Chapter 80, 42 verses
The Prophet frowned and turned away
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم عبس وتولى
He frowned and turned (his) back,
(The Prophet) frowned and turned away,
Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
أن جاءه الأعمى
Because there came to him the blind man.
Because there came to him the blind man (interrupting).
But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified
وما يدريك لعله يزكى
And what would make you know that he would purify himself,
But what could tell thee but that perchance he might grow (in spiritual understanding)? -
Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
أو يذكر فتنفعه الذكرى
Or become reminded so that the reminder should profit him?
Or that he might receive admonition, and the teaching might profit him?
As for he who thinks himself without need,
أما من استغنى
As for him who considers himself free from need (of you),
As to one who regards Himself as self - sufficient,
To him you give attention.
فأنت له تصدى
To him do you address yourself.
To him dost thou attend;
And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.
وما عليك ألا يزكى
And no blame is on you if he would not purify himself
Though it is no blame to thee if he grow not (in spiritual understanding).
But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]
وأما من جاءك يسعى
And as to him who comes to you striving hard,
But as to him who came to thee striving earnestly,
While he fears [Allah],
وهو يخشى
And he fears,
And with fear (in his heart),
From him you are distracted.
فأنت عنه تلهى
From him will you divert yourself.
Of him wast thou unmindful.
No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder;
كلا إنها تذكرة
Nay! surely it is an admonishment.
By no means (should it be so)! For it is indeed a Message of instruction:
So whoever wills may remember it.
فمن شاء ذكره
So let him who pleases mind it.
Therefore let whoso will, keep it in remembrance.
[It is recorded] in honored sheets,
في صحف مكرمة
In honored books,
(It is) in Books held (greatly) in honour,
Exalted and purified,
مرفوعة مطهرة
Exalted, purified,
Exalted (in dignity), kept pure and holy,
[Carried] by the hands of messenger - angels,
بأيدي سفرة
In the hands of scribes
(Written) by the hands of scribes -
Noble and dutiful.
كرام بررة
Noble, virtuous.
Honourable and Pious and Just.
Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he.
قتل الإنسان ما أكفره
Cursed be man! how ungrateful is he!
Woe to man! What hath made him reject Allah;
From what substance did He create him?
من أي شيء خلقه
Of what thing did He create him?
From what stuff hath He created him?
From a sperm - drop He created him and destined for him;
من نطفة خلقه فقدره
Of a small seed; He created him, then He made him according to a measure,
From a sperm - drop: He hath created him, and then mouldeth him in due proportions;
Then He eased the way for him;
ثم السبيل يسره
Then (as for) the way - - He has made it easy (for him)
Then doth He make His path smooth for him;
Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.
ثم أماته فأقبره
Then He causes him to die, then assigns to him a grave,
Then He causeth him to die, and putteth him in his grave;
Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.
ثم إذا شاء أنشره
Then when He pleases, He will raise him to life again.
Then, when it is His Will, He will raise him up (again).
No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.
كلا لما يقض ما أمره
Nay; but he has not done what He bade him.
By no means hath he fulfilled what Allah hath commanded him.
Then let mankind look at his food -
فلينظر الإنسان إلى طعامه
Then let man look to his food,
Then let man look at his food, (and how We provide it):
How We poured down water in torrents,
أنا صببنا الماء صبا
That We pour down the water, pouring (it) down in abundance,
For that We pour forth water in abundance,
Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],
ثم شققنا الأرض شقا
Then We cleave the earth, cleaving (it) asunder,
And We split the earth in fragments,
And caused to grow within it grain
فأنبتنا فيها حبا
Then We cause to grow therein the grain,
And produce therein corn,
And grapes and herbage
وعنبا وقضبا
And grapes and clover,
And Grapes and nutritious plants,
And olive and palm trees
وزيتونا ونخلا
And the olive and the palm,
And Olives and Dates,
And gardens of dense shrubbery
وحدائق غلبا
And thick gardens,
And enclosed Gardens, dense with lofty trees,
And fruit and grass -
وفاكهة وأبا
And fruits and herbage
And fruits and fodder, -
[As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.
متاعا لكم ولأنعامكم
A provision for you and for your cattle.
For use and convenience to you and your cattle.
But when there comes the Deafening Blast
فإذا جاءت الصاخة
But when the deafening cry comes,
At length, when there comes the Deafening Noise, -
On the Day a man will flee from his brother
يوم يفر المرء من أخيه
The day on which a man shall fly from his brother,
That Day shall a man flee from his own brother,
And his mother and his father
وأمه وأبيه
And his mother and his father,
And from his mother and his father,
And his wife and his children,
وصاحبته وبنيه
And his spouse and his son - -
And from his wife and his children.
For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.
لكل امرئ منهم يومئذ شأن يغنيه
Every man of them shall on that day have an affair which will occupy him.
Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others.
[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright -
وجوه يومئذ مسفرة
(Many) faces on that day shall be bright,
Some faces that Day will be beaming,
Laughing, rejoicing at good news.
ضاحكة مستبشرة
Laughing, joyous.
Laughing, rejoicing.
And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust.
ووجوه يومئذ عليها غبرة
And (many) faces on that day, on them shall be dust,
And other faces that Day will be dust - stained,
Blackness will cover them.
ترهقها قترة
Darkness shall cover them.
Blackness will cover them:
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.
أولئك هم الكفرة الفجرة
These are they who are unbelievers, the wicked.
Such will be the Rejecters of Allah, the doers of iniquity.