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