Quraan Marker- وَرَتِّلِ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ تَرْتِيلًا (“recite the Quran (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style,” (73: 4)

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ  -O thou folded in garments!

قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا -Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night,-

نِصْفَهُ أَوِ انْقُصْ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا -Half of it,- or a little less,

أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا – Or a little more; and recite the Qur´an in slow, measured rhythmic tones.

What should one do in qiyam-ul-layl? Recite the Qur’an. That is the main focus of this prayer – to recite Qur’an as much as one can. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala then details the manner in which the Qur’an should be recited. Do not recite it quickly but “recite the Quran (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style,” (73: 4). Pause at every ayah so that the mind understands the meaning and purport of Divine revelation. Upon reciting a Name or an Attribute of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala the heart should be awe-inspired with His glory and majesty. Upon reciting an ayah about mercy, the heart must be filed with feelings of gratitude to Him. Upon reciting an ayah about His wrath and punishment, the heart must be overwhelmed by fear of Him. If there is a prohibition or an encouragement of something, the heart must understand what it is being told to do.

In short, the recital does not only consist of uttering the words with the tongue, but it involves thoughtful consideration of the meaning as well. And this is what the phrase Wa-rattili al-qur’ana tarteela [وَرَتِّلِ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلا] mean.