1. 'Abasa wa tawallaa. عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ (The Prophet) frowned and turned away, |
2. An jaa-ahul 'a-maa أَنْ جَاءَهُ الْأَعْمَىٰ Because there came to him the blind man (interrupting). |
3. Wa maa yudreeka la'allahu yaz zakkaa. وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّىٰ But what could tell thee but that perchance he might grow (in spiritual understanding)?- |
4. Aw yazzakkaru fatanfa 'ahuz zikraa. أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنْفَعَهُ الذِّكْرَىٰ Or that he might receive admonition, and the teaching might profit him? |
5. Amma manis taghnaa أَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنَىٰ As to one who regards Himself as self-sufficient, |
6. Fa-anta lahu tasaddaa فَأَنْتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّىٰ To him dost thou attend; |
7. Wa ma 'alaika allaa yaz zakka. وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ Though it is no blame to thee if he grow not (in spiritual understanding). |
8. Wa amma man jaa-aka yas'a وَأَمَّا مَنْ جَاءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ But as to him who came to thee striving earnestly, |
9. Wahuwa yakhshaa, وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ And with fear (in his heart), |
10. Fa-anta 'anhu talah haa. فَأَنْتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ Of him wast thou unmindful. |
11. Kalla innaha tazkirah كَلَّا إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌ By no means (should it be so)! For it is indeed a Message of instruction: |
12. Faman shaa a zakarah فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ Therefore let whoso will, keep it in remembrance. |
13. Fi suhufim mukar rama, فِي صُحُفٍ مُكَرَّمَةٍ (It is) in Books held (greatly) in honour, |
14. Marfoo'atim mutah hara, مَرْفُوعَةٍ مُطَهَّرَةٍ Exalted (in dignity), kept pure and holy, |
15. Bi'aidee safara بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَةٍ (Written) by the hands of scribes- |
16. Kiraamim bararah. كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ Honourable and Pious and Just. |
17. Qutilal-insanu maa akfarah. قُتِلَ الْإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ Woe to man! What hath made him reject Allah; |
18. Min aiyyi shai-in Khalaq مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ From what stuff hath He created him? |
19. Min nutfatin khalaqahoo faqaddarah. مِنْ نُطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ From a sperm-drop: He hath created him, and then mouldeth him in due proportions; |
20. Thummas sabeela yas-sarah ثُمَّ السَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ Then doth He make His path smooth for him; |
21. Thumma amatahu fa-aqbarah ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُ فَأَقْبَرَهُ Then He causeth him to die, and putteth him in his grave; |
22. Thumma iza shaa-a ansharah ثُمَّ إِذَا شَاءَ أَنْشَرَهُ Then, when it is His Will, He will raise him up (again). |
23. Kalla lamma yaqdi maa amarah. كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَا أَمَرَهُ By no means hath he fulfilled what Allah hath commanded him. |
24. Falyanzuril insanu ilaa ta-amih فَلْيَنْظُرِ الْإِنْسَانُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِ Then let man look at his food, (and how We provide it): |
25. Anna sabab nalmaa-a sabba. أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا For that We pour forth water in abundance, |
26. Thumma sha qaqnal-arda shaqqa. ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْضَ شَقًّا And We split the earth in fragments, |
27. Fa ambatna feeha habba فَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا And produce therein corn, |
28. Wa 'inabaw-wa qadba وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا And Grapes and nutritious plants, |
29. Wa zaitoonaw wanakh la' وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا And Olives and Dates, |
30. Wa hadaa-iqa ghulba وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا And enclosed Gardens, dense with lofty trees, |
31. Wa faki hataw-wa abba. وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا And fruits and fodder,- |
32. Mata'al-lakum wa li-an'amikum. مَتَاعًا لَكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ For use and convenience to you and your cattle. |
33. Faiza jaa-atis saakhah. فَإِذَا جَاءَتِ الصَّاخَّةُ At length, when there comes the Deafening Noise,- |
34. Yauma yafir-rul mar-u min akheeh يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ That Day shall a man flee from his own brother, |
35. Wa ummihee wa abeeh وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ And from his mother and his father, |
36. Wa sahi batihee wa baneeh. وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ And from his wife and his children. |
37. Likul limri-im-minhum yawmaa-izin shaa nuy-yughneeh لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ Each one of them, that Day, will have enough concern (of his own) to make him indifferent to the others. |
38. Wujoo huny-yauma-izim-musfira; وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُسْفِرَةٌ Some faces that Day will be beaming, |
39. Dahi katum mustab shirah ضَاحِكَةٌ مُسْتَبْشِرَةٌ Laughing, rejoicing. |
40. Wa wujoohuy yauma-izin 'alaiha ghabar a وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ And other faces that Day will be dust-stained, |
41. Tarhaquha qatarah. تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ Blackness will cover them: |
42. Ulaa-ika humul-kafa ratul-fajarah. أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَفَرَةُ الْفَجَرَةُ Such will be the Rejecters of Allah, the doers of iniquity. |
Recitation by Mishary Al-Alfasy
The Surah is so designated after the word `abasa with which it opens.
