عبس
Surah Abasa (عبس) - Transliteration and Translation
Chapter 80 of the Quran, 42 verses, "He Frowned"
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Surah Abasa Transliteration and English Translation
- 1
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ
'Abasa wa tawallaa.
The Prophet frowned and turned away
- 2
أَن جَآءَهُ ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ
An jaa-ahul 'a-maa
Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
- 3
وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُۥ يَزَّكَّىٰٓ
Wa maa yudreeka la'allahu yaz zakkaa.
But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified
- 4
أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰٓ
Au yaz zak karu fatanfa 'ahuz zikraa.
Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
- 5
أَمَّا مَنِ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰ
Amma manis taghnaa
As for he who thinks himself without need,
- 6
فَأَنتَ لَهُۥ تَصَدَّىٰ
Fa-anta lahu tasaddaa
To him you give attention.
- 7
وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ
Wa ma 'alaika allaa yaz zakka.
And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.
- 8
وَأَمَّا مَن جَآءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ
Wa amma man jaa-aka yas'a
But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]
- 9
وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ
Wahuwa yakhshaa,
While he fears [Allah],
- 10
فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ
Fa-anta 'anhu talah haa.
From him you are distracted.
- 11
كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌۭ
Kalla innaha tazkirah
No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder;
- 12
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ
Faman shaa a zakarah
So whoever wills may remember it.
- 13
فِى صُحُفٍۢ مُّكَرَّمَةٍۢ
Fi suhufim mukar rama,
[It is recorded] in honored sheets,
- 14
مَّرْفُوعَةٍۢ مُّطَهَّرَةٍۭ
Marfoo'atim mutah hara,
Exalted and purified,
- 15
بِأَيْدِى سَفَرَةٍۢ
Bi'aidee safara
[Carried] by the hands of messenger-angels,
- 16
كِرَامٍۭ بَرَرَةٍۢ
Kiraamim bararah.
Noble and dutiful.
- 17
قُتِلَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مَآ أَكْفَرَهُۥ
Qutilal-insanu maa akfarah.
Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he.
- 18
مِنْ أَىِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ
Min aiyyi shai-in Khalaq
From what substance did He create him?
- 19
مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُۥ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ
Min nutfah; khalaqahu faqad-darah.
From a sperm-drop He created him and destined for him;
- 20
ثُمَّ ٱلسَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُۥ
Thummas sabeela yas-sarah
Then He eased the way for him;
- 21
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُۥ فَأَقْبَرَهُۥ
Thumma amatahu fa-aqbarah
Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.
- 22
ثُمَّ إِذَا شَآءَ أَنشَرَهُۥ
Thumma iza shaa-a ansharah
Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.
- 23
كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَآ أَمَرَهُۥ
Kalla lamma yaqdi maa amarah.
No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.
- 24
فَلْيَنظُرِ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِۦٓ
Falyanzuril insanu ilaa ta-amih
Then let mankind look at his food -
- 25
أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا ٱلْمَآءَ صَبًّۭا
Anna sabab nalmaa-a sabba.
How We poured down water in torrents,
- 26
ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ شَقًّۭا
Thumma sha qaqnal-arda shaqqa.
Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],
- 27
فَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّۭا
Fa ambatna feeha habba
And caused to grow within it grain
- 28
وَعِنَبًۭا وَقَضْبًۭا
Wa 'inabaw-wa qadba
And grapes and herbage
- 29
وَزَيْتُونًۭا وَنَخْلًۭا
Wa zaitoonaw wanakh la'
And olive and palm trees
- 30
وَحَدَآئِقَ غُلْبًۭا
Wa hadaa-iqa ghulba
And gardens of dense shrubbery
- 31
وَفَٰكِهَةًۭ وَأَبًّۭا
Wa faki hataw-wa abba.
And fruit and grass -
- 32
مَّتَٰعًۭا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَٰمِكُمْ
Mata'al-lakum wa li-an'amikum.
[As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.
- 33
فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلصَّآخَّةُ
Faiza jaa-atis saakhah.
But when there comes the Deafening Blast
- 34
يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ
Yauma yafir-rul mar-u min akheeh
On the Day a man will flee from his brother
- 35
وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِ
Wa ummihee wa abeeh
And his mother and his father
- 36
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ
Wa sahi batihee wa baneeh.
And his wife and his children,
- 37
لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ شَأْنٌۭ يُغْنِيهِ
Likul limri-im-minuhm yaumaa-izin shaa nuy-yughneeh
For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.
- 38
وُجُوهٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ مُّسْفِرَةٌۭ
Wujoo huny-yauma-izim-musfira;
[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright -
- 39
ضَاحِكَةٌۭ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌۭ
Dahi katum mustab shirah
Laughing, rejoicing at good news.
- 40
وَوُجُوهٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌۭ
Wa wujoohuy yauma-izin 'alaiha ghabar a
And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust.
- 41
تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ
Tarhaquha qatarah.
Blackness will cover them.
- 42
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْكَفَرَةُ ٱلْفَجَرَةُ
Ulaa-ika humul-kafa ratul-fajarah.
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.
About Surah Abasa
Surah Abasa (Arabic: عبس), meaning "He Frowned", is the 80th chapter of the Quran and has 42 verses. It was revealed in Makkah, where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was eagerly inviting the leaders of the Quraysh to Islam. The surah makes one point through a single incident: a person's worth lies in sincerity and the desire to be purified, not in wealth or status.
The opening verses gently correct the Prophet for frowning and turning away when a blind man came seeking guidance while he was occupied with a man who considered himself self-sufficient. Commentators identify the blind man as Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum, who later served as one of the callers to prayer in Madinah. The surah then describes the Quran as a reminder recorded on honored pages in the hands of noble and righteous scribes. It asks why man is so ungrateful when Allah created him from a drop, eased his path and will raise him again, and tells him to look at his food: rain, grain, grapes, olives, date palms, gardens and fruits provided for him and his livestock. It ends with the deafening blast, the Day when a person flees from his brother, mother, father, wife and children, when some faces shine with joy and others are covered in dust.
Main Themes of Surah Abasa
- Giving attention to the sincere seeker
- Worth measured by sincerity, not status
- The Quran as an honored reminder
- Reflecting on food as a sign of Allah's care
- Every person fleeing from family on the Day of Judgment
Read Surah Abasa with Transliteration
Read Surah Abasa in Arabic with Latin transliteration and English translation. This Surah does not currently have a synchronized recording in the QuranMakkah audio library.
Frequently Asked Questions About Surah Abasa
- Who was the blind man in Surah Abasa?
- Commentators identify him as Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum, a Companion who came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) asking to be taught while he was busy inviting prominent figures of the Quraysh. He later became one of the callers to prayer in Madinah, and his story is remembered as a lesson in valuing sincere seekers.
- What is the lesson of Surah Abasa?
- The surah teaches that attention and respect should follow a person's sincerity and desire for guidance, not their wealth or social standing. It also reminds every reader of human dependence on Allah, from creation and food to resurrection.
- What does Surah Abasa say about the Day of Judgment?
- Verses 33 to 37 describe the deafening blast, the Day when a person flees from his brother, his mother and father, and his wife and children, because each will have enough concern of his own. Verses 38 to 42 then contrast bright, laughing faces with faces covered in dust and darkness.