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