Period of Revelation
The commentators and
traditionists are unanimous about the occasion of the revelation of this Surah.
According to them, once some big chiefs of Makkah were sitting in the Holy
Prophet's assembly and he was earnestly engaged in trying to persuade them to
accept Islam. At that very point, a blind man, named Ibn Umm Maktum, approached
him to seek explanation of some point concerning Islam. The Holy Prophet (upon
whom be peace) disliked his interruption and ignored him. Thereupon Allah sent
down this Surah. From this historical incident the period of the revelation of
this Surah can be precisely determined.
In the first place, it is
confirmed that Hadrat Ibn Umm Maktum was one of the earliest converts to Islam.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar and Hafiz Ibn Kathir have stated that he was one of those who
had accepted Islam at a very early stage at Makkah.
Secondly, some of the
traditions of the Hadith which relate this incident show that he had already
accepted Islam and some others show that be was inclined to accept it and had
approached the Holy Prophet in search of the truth. Hadrat Aishah states that
coming to the Holy Prophet he had said: "O Messenger of Allah, guide me to the
straight path." (Tirmidhi, Hakim, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Jarir, Abu Ya'la. According to
Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, he had asked the meaning of a verse of the Qur'an and
said to the Holy Prophet: "O Messenger of Allah, teach me the knowledge that
Allah has taught you." Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abu Hatim). These statements show that he
had acknowledged the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace as a Messenger of Allah
and the Quran as a Book of Allah. Contrary to this, Ibn Zaid has interpreted the
words la allahu yazzakka of verse 3 to mean: la allahu yuslim: "maybe that he
accepts Islam." (Ibn Jarir) And Allah's own words: "What would make you know
that he might reform, or heed the admonition, and admonishing might profit him?"
and "The one who comes to you running, of his own will, and fears, from him you
turn away", point out that by that time he had developed in himself a deep
desire to learn the truth: he had come to the Holy Prophet with the belief that
he was the only source of guidance and his desire would be satisfied only
through him; his apparent state also reflected that if he was given instruction,
he would benefit by it.
Thirdly, the names of the people who were sitting
in the Holy Prophet's assembly at that time, have been given in different
traditions. In this list we find the names of `Utbah, Shaibah, Abu Jahl, Umayyah
bin Khalaf, Ubayy bin Khalaf, who were the bitterest enemies of Islam. This
shows that the incident took place in the period when these chiefs were still on
meeting terms with the Holy Prophet and their antagonism to Islam had not yet
grown so strong as to have stopped their paying visits to him and having
dialogues with him off and on. All these arguments indicate that this is one of
the very earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah.
Theme and Subject Matter
In view of the apparent style with which the discourse opens, one feels that
in this Surah Allah has expressed His displeasure against the Holy Prophet (upon
whom be peace) for his treating the blind man with indifference and attending to
the big chiefs exclusively. But when the whole Surah is considered objectively,
one finds that the displeasure, in fact, has been expressed against the
disbelieving Quraish, who because of their arrogant attitude and indifference to
the truth, were rejecting with contempt the message of truth being conveyed by
the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). Then, besides teaching him the correct
method of preaching, the error of the method that he was adopting at the start
of his mission has also been pointed out. His treating the blind man with
neglect and disregard and devoting all his attention to the Quraish chiefs was
not for the reason that he regarded the rich as noble and a poor blind man as
contemptible, and, God forbid, there was some rudeness in his manner for which
Allah reproved him. But, as a matter of fact, when a caller to Truth embarks on
his mission of conveying his message to the people, he naturally wants the most
influential people of society to accept his message so that his task becomes
easy, for even if his invitation spreads among the poor and weak people, it
cannot make much difference. Almost the same attitude had the Holy Prophet (upon
whom be peace) also adopted in the beginning, his motive being only sincerity
and a desire to promote his mission and not any idea of respect for the big
people and hatred for the small people. But Allah made him realize that that was
not the correct method of extending invitation to Islam, but from his mission's
point of view, every man, who was a seeker after truth, was important, even if
he was weak, or poor, and every man, who was heedless to the truth, was
unimportant, even if he occupied a high position in society. Therefore, he
should openly proclaim and convey the teachings of Islam to all and sundry, but
the people who were really worthy of his attention, were those who were inclined
to accept the Truth, and his sublime and noble message was too high to be
presented before those haughty people who in their arrogance and vanity thought
that they did not stand in need of him but rather he stood in need of them.
