Surah 'Abasa

Translation by:
Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

1. عَبَسَ وَتَوَلّٰىٓۙ

   ‘Abasa wa tawallā.

   He frowned and turned ˹his attention˺ away,

2. اَنْ جَاۤءَهُ الْاَعْمٰىۗ

   An jā'ahul-a‘mā.

   ˹simply˺ because the blind man came to him ˹interrupting˺.

3. وَمَا يُدْرِيْكَ لَعَلَّهٗ يَزَّكّٰىٓۙ

   Wa mā yudrīka la‘allahū yazzakkā.

   You never know ˹O Prophet˺, perhaps he may be purified,

4. اَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنْفَعَهُ الذِّكْرٰىۗ

   Au yażżakkaru fatanfa‘ahuż-żikrā.

   or he may be mindful, benefitting from the reminder.

5. اَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنٰىۙ

   Ammā manistagnā.

   As for the one who was indifferent,

6. فَاَنْتَ لَهٗ تَصَدّٰىۗ

   Fa anta lahū taṣaddā.

   you gave him your ˹undivided˺ attention,

7. وَمَا عَلَيْكَ اَلَّا يَزَّكّٰىۗ

   Wa mā ‘alaika allā yazzakkā.

   even though you are not to blame if he would not be purified.

8. وَاَمَّا مَنْ جَاۤءَكَ يَسْعٰىۙ

   Wa ammā man jā'aka yas‘ā.

   But as for the one who came to you, eager ˹to learn˺,

9. وَهُوَ يَخْشٰىۙ

   Wa huwa yakhsyā.

   being in awe ˹of Allah˺,

10. فَاَنْتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهّٰىۚ

    Fa anta ‘anhu talahhā.

    you were inattentive to him.

11. كَلَّآ اِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ ۚ

    Kallā innahā tażkirah(tun).

    But no! This ˹revelation˺ is truly a reminder.

12. فَمَنْ شَاۤءَ ذَكَرَهٗ ۘ

    Faman syā'a żakarah(ū).

    So let whoever wills be mindful of it.

13. فِيْ صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍۙ

    Fī ṣuḥufim mukarrmah(tin).

    It is ˹written˺ on pages held in honour—

14. مَّرْفُوْعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍ ۢ ۙ

    Marfū‘atim muṭahharah(tin).

    highly esteemed, purified—

15. بِاَيْدِيْ سَفَرَةٍۙ

    Bi'aidī safarah(tin).

    by the hands of angel-scribes,

16. كِرَامٍۢ بَرَرَةٍۗ

    Kirāmim bararah(tin).

    honourable and virtuous.

17. قُتِلَ الْاِنْسَانُ مَآ اَكْفَرَهٗۗ

    Qutilal-insānu mā akfarah(ū).

    Condemned are ˹disbelieving˺ humans! How ungrateful they are ˹to Allah˺!

18. مِنْ اَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهٗۗ

    Min ayyi syai'in khalaqah(ū).

    From what substance did He create them?

19. مِنْ نُّطْفَةٍۗ خَلَقَهٗ فَقَدَّرَهٗۗ

    Min nuṭfah(tin), khalaqahū fa qaddarah(ū).

    He created them from a sperm-drop, and ordained their development.

20. ثُمَّ السَّبِيْلَ يَسَّرَهٗۙ

    Ṡummas-sabīla yassarah(ū).

    Then He makes the way easy for them,

21. ثُمَّ اَمَاتَهٗ فَاَقْبَرَهٗۙ

    Ṡumma amātahū fa aqbarah(ū).

    then causes them to die and be buried.

22. ثُمَّ اِذَا شَاۤءَ اَنْشَرَهٗۗ

    Ṡumma iżā syā'a ansyarah(ū).

    Then when He wills, He will resurrect them.

23. كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَآ اَمَرَهٗۗ

    Kallā lammā yaqḍi mā amarah(ū).

    But no! They have failed to comply with what He ordered.

24. فَلْيَنْظُرِ الْاِنْسَانُ اِلٰى طَعَامِهٖٓ ۙ

    Falyanẓuril-insānu ilā ṭa‘āmih(ī).

    Let people then consider their food:

25. اَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاۤءَ صَبًّاۙ

    Annā ṣababnal-mā'a ṣabbā(n).

    how We pour down rain in abundance

26. ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْاَرْضَ شَقًّاۙ

    Ṡumma syaqaqnal-arḍa syaqqā(n).

    and meticulously split the earth open ˹for sprouts˺,

27. فَاَنْۢبَتْنَا فِيْهَا حَبًّاۙ

    Fa'ambatnā fīhā ḥabbā(n).

    causing grain to grow in it,

28. وَّعِنَبًا وَّقَضْبًاۙ

    Wa ‘inabaw wa qaḍbā(n).

    as well as grapes and greens,

29. وَّزَيْتُوْنًا وَّنَخْلًاۙ

    Wa zaitūnaw wa nakhlā(n).

    and olives and palm trees,

30. وَّحَدَاۤىِٕقَ غُلْبًا

    Wa ḥadā'iqa gulbā(n).

    and dense orchards,

31. وَفَاكِهَةً وَّاَبًّا

    Wa fākihataw wa abbā(n).

    and fruit and fodder—

32. مَتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِاَنْعَامِكُمْۗ

    Matā‘al lakum wa li'an‘āmikum.

    all as ˹a means of˺ sustenance for you and your animals.

33. فَاِذَا جَاۤءَتِ الصَّاۤخَّةُ ۖ

    Fa iżā jā'atiṣ-ṣākhkhah(tu).

    Then, when the Deafening Blast comes to pass—

34. يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ اَخِيْهِۙ

    Yauma yafirrul-mar'u min akhīh(i).

    on that Day every person will flee from their own siblings,

35. وَاُمِّهٖ وَاَبِيْهِۙ

    Wa ummihī wa abīh(i).

    and ˹even˺ their mother and father,

36. وَصَاحِبَتِهٖ وَبَنِيْهِۗ

    Wa ṣāḥibatihī wa banīh(i).

    and ˹even˺ their spouse and children.

37. لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَىِٕذٍ شَأْنٌ يُّغْنِيْهِۗ

    Likullimri'im minhum yauma'iżin sya'nuy yugnīh(i).

    For then everyone will have enough concern of their own.

38. وُجُوْهٌ يَّوْمَىِٕذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌۙ

    Wujūhuy yauma'iżim musfirah(tun).

    On that Day ˹some˺ faces will be bright,

39. ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ ۚ

    Ḍāḥikatum mustabsyirah(tun).

    laughing and rejoicing,

40. وَوُجُوْهٌ يَّوْمَىِٕذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌۙ

    Wa wujūhuy yauma'iżin ‘alaihā gabarah(tun).

    while ˹other˺ faces will be dusty,

41. تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ ۗ

    Tarhaquhā qatarah(tun).

    cast in gloom—

42. اُولٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ ࣖ

    Ulā'ika humul-kafaratul-fajarah(tu).

    those are the disbelievers, the ˹wicked˺ sinners.