He frownedAbasaعبس

عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ

He frowned and turned away,

أَن جَآءَهُ ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ

when the blind man came to him¹.

وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُۥ يَزَّكَّىٰٓ

How would you know? Perhaps he might be purified²,

أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰٓ

or he might take heed and benefit from the reminder?

أَمَّا مَنِ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰ

But he who was indifferent³,

فَأَنتَ لَهُۥ تَصَدَّىٰ

you give him your full attention,

وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ

although you are not to be blamed if he does not purify himself⁴.

وَأَمَّا مَن جَآءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ

But as for the one who came to you striving [for purification],

وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ

and he fears Allah,

فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ

you let yourself be distracted from him.

كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ

No indeed; this is a reminder –

فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ

so whoever wills may give heed to it –

فِى صُحُفٍ مُّكَرَّمَةٍ

on venerable pages,

مَّرْفُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍۭ

exalted and purified,

بِأَيْدِى سَفَرَةٍ

[preserved] in the hands of angel-scribes,

كِرَامٍۭ بَرَرَةٍ

honorable and obedient.

قُتِلَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مَآ أَكْفَرَهُۥ

Woe to man; how ungrateful he is⁵!

مِنْ أَىِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ

From what did He create him?

مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُۥ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ

He created him from a drop of semen and proportioned him⁶,

ثُمَّ ٱلسَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُۥ

then He made the way easy for him⁷;

ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُۥ فَأَقْبَرَهُۥ

then He caused him to die and be buried;

ثُمَّ إِذَا شَآءَ أَنشَرَهُۥ

then when He wills, He will resurrect him.

كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَآ أَمَرَهُۥ

Yet he has not fulfilled what He commanded him.

فَلْيَنظُرِ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِۦٓ

Let man consider the food he eats:

أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا ٱلْمَآءَ صَبًّا

How We pour down rainwater in torrents,

ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ شَقًّا

and cause the soil to split open [for sprouts],

فَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا

and cause grains to grow in it,

وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا

as well as grapes and fodder,

وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا

and olive trees and date palms,

وَحَدَآئِقَ غُلْبًا

and dense orchards,

وَفَٰكِهَةً وَأَبًّا

and fruits and grass,

مَّتَٰعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَٰمِكُمْ

as provision for you and your livestock.

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلصَّآخَّةُ

But when the Deafening Blast⁸ comes,

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ

on that Day everyone will flee from his brother,

وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِ

and from his mother and father,

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ

and from his wife and children.

لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ

On that day, everyone will have enough concern of his own⁹.

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ

On that Day, some faces will be bright,

ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ

cheerful and rejoicing;

وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ

while other faces will be dust-stained,

تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ

covered in darkness.