ʿAbasaHe Frowned

عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

He frowned and turned away

أَن جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَىٰ

because there came to him the blind man.

وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّىٰ

But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might purify himself,

أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَىٰ

or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?

أَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنَىٰ

As for he who considers himself free from need,

فَأَنتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّىٰ

to him you give attention.

وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ

And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.

وَأَمَّا مَن جَاءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ

But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]

وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ

while he fears [Allah],

فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ

from him you are distracted.

كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ

No! Indeed, it is a reminder;

فَمَن شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ

so whoever wills may remember it.

فِي صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍ

[It is recorded] in honoured pages,

مَّرْفُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍ

exalted and purified,

بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَةٍ

in the hands of angel-scribes,

كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ

noble and virtuous.

قُتِلَ الْإِنسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ

Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he!

مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ

From what thing did He create him?

مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ

From a sperm-drop He created him and set him in due proportion.

ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ

Then He eased the way for him,

ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ

then He causes him to die and puts him in his grave;

ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنشَرَهُ

then when He wills, He will resurrect him.

كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَا أَمَرَهُ

No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.

فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِ

Then let man look at his food —

أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا

how We poured down water in abundance,

ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْضَ شَقًّا

then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],

فَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا

and caused to grow within it grain

وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا

and grapes and green fodder

وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا

and olive and palm trees

وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا

and gardens of dense shrubbery

وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا

and fruit and grass —

مَّتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ

[As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.

فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الصَّاخَّةُ

But when there comes the Deafening Blast

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ

on the Day a man will flee from his brother

وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ

and his mother and his father

وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ

and his wife and his children,

لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ

For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ

[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright —

ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ

laughing, rejoicing at good news.

وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ

And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust.

تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ

Blackness will cover them.

أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ

Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.