Chapter 80, 42 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم عبس وتولى
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. He frowned and turned away
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. (The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) frowned and turned away.
أن جاءه الأعمى
Because the blind man came unto him.
Because there came to him the blind man (i.e. 'Abdullah bin Umm-Maktum, who came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم while he was preaching to one or some of the Quraish chiefs).
وما يدريك لعله يزكى
What could inform thee but that he might grow (in grace)
And how can you know that he might become pure (from sins)?
أو يذكر فتنفعه الذكرى
Or take heed and so the reminder might avail him ?
Or he might receive admonition, and the admonition might profit him?
أما من استغنى
As for him who thinketh himself independent,
As for him who thinks himself self-sufficient,
فأنت له تصدى
Unto him thou payest regard.
To him you attend;
وما عليك ألا يزكى
Yet it is not thy concern if he grow not (in grace).
What does it matter to you if he will not become pure (from disbelief: you are only a Messenger, your duty is to convey the Message of Allah).
وأما من جاءك يسعى
But as for him who cometh unto thee with earnest purpose
But as to him who came to you running,
وهو يخشى
And hath fear,
And is afraid (of Allah and His punishment).
فأنت عنه تلهى
From him thou art distracted.
Of him you are neglectful and divert your attention to another,
كلا إنها تذكرة
Nay, but verily it is an Admonishment,
Nay, (do not do like this); indeed it (this Qur'an) is an admonition.
فمن شاء ذكره
So let whosoever will pay heed to it,
So whoever wills, let him pay attention to it.
في صحف مكرمة
On honoured leaves
(It is) in Records held (greatly) in honour (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz),
مرفوعة مطهرة
Exalted, purified,
Exalted (in dignity), purified,
بأيدي سفرة
(Set down) by scribes
In the hands of scribes (angels).
كرام بررة
Noble and righteous.
Honourable and obedient.
قتل الإنسان ما أكفره
Man is (self - )destroyed: how ungrateful!
Be cursed (the disbelieving) man! How ungrateful he is!
من أي شيء خلقه
From what thing doth He create him ?
From what thing did He create him?
من نطفة خلقه فقدره
From a drop of seed. He createth him and proportioneth him,
From Nutfah (male and female semen drops) He created him and then set him in due proportion.
ثم السبيل يسره
Then maketh the way easy for him,
Then He makes the Path easy for him.
ثم أماته فأقبره
Then causeth him to die, and burieth him;
Then He causes him to die and puts him in his grave.
ثم إذا شاء أنشره
Then, when He will, He bringeth him again to life.
Then when it is His Will, He will resurrect him (again).
كلا لما يقض ما أمره
Nay, but (man) hath not done what He commanded him.
Nay, but (man) has not done what He commanded him.
فلينظر الإنسان إلى طعامه
Let man consider his food:
Then let man look at his food:
أنا صببنا الماء صبا
How We pour water in showers
We pour forth water in abundance.
ثم شققنا الأرض شقا
Then split the earth in clefts
And We split the earth in clefts.
فأنبتنا فيها حبا
And cause the grain to grow therein
And We cause therein the grain to grow,
وعنبا وقضبا
And grapes and green fodder
And grapes and clover plants (i.e. green fodder for the cattle),
وزيتونا ونخلا
And olive - trees and palm - trees
And olives and date-palms,
وحدائق غلبا
And garden - closes of thick foliage
And gardens dense with many trees,
وفاكهة وأبا
And fruits and grasses:
And fruits and herbage
متاعا لكم ولأنعامكم
Provision for you and your cattle.
(To be) a provision and benefit for you and your cattle.
فإذا جاءت الصاخة
But when the Shout cometh
Then when there comes As-Sakhkhah (the second blowing of the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection)
يوم يفر المرء من أخيه
On the day when a man fleeth from his brother
That Day shall a man flee from his brother,
وأمه وأبيه
And his mother and his father
And from his mother and his father,
وصاحبته وبنيه
And his wife and his children,
And from his wife and his children.
لكل امرئ منهم يومئذ شأن يغنيه
Every man that day will have concern enough to make him heedless (of others).
Everyman that Day will have enough to make him careless of others.
وجوه يومئذ مسفرة
On that day faces will be bright as dawn,
Some faces that Day will be bright (true believers of Islamic Monotheism),
ضاحكة مستبشرة
Laughing, rejoicing at good news;
Laughing, rejoicing at good news (of Paradise).
ووجوه يومئذ عليها غبرة
And other faces, on that day, with dust upon them,
And other faces, that Day, will be dust-stained.
ترهقها قترة
Veiled in darkness,
Darkness will cover them.
أولئك هم الكفرة الفجرة
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked.
Such will be the Kafarah (disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, and in His Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, etc.), the Fajarah (wicked evil doers).