Chapter 80, 42 verses
He frowned and turned (his) back,
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 there came to him the blind man.
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
And what would make you know that he would purify himself,
And how can you know that he might become pure (from sins)?
وما يدريك لعله يزكى
Or become reminded so that the reminder should profit him?
Or he might receive admonition, and the admonition might profit him?
أو يذكر فتنفعه الذكرى
As for him who considers himself free from need (of you),
As for him who thinks himself self-sufficient,
أما من استغنى
To him do you address yourself.
To him you attend;
فأنت له تصدى
And no blame is on you if he would not purify himself
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
And as to him who comes to you striving hard,
But as to him who came to you running,
وأما من جاءك يسعى
And he fears,
And is afraid (of Allah and His punishment).
وهو يخشى
From him will you divert yourself.
Of him you are neglectful and divert your attention to another,
فأنت عنه تلهى
Nay! surely it is an admonishment.
Nay, (do not do like this); indeed it (this Qur'an) is an admonition.
كلا إنها تذكرة
So let him who pleases mind it.
So whoever wills, let him pay attention to it.
فمن شاء ذكره
In honored books,
(It is) in Records held (greatly) in honour (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz),
في صحف مكرمة
Exalted, purified,
Exalted (in dignity), purified,
مرفوعة مطهرة
In the hands of scribes
In the hands of scribes (angels).
بأيدي سفرة
Noble, virtuous.
Honourable and obedient.
كرام بررة
Cursed be man! how ungrateful is he!
Be cursed (the disbelieving) man! How ungrateful he is!
قتل الإنسان ما أكفره
Of what thing did He create him?
From what thing did He create him?
من أي شيء خلقه
Of a small seed; He created him, then He made him according to a measure,
From Nutfah (male and female semen drops) He created him and then set him in due proportion.
من نطفة خلقه فقدره
Then (as for) the way - - He has made it easy (for him)
Then He makes the Path easy for him.
ثم السبيل يسره
Then He causes him to die, then assigns to him a grave,
Then He causes him to die and puts him in his grave.
ثم أماته فأقبره
Then when He pleases, He will raise him to life again.
Then when it is His Will, He will resurrect him (again).
ثم إذا شاء أنشره
Nay; but he has not done what He bade him.
Nay, but (man) has not done what He commanded him.
كلا لما يقض ما أمره
Then let man look to his food,
Then let man look at his food:
فلينظر الإنسان إلى طعامه
That We pour down the water, pouring (it) down in abundance,
We pour forth water in abundance.
أنا صببنا الماء صبا
Then We cleave the earth, cleaving (it) asunder,
And We split the earth in clefts.
ثم شققنا الأرض شقا
Then We cause to grow therein the grain,
And We cause therein the grain to grow,
فأنبتنا فيها حبا
And grapes and clover,
And grapes and clover plants (i.e. green fodder for the cattle),
وعنبا وقضبا
And the olive and the palm,
And olives and date-palms,
وزيتونا ونخلا
And thick gardens,
And gardens dense with many trees,
وحدائق غلبا
And fruits and herbage
And fruits and herbage
وفاكهة وأبا
A provision for you and for your cattle.
(To be) a provision and benefit for you and your cattle.
متاعا لكم ولأنعامكم
But when the deafening cry comes,
Then when there comes As-Sakhkhah (the second blowing of the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection)
فإذا جاءت الصاخة
The day on which a man shall fly 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 spouse and his son - -
And from his wife and his children.
وصاحبته وبنيه
Every man of them shall on that day have an affair which will occupy him.
Everyman that Day will have enough to make him careless of others.
لكل امرئ منهم يومئذ شأن يغنيه
(Many) faces on that day shall be bright,
Some faces that Day will be bright (true believers of Islamic Monotheism),
وجوه يومئذ مسفرة
Laughing, joyous.
Laughing, rejoicing at good news (of Paradise).
ضاحكة مستبشرة
And (many) faces on that day, on them shall be dust,
And other faces, that Day, will be dust-stained.
ووجوه يومئذ عليها غبرة
Darkness shall cover them.
Darkness will cover them.
ترهقها قترة
These are they who are unbelievers, 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