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