Surah 'Abasa, verse 1
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓHe frowned and turned (his attention) away,
’Abasa (Surah 80)
'Abasa (He Frowned)
Makki SurahIntroduction
In a ḥadîth collected by At-Tirmiⱬi, a blind man by the name of ’Abdullâh ibn Um Maktûm, an early Muslim, came to the Prophet (ﷺ) seeking to learn more about the faith, while the Prophet (ﷺ) was in the middle of a discussion with an elite Meccan pagan, trying to convince him to abandon his idols and believe in the One True God. ’Abdullâh was so impatient that he interrupted the discussion several times. The Prophet (ﷺ) frowned and turned all his attention to the man he was already talking to. This Meccan sûrah was later revealed, telling the Prophet (ﷺ) that he should have tended to the faithful man who was eager to learn. After this sûrah was revealed, the Prophet (ﷺ) would honour ’Abdullâh, calling him ‘the man for whom my Lord rebuked me.’ He (ﷺ) even appointed him several times as his deputy over Medina. The sûrah calls upon the ungrateful disbelievers to reflect on how Allah produces plants out of the earth to realize how He can bring the dead out of their graves. The description of the horrors of the apocalypse is carried over to the next sûrah.
In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
A Lesson to the Prophet
1. He frowned and turned (his attention) away, 2. (simply) because the blind man came to him (interrupting). 3. You never know (O Prophet), perhaps he may be purified, 4. or he may be mindful, benefitting from the reminder. 5. As for the one who was indifferent, 6. you gave him your (undivided) attention, 7. even though you are not to blame if he would not be purified. 8. But as for the one who came to you, eager (to learn), 9. being in awe (of Allah), 10. you were inattentive to him. 11. But no! This (revelation) is truly a reminder. 12. So let whoever wills be mindful of it. 13. It is (written) on pages held in honour— 14. highly esteemed, purified— 15. by the hands of angel-scribes, 16. honourable and virtuous.
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ
١
أَن جَآءَهُ ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ٢
وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُۥ يَزَّكَّىٰٓ٣
أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰٓ٤
أَمَّا مَنِ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰ٥
فَأَنتَ لَهُۥ تَصَدَّىٰ٦
وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ٧
وَأَمَّا مَن جَآءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ٨
وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ٩
فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ١٠
كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ١١
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ١٢
فِى صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍ١٣
مَّرْفُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍۭ١٤
بِأَيْدِى سَفَرَةٍ١٥
كِرَامٍۭ بَرَرَةٍ١٦
Surah 80 - 'Abasa (He Frowned) - Verses 1-16
A Reminder to Resurrection Deniers
17. Condemned are (disbelieving) humans! How ungrateful they are (to Allah)! 18. From what substance did He create them? 19. He created them from a sperm-drop, and ordained their development. 20. Then He makes the way easy for them, 21. then causes them to die and be buried. 22. Then when He wills, He will resurrect them. 23. But no! They have failed to comply with what He ordered. 24. Let people then consider their food: 25. how We pour down rain in abundance 26. and meticulously split the earth open (for sprouts), 27. causing grain to grow in it, 28. as well as grapes and greens, 29. and olives and palm trees, 30. and dense orchards, 31. and fruit and fodder— 32. all as (a means of) sustenance for you and your animals.
قُتِلَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَآ أَكْفَرَهُۥ
١٧
مِنْ أَىِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ١٨
مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُۥ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ١٩
ثُمَّ ٱلسَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُۥ٢٠
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُۥ فَأَقْبَرَهُۥ٢١
ثُمَّ إِذَا شَآءَ أَنشَرَهُۥ٢٢
كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَآ أَمَرَهُۥ٢٣
فَلْيَنظُرِ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِۦٓ٢٤
أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا ٱلْمَآءَ صَبًّا٢٥
ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ شَقًّا٢٦
فَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا٢٧
وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا٢٨
وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا٢٩
وَحَدَآئِقَ غُلْبًا٣٠
وَفَـٰكِهَةً وَأَبًّا٣١
مَّتَـٰعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَـٰمِكُمْ٣٢
Surah 80 - 'Abasa (He Frowned) - Verses 17-32
The Overwhelming Day
33. Then, when the Deafening Blast comes to pass— 34. on that Day every person will flee from their own siblings, 35. and (even) their mother and father, 36. and (even) their spouse and children. 37. For then everyone will have enough concern of their own. 38. On that Day (some) faces will be bright, 39. laughing and rejoicing, 40. while (other) faces will be dusty, 41. cast in gloom— 42. those are the disbelievers, the (wicked) sinners.
فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلصَّآخَّةُ
٣٣
يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ٣٤
وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِ٣٥
وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ٣٦
لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ٣٧
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ٣٨
ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ٣٩
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ٤٠
تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ٤١
أُولَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْكَفَرَةُ ٱلْفَجَرَةُ٤٢
Surah 80 - 'Abasa (He Frowned) - Verses 33-42
Full text of Surah 'Abasa with translation
Surah 'Abasa, verse 2
أَن جَآءَهُ ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ(simply) because the blind man came to him (interrupting).
Surah 'Abasa, verse 3
وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُۥ يَزَّكَّىٰٓYou never know (O Prophet), perhaps he may be purified,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 4
أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰٓor he may be mindful, benefitting from the reminder.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 5
أَمَّا مَنِ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰAs for the one who was indifferent,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 6
فَأَنتَ لَهُۥ تَصَدَّىٰyou gave him your (undivided) attention,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 7
وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰeven though you are not to blame if he would not be purified.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 8
وَأَمَّا مَن جَآءَكَ يَسْعَىٰBut as for the one who came to you, eager (to learn),
Surah 'Abasa, verse 9
وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰbeing in awe (of Allah),
Surah 'Abasa, verse 10
فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰyou were inattentive to him.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 11
كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌBut no! This (revelation) is truly a reminder.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 12
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥSo let whoever wills be mindful of it.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 13
فِى صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍIt is (written) on pages held in honour—
Surah 'Abasa, verse 14
مَّرْفُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍۭhighly esteemed, purified—
Surah 'Abasa, verse 15
بِأَيْدِى سَفَرَةٍby the hands of angel-scribes,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 16
كِرَامٍۭ بَرَرَةٍhonourable and virtuous.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 17
قُتِلَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَآ أَكْفَرَهُۥCondemned are (disbelieving) humans! How ungrateful they are (to Allah)!
Surah 'Abasa, verse 18
مِنْ أَىِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥFrom what substance did He create them?
Surah 'Abasa, verse 19
مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُۥ فَقَدَّرَهُۥHe created them from a sperm-drop, and ordained their development.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 20
ثُمَّ ٱلسَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُۥThen He makes the way easy for them,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 21
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُۥ فَأَقْبَرَهُۥthen causes them to die and be buried.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 22
ثُمَّ إِذَا شَآءَ أَنشَرَهُۥThen when He wills, He will resurrect them.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 23
كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَآ أَمَرَهُۥBut no! They have failed to comply with what He ordered.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 24
فَلْيَنظُرِ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِۦٓLet people then consider their food:
Surah 'Abasa, verse 25
أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا ٱلْمَآءَ صَبًّاhow We pour down rain in abundance
Surah 'Abasa, verse 26
ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ شَقًّاand meticulously split the earth open (for sprouts),
Surah 'Abasa, verse 27
فَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّاcausing grain to grow in it,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 28
وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًاas well as grapes and greens,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 29
وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًاand olives and palm trees,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 30
وَحَدَآئِقَ غُلْبًاand dense orchards,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 31
وَفَـٰكِهَةً وَأَبًّاand fruit and fodder—
Surah 'Abasa, verse 32
مَّتَـٰعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَـٰمِكُمْall as (a means of) sustenance for you and your animals.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 33
فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلصَّآخَّةُThen, when the Deafening Blast comes to pass—
Surah 'Abasa, verse 34
يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِon that Day every person will flee from their own siblings,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 35
وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِand (even) their mother and father,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 36
وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِand (even) their spouse and children.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 37
لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِFor then everyone will have enough concern of their own.
Surah 'Abasa, verse 38
وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌOn that Day (some) faces will be bright,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 39
ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌlaughing and rejoicing,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 40
وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌwhile (other) faces will be dusty,
Surah 'Abasa, verse 41
تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌcast in gloom—
Surah 'Abasa, verse 42
أُولَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْكَفَرَةُ ٱلْفَجَرَةُthose are the disbelievers, the (wicked) sinners.