'Abasa
He Frowned
Surah 80 · Meccan · 42 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ ١
ʿAbasa wa tawallā.
He [i.e., the Prophet (ﷺ) ] frowned and turned away
أَن جَآءَهُ ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ ٢
An jāʾahul-aʿmā.
Because there came to him the blind man,1 [interrupting].
Footnotes (1)
- ʿAbdullāh, the son of Umm Maktūm.
وَمَا يُدۡرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُۥ يَزَّكَّىٰٓ ٣
Wa mā yudrīka laʿallahū yazzakkā.
But what would make you perceive, [O Muḥammad], that perhaps he might be purified1
Footnotes (1)
- As a result of what he learns from you.
أَوۡ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰٓ ٤
Aw yadhdhakkaru fatanfaʿahudh-dhikrā.
Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
أَمَّا مَنِ ٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰ ٥
Ammā manistaghnā.
As for he who thinks himself without need,1
Footnotes (1)
- i.e., without need of faith or need of Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) . Here it is in reference to a certain influential member of the Quraysh whom the Prophet (ﷺ) had hoped to bring to Islām.
فَأَنتَ لَهُۥ تَصَدَّىٰ ٦
Fa anta lahū taṣaddā.
To him you give attention.
وَمَا عَلَيۡكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ ٧
Wa mā ʿalayka allā yazzakkā.
And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.1
Footnotes (1)
- The Prophet (ﷺ) was responsible only for conveying the message, not for ultimate guidance.
وَأَمَّا مَن جَآءَكَ يَسۡعَىٰ ٨
Wa ammā man jāʾaka yasʿā.
But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]
وَهُوَ يَخۡشَىٰ ٩
Wa huwa yakhshā.
While he fears [Allāh],
فَأَنتَ عَنۡهُ تَلَهَّىٰ ١٠
Fa anta ʿanhu talahhā.
From him you are distracted.
كـَلَّآ إِنَّهَا تَذۡكِرَةٞ ١١
Kallā innahā tadhkirah.
No! Indeed, they [i.e., these verses] are a reminder;
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ ١٢
Faman shāʾa dhakarah.
So whoever wills may remember it.1
Footnotes (1)
- The revelation. Or "Him," i.e., Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) .
فِي صُحُفٖ مُّكَرَّمَةٖ ١٣
Fī ṣuḥufim mukarramah.
[It is recorded] in honored sheets,
مَّرۡفُوعَةٖ مُّطَهَّرَةِۭ ١٤
Marfūʿatim muṭahharah.
Exalted and purified,
بِأَيۡدِي سَفَرَةٖ ١٥
Biʾaydī safarah.
[Carried] by the hands of messenger-angels,
كِرَامِۭ بَرَرَةٖ ١٦
Kirāmim bararah.
Noble and dutiful.
قُتِلَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَآ أَكۡفَرَهُۥ ١٧
Qutilal-insānu mā akfarah.
Destroyed [i.e., cursed] is man;1 how disbelieving is he.
Footnotes (1)
- i.e., those who deny Allāh's message.
مِنۡ أَيِّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ ١٨
Min ayyi shayʾin khalaqah.
From what thing [i.e., substance] did He create him?
مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ خَلَقَهُۥ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ ١٩
Min nuṭfatin khalaqahū faqaddarah.
From a sperm-drop He created him and destined for him;1
Footnotes (1)
- His proportions, provisions, life span, etc.
ثُمَّ ٱلسَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُۥ ٢٠
Thummas-sabīla yassarah.
Then He eased the way for him;1
Footnotes (1)
- Into this world (i.e., his birth) . It may also refer to life itself, which has been made easier by Allāh's guidance.
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُۥ فَأَقۡبَرَهُۥ ٢١
Thumma amātahū fa aqbarah.
Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.1
Footnotes (1)
- To conceal his decaying body.
ثُمَّ إِذَا شَآءَ أَنشَرَهُۥ ٢٢
Thumma idhā shāʾa ansharah.
Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.
كـَلَّا لَمَّا يَقۡضِ مَآ أَمَرَهُۥ ٢٣
Kallā lammā yaqḍi mā amarah.
No! He [i.e., man] has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.
فَلۡيَنظُرِ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِۦٓ ٢٤
Falyanẓuril-insānu ilā ṭaʿāmih.
Then let mankind look at his food -
أَنَّا صَبَبۡنَا ٱلۡمَآءَ صَبّٗا ٢٥
Annā ṣababnal-māʾa ṣabbā.
How We poured down water in torrents,
ثُمَّ شَقَقۡنَا ٱلۡأَرۡضَ شَقّٗا ٢٦
Thumma shaqaqnal-arḍa shaqqā.
Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],
فَأَنۢبَتۡنَا فِيهَا حَبّٗا ٢٧
Fa anbatnā fīhā ḥabbā.
And caused to grow within it grain
وَعِنَبٗا وَقَضۡبٗا ٢٨
Wa ʿinabaw wa qaḍbā.
And grapes and herbage
وَزَيۡتُونٗا وَنَخۡلٗا ٢٩
Wa zaytūnaw wa nakhlā.
And olive and palm trees
وَحَدَآئِقَ غُلۡبٗا ٣٠
Wa ḥadāʾiqa ghulbā.
And gardens of dense shrubbery
وَفَٰكِهَةٗ وَأَبّٗا ٣١
Wa fākihataw wa abbā.
And fruit and grass -
مَّتَٰعٗا لَّكُمۡ وَلِأَنۡعَٰمِكُمۡ ٣٢
Matāʿal lakum waliʾanʿāmikum.
[As] enjoyment [i.e., provision] for you and your grazing livestock.
فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلصَّآخَّةُ ٣٣
Fa idhā jāʾatiṣ-ṣākhkhah.
But when there comes the Deafening Blast1
Footnotes (1)
- The piercing blast of the Horn which signals resurrection. Aṣ-Ṣākhkhah is also a name for the Day of Resurrection.
يَوۡمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلۡمَرۡءُ مِنۡ أَخِيهِ ٣٤
Yawma yafirrul-marʾu min akhīh.
On the Day a man will flee from his brother
وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِ ٣٥
Wa ummihī wa abīh.
And his mother and his father
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ ٣٦
Wa ṣāḥibatihī wa banīh.
And his wife and his children,
لِكُلِّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ يَوۡمَئِذٖ شَأۡنٞ يُغۡنِيهِ ٣٧
Likullimriʾim minhum yawmaʾidhin shaʾnuy yughnīh.
For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.1
Footnotes (1)
- i.e., to occupy him. He will be concerned only with himself, thus forgetting all others.
وُجُوهٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ مُّسۡفِرَةٞ ٣٨
Wujūhuy yawmaʾidhim musfirah.
[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright -
ضَاحِكَةٞ مُّسۡتَبۡشِرَةٞ ٣٩
Ḍāḥikatum mustabshirah.
Laughing, rejoicing at good news.
وَوُجُوهٞ يَوۡمَئِذٍ عَلَيۡهَا غَبَرَةٞ ٤٠
Wa wujūhuy yawmaʾidhin ʿalayhā ghabarah.
And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust.
تَرۡهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ ٤١
Tarhaquhā qatarah.
Blackness will cover them.
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡكَفَرَةُ ٱلۡفَجَرَةُ ٤٢
Ulāʾika humul-kafaratul-fajarah.
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.