Chapter 80, 42 verses
The Prophet 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 there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
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).
But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified
وما يدريك لعله يزكى
And how can you know that he might become pure (from sins)?
Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
أو يذكر فتنفعه الذكرى
Or he might receive admonition, and the admonition might profit him?
As for he who thinks himself without need,
أما من استغنى
As for him who thinks himself self-sufficient,
To him you give attention.
فأنت له تصدى
To him you attend;
And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.
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 he who came to you striving [for knowledge]
وأما من جاءك يسعى
But as to him who came to you running,
While he fears [Allah],
وهو يخشى
And is afraid (of Allah and His punishment).
From him you are distracted.
فأنت عنه تلهى
Of him you are neglectful and divert your attention to another,
No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder;
كلا إنها تذكرة
Nay, (do not do like this); indeed it (this Qur'an) is an admonition.
So whoever wills may remember it.
فمن شاء ذكره
So whoever wills, let him pay attention to it.
[It is recorded] in honored sheets,
في صحف مكرمة
(It is) in Records held (greatly) in honour (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz),
Exalted and purified,
مرفوعة مطهرة
Exalted (in dignity), purified,
[Carried] by the hands of messenger - angels,
بأيدي سفرة
In the hands of scribes (angels).
Noble and dutiful.
كرام بررة
Honourable and obedient.
Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he.
قتل الإنسان ما أكفره
Be cursed (the disbelieving) man! How ungrateful he is!
From what substance did He create him?
من أي شيء خلقه
From what thing did He create him?
From a sperm - drop He created him and destined for him;
من نطفة خلقه فقدره
From Nutfah (male and female semen drops) He created him and then set him in due proportion.
Then He eased the way for him;
ثم السبيل يسره
Then He makes the Path easy for him.
Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.
ثم أماته فأقبره
Then He causes him to die and puts him in his grave.
Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.
ثم إذا شاء أنشره
Then when it is His Will, He will resurrect him (again).
No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.
كلا لما يقض ما أمره
Nay, but (man) has not done what He commanded him.
Then let mankind look at his food -
فلينظر الإنسان إلى طعامه
Then let man look at his food:
How We poured down water in torrents,
أنا صببنا الماء صبا
We pour forth water in abundance.
Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],
ثم شققنا الأرض شقا
And We split the earth in clefts.
And caused to grow within it grain
فأنبتنا فيها حبا
And We cause therein the grain to grow,
And grapes and herbage
وعنبا وقضبا
And grapes and clover plants (i.e. green fodder for the cattle),
And olive and palm trees
وزيتونا ونخلا
And olives and date-palms,
And gardens of dense shrubbery
وحدائق غلبا
And gardens dense with many trees,
And fruit and grass -
وفاكهة وأبا
And fruits and herbage
[As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.
متاعا لكم ولأنعامكم
(To be) a provision and benefit for you and your cattle.
But when there comes the Deafening Blast
فإذا جاءت الصاخة
Then when there comes As-Sakhkhah (the second blowing of the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection)
On the Day a man will flee 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.
For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.
لكل امرئ منهم يومئذ شأن يغنيه
Everyman that Day will have enough to make him careless of others.
[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright -
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, that Day, will have upon them dust.
ووجوه يومئذ عليها غبرة
And other faces, that Day, will be dust-stained.
Blackness will cover them.
ترهقها قترة
Darkness will cover them.
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.
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).