Chapter 80, 42 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم عبس وتولى
The Prophet 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 there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
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
But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified
And how can you know that he might become pure (from sins)?
أو يذكر فتنفعه الذكرى
Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
Or he might receive admonition, and the admonition might profit him?
أما من استغنى
As for he who thinks himself without need,
As for him who thinks himself self-sufficient,
فأنت له تصدى
To him you give attention.
To him you attend;
وما عليك ألا يزكى
And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.
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 he who came to you striving [for knowledge]
But as to him who came to you running,
وهو يخشى
While he fears [Allah],
And is afraid (of Allah and His punishment).
فأنت عنه تلهى
From him you are distracted.
Of him you are neglectful and divert your attention to another,
كلا إنها تذكرة
No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder;
Nay, (do not do like this); indeed it (this Qur'an) is an admonition.
فمن شاء ذكره
So whoever wills may remember it.
So whoever wills, let him pay attention to it.
في صحف مكرمة
[It is recorded] in honored sheets,
(It is) in Records held (greatly) in honour (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz),
مرفوعة مطهرة
Exalted and purified,
Exalted (in dignity), purified,
بأيدي سفرة
[Carried] by the hands of messenger - angels,
In the hands of scribes (angels).
كرام بررة
Noble and dutiful.
Honourable and obedient.
قتل الإنسان ما أكفره
Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he.
Be cursed (the disbelieving) man! How ungrateful he is!
من أي شيء خلقه
From what substance did He create him?
From what thing did He create him?
من نطفة خلقه فقدره
From a sperm - drop He created him and destined for him;
From Nutfah (male and female semen drops) He created him and then set him in due proportion.
ثم السبيل يسره
Then He eased the way for him;
Then He makes the Path easy for him.
ثم أماته فأقبره
Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.
Then He causes him to die and puts him in his grave.
ثم إذا شاء أنشره
Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.
Then when it is His Will, He will resurrect him (again).
كلا لما يقض ما أمره
No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.
Nay, but (man) has not done what He commanded him.
فلينظر الإنسان إلى طعامه
Then let mankind look at his food -
Then let man look at his food:
أنا صببنا الماء صبا
How We poured down water in torrents,
We pour forth water in abundance.
ثم شققنا الأرض شقا
Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],
And We split the earth in clefts.
فأنبتنا فيها حبا
And caused to grow within it grain
And We cause therein the grain to grow,
وعنبا وقضبا
And grapes and herbage
And grapes and clover plants (i.e. green fodder for the cattle),
وزيتونا ونخلا
And olive and palm trees
And olives and date-palms,
وحدائق غلبا
And gardens of dense shrubbery
And gardens dense with many trees,
وفاكهة وأبا
And fruit and grass -
And fruits and herbage
متاعا لكم ولأنعامكم
[As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.
(To be) a provision and benefit for you and your cattle.
فإذا جاءت الصاخة
But when there comes the Deafening Blast
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 a man will flee 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
For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.
Everyman that Day will have enough to make him careless of others.
وجوه يومئذ مسفرة
[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright -
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, that Day, will have upon them dust.
And other faces, that Day, will be dust-stained.
ترهقها قترة
Blackness will cover them.
Darkness will cover them.
أولئك هم الكفرة الفجرة
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.
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).