As enjoyment [i.e., provision] for you and your grazing livestock.
ثُمَّ إِذَا شَآءَ أَنشَرَهُۥ
Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.
وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
And you do not will except that AllŒh wills - Lord of the worlds.
ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّىٰكَ فَعَدَلَكَ
Who created you, proportioned you, and balanced you?
فِيٓ أَيِّ صُورَةٖ مَّا شَآءَ رَكَّبَكَ
In whatever form He willed has He assembled you.
إِنَّهُۥ ظَنَّ أَن لَّن يَحُورَ
Indeed, he had thought he would never return [to AllŒh].
بَلَىٰٓۚ إِنَّ رَبَّهُۥ كَانَ بِهِۦ بَصِيرٗا
But yes! Indeed, his Lord was ever, of him, Seeing.
وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يُوعُونَ
And AllŒh is most knowing of what they keep within themselves.
ٱلَّذِي لَهُۥ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ شَهِيدٌ
To whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And AllŒh, over all things, is Witness.[1]
1- See footnote to 4:79
إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ يُبۡدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ
Indeed, it is He who originates [creation] and repeats.
فَعَّالٞ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ
Effecter of what He intends.