Chapter 80, 42 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم عبس وتولى
The Prophet frowned and turned away
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. He frowned and turned away
(The Prophet) frowned and turned away,
أن جاءه الأعمى
Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
Because the blind man came unto him.
Because there came to him the blind man (interrupting).
وما يدريك لعله يزكى
But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified
What could inform thee but that he might grow (in grace)
But what could tell thee but that perchance he might grow (in spiritual understanding)? -
أو يذكر فتنفعه الذكرى
Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
Or take heed and so the reminder might avail him ?
Or that he might receive admonition, and the teaching might profit him?
أما من استغنى
As for he who thinks himself without need,
As for him who thinketh himself independent,
As to one who regards Himself as self - sufficient,
فأنت له تصدى
To him you give attention.
Unto him thou payest regard.
To him dost thou attend;
وما عليك ألا يزكى
And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.
Yet it is not thy concern if he grow not (in grace).
Though it is no blame to thee if he grow not (in spiritual understanding).
وأما من جاءك يسعى
But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]
But as for him who cometh unto thee with earnest purpose
But as to him who came to thee striving earnestly,
وهو يخشى
While he fears [Allah],
And hath fear,
And with fear (in his heart),
فأنت عنه تلهى
From him you are distracted.
From him thou art distracted.
Of him wast thou unmindful.
كلا إنها تذكرة
No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder;
Nay, but verily it is an Admonishment,
By no means (should it be so)! For it is indeed a Message of instruction:
فمن شاء ذكره
So whoever wills may remember it.
So let whosoever will pay heed to it,
Therefore let whoso will, keep it in remembrance.
في صحف مكرمة
[It is recorded] in honored sheets,
On honoured leaves
(It is) in Books held (greatly) in honour,
مرفوعة مطهرة
Exalted and purified,
Exalted, purified,
Exalted (in dignity), kept pure and holy,
بأيدي سفرة
[Carried] by the hands of messenger - angels,
(Set down) by scribes
(Written) by the hands of scribes -
كرام بررة
Noble and dutiful.
Noble and righteous.
Honourable and Pious and Just.
قتل الإنسان ما أكفره
Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he.
Man is (self - )destroyed: how ungrateful!
Woe to man! What hath made him reject Allah;
من أي شيء خلقه
From what substance did He create him?
From what thing doth He create him ?
From what stuff hath He created him?
من نطفة خلقه فقدره
From a sperm - drop He created him and destined for him;
From a drop of seed. He createth him and proportioneth him,
From a sperm - drop: He hath created him, and then mouldeth him in due proportions;
ثم السبيل يسره
Then He eased the way for him;
Then maketh the way easy for him,
Then doth He make His path smooth for him;
ثم أماته فأقبره
Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.
Then causeth him to die, and burieth him;
Then He causeth him to die, and putteth him in his grave;
ثم إذا شاء أنشره
Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.
Then, when He will, He bringeth him again to life.
Then, when it is His Will, He will raise him up (again).
كلا لما يقض ما أمره
No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.
Nay, but (man) hath not done what He commanded him.
By no means hath he fulfilled what Allah hath commanded him.
فلينظر الإنسان إلى طعامه
Then let mankind look at his food -
Let man consider his food:
Then let man look at his food, (and how We provide it):
أنا صببنا الماء صبا
How We poured down water in torrents,
How We pour water in showers
For that We pour forth water in abundance,
ثم شققنا الأرض شقا
Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],
Then split the earth in clefts
And We split the earth in fragments,
فأنبتنا فيها حبا
And caused to grow within it grain
And cause the grain to grow therein
And produce therein corn,
وعنبا وقضبا
And grapes and herbage
And grapes and green fodder
And Grapes and nutritious plants,
وزيتونا ونخلا
And olive and palm trees
And olive - trees and palm - trees
And Olives and Dates,
وحدائق غلبا
And gardens of dense shrubbery
And garden - closes of thick foliage
And enclosed Gardens, dense with lofty trees,
وفاكهة وأبا
And fruit and grass -
And fruits and grasses:
And fruits and fodder, -
متاعا لكم ولأنعامكم
[As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.
Provision for you and your cattle.
For use and convenience to you and your cattle.
فإذا جاءت الصاخة
But when there comes the Deafening Blast
But when the Shout cometh
At length, when there comes the Deafening Noise, -
يوم يفر المرء من أخيه
On the Day a man will flee from his brother
On the day when a man fleeth from his brother
That Day shall a man flee from his own brother,
وأمه وأبيه
And his mother and his father
And his mother and his father
And from his mother and his father,
وصاحبته وبنيه
And his wife and his children,
And his wife and his children,
And from his wife and his children.
لكل امرئ منهم يومئذ شأن يغنيه
For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.
Every man that day will have concern enough to make him heedless (of others).
Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others.
وجوه يومئذ مسفرة
[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright -
On that day faces will be bright as dawn,
Some faces that Day will be beaming,
ضاحكة مستبشرة
Laughing, rejoicing at good news.
Laughing, rejoicing at good news;
Laughing, rejoicing.
ووجوه يومئذ عليها غبرة
And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust.
And other faces, on that day, with dust upon them,
And other faces that Day will be dust - stained,
ترهقها قترة
Blackness will cover them.
Veiled in darkness,
Blackness will cover them:
أولئك هم الكفرة الفجرة
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked.
Such will be the Rejecters of Allah, the doers of iniquity.