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