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