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