Surah `Abasa (He Frowned) in English

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

1. عبس وتولى

   1

   He frowned and turned away

   ʿabasa wa-tawallā

2. أن جاءه الأعمى

   2

   when the blind man approached him.

   ʾan jāʾahu l-ʾaʿmā

3. وما يدريك لعله يزكى

   3

   And how do you know, maybe he would purify himself,

   wa-mā yudrīka laʿallahū yazzakkā

4. أو يذكر فتنفعه الذكرى

   4

   or take admonition, and the admonition would benefit him!

   ʾaw yadhdhakkaru fa-tanfaʿahu dh-dhikrā

5. أما من استغنى

   5

   But as for someone who is wealthy,

   ʾammā mani staghnā

6. فأنت له تصدى

   6

   you attend to him,

   fa-ʾanta lahū taṣaddā

7. وما عليك ألا يزكى

   7

   though you are not liable if he does not purify himself.

   wa-mā ʿalayka ʾallā yazzakkā

8. وأما من جاءك يسعى

   8

   But as for someone who comes hurrying to you,

   wa-ʾammā man jāʾaka yasʿā

9. وهو يخشى

   9

   while he fears [Allah],

   wa-huwa yakhshā

10. فأنت عنه تلهى

    10

    you are neglectful of him.

    fa-ʾanta ʿanhu talahhā

11. كلا إنها تذكرة

    11

    No indeed! These [verses of the Quran ] are a reminder

    kallā ʾinnahā tadhkiratun

12. فمن شاء ذكره

    12

    —so let anyone who wishes remember—

    fa-man shāʾa dhakarahū

13. في صحف مكرمة

    13

    in honoured scriptures,

    fī ṣuḥufin mukarramatin

14. مرفوعة مطهرة

    14

    exalted and purified,

    marfūʿatin muṭahharatin

15. بأيدي سفرة

    15

    in the hands of envoys,

    bi-ʾaydī safaratin

16. كرام بررة

    16

    noble and pious.

    kirāmin bararatin

17. قتل الإنسان ما أكفره

    17

    Perish man! How ungrateful is he!

    qutila l-ʾinsānu mā ʾakfarahū

18. من أي شيء خلقه

    18

    From what did He create him?

    min ʾayyi shayʾin khalaqahū

19. من نطفة خلقه فقدره

    19

    He created him from a drop of [seminal] fluid; then proportioned him.

    min nuṭfatin khalaqahū fa-qaddarahū

20. ثم السبيل يسره

    20

    Then He made the way easy for him;

    thumma s-sabīla yassarahū

21. ثم أماته فأقبره

    21

    then He made him die and buried him;

    thumma ʾamātahū fa-ʾaqbarahū

22. ثم إذا شاء أنشره

    22

    and then, when He wished, resurrected him.

    thumma ʾidhā shāʾa ʾansharahū

23. كلا لما يقض ما أمره

    23

    No indeed! He has not yet carried out what He has commanded him.

    kallā lammā yaqḍi mā ʾamarahū

24. فلينظر الإنسان إلى طعامه

    24

    Let man consider his food:

    fa-l-yanẓuri l-ʾinsānu ʾilā ṭaʿāmihī

25. أنا صببنا الماء صبا

    25

    We pour down plenteous water [from the sky],

    ʾannā ṣababnā l-māʾa ṣabban

26. ثم شققنا الأرض شقا

    26

    then We split the earth making fissures in it

    thumma shaqqaqnā l-ʾarḍa shaqqan

27. فأنبتنا فيها حبا

    27

    and make the grain grow in it,

    fa-ʾanbatnā fīhā ḥabban

28. وعنبا وقضبا

    28

    as well as vines and vegetables,

    wa-ʿinaban wa-qaḍban

29. وزيتونا ونخلا

    29

    olives and date palms,

    wa-zaytūnan wa-nakhlan

30. وحدائق غلبا

    30

    and densely-planted gardens,

    wa-ḥadāʾiqa ghulban

31. وفاكهة وأبا

    31

    fruits and pastures,

    wa-fākihatan wa-ʾabban

32. متاعا لكم ولأنعامكم

    32

    as a sustenance for you and your livestock.

    matāʿan lakum wa-li-ʾanʿāmikum

33. فإذا جاءت الصاخة

    33

    So when the deafening Cry comes—

    fa-ʾidhā jāʾati ṣ-ṣākhkhatu

34. يوم يفر المرء من أخيه

    34

    the day when a man will evade his brother,

    yawma yafirru l-marʾu min ʾakhīhi

35. وأمه وأبيه

    35

    his mother and his father,

    wa-ʾummihī wa-ʾabīhi

36. وصاحبته وبنيه

    36

    his spouse and his sons—

    wa-ṣāḥibatihī wa-banīhi

37. لكل امرئ منهم يومئذ شأن يغنيه

    37

    each of them will have a task to keep him preoccupied on that day.

    li-kulli mriʾin minhum yawmaʾidhin shaʾnun yughnīhi

38. وجوه يومئذ مسفرة

    38

    Some faces will be bright on that day,

    wujūhun yawmaʾidhin musfiratun

39. ضاحكة مستبشرة

    39

    laughing and joyous,

    ḍāḥikatun mustabshiratun

40. ووجوه يومئذ عليها غبرة

    40

    and some faces on that day will be covered with dust,

    wa-wujūhun yawmaʾidhin ʿalayhā ghabaratun

41. ترهقها قترة

    41

    overcast with gloom.

    tarhaquhā qataratun

42. أولئك هم الكفرة الفجرة

    42

    It is they who are the faithless, the vicious.

    ʾulāʾika humu l-kafaratu l-fajaratu