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