This is the theme of vv. 1-16. From verse 17 onward the rebuke directly
turns to the disbelievers, who were repudiating the invitation of the Holy
Messenger of Allah (upon whom be peace). In this, first they have been reproved
for their attitude which they had adopted against their Creator, Providence and
Sustainer. In the end, they have been warned of the dreadful fate that they
would meet in consequence of their conduct on the Day of Resurrection.
The style of this first sentence is elegant and subtle. Although in the
following sentences the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been directly
addressed, which by itself shows that the act of frowning and turning aside had
issued forth from him, the discourse has been opened in a manner as though it
was not he but some one else who had so acted. By this style the Holy Prophet
(upon whom be peace), by a subtle method, has been made to realize that it was
an act unseemly for him. Had somebody familiar with his high morals witnessed
it, he would have thought that it was not he but some other person who had
behaved in that manner.
The blind man referred to here implies, as we
have explained in the Introduction, the well-known Companion, Hadrat Ibn Umm
Maktum. Hafiz Ibn 'Abdul Barr in Al-Isti'ab and Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Al-Isbah have
stated that he was a first cousin of the Holy Prophet's wife, Hadrat Khadijah.
His mother, Umm Maktum, and Hadrat Khadijah's father, Khuwailid, were sister and
brother to each other. After one knows his relationship with the Holy Prophet,
there remains no room for the doubt that he had turned away from him regarding
him as a poor man having a low station in life, and attended to the high-placed
people, for he was the Holy Prophet's brother-in-law and a man of noble birth.
The reason why the Holy Prophet had shown disregard for him is indicated by the
word a ma (blind man), which Allah Himself has used as the cause of the Holy
Prophet's inattention. That is, the Holy Prophet thought that even if a single
man from among the people whom he was trying to bring to the right path,
listened to him and was rightly guided, be could become a powerful means of
strengthening Islam. On the contrary, Ibn Umm Maktum was a blind man, who could
not prove to be so useful for Islam because of his disability as could one of
the Quraish elders on becoming a Muslim. Therefore, he should not interrupt the
conversation at that time; whatever he wanted to ask or learn, he could ask or
learn at some later time.
2This is the real point which the Holy Prophet
(upon whom be peace) had overlooked in the preaching of Islam on that occasion,
and for teaching him the same Allah first reproved him on his treatment of Ibn
Umm Maktum, and then ' told him what really deserved to occupy his attention as
preacher of the Truth and what did not. There is a man whose apparent state
clearly shows that he is a seeker after truth: he fears lest he should follow
falsehood and invite Allah's wrath; therefore, he comes all the way in search of
the knowledge of the true faith. There is another man, whose attitude clearly
reflects that he has no desire for the truth; rather on the contrary, he regards
himself as self-sufficient, having no desire to be guided to the right way.
Between these two kinds of men one should not see whose becoming a Muslim would
be of greater use for Islam and whose becoming a believer could not be of any
use in its propagation. But one should see as to who was inclined to accept the
guidance and reform himself, and who was least interested in this precious
bargain. The first kind of man, whether he is blind, lame, crippled. or an
indigent mendicant, who might apparently seem incapable of rendering any useful
service in the propagation of Islam, is in any case a .valuable man for the
preacher to the Truth. To him therefore he should attend, for the real object of
this invitation is to reform the people, and the apparent state of the person
shows that if he was instructed he would accept guidance. As for the other kind
of man, the preacher has no need to pursue him, no matter how influential he is
in society. For his attitude and conduct openly proclaim that he has no desire
for reform; therefore, any effort made to reform him would be mere waste of
time. If he has no desire to reform himself, he may nor the loss would be his,
the preacher would not at all be accountable for it.
3That is, "You
should never do so: do not give undue importance to those who have forgotten God
and become proud of their high worldly position. The teaching of Islam is not
such that it should be presented solicitously before him who spurns it, nor
should a man like you try to invite these arrogant people to Islam in a way as
may cause them the misunderstanding that you have a selfish motive connected
with them, and that your mission would succeed only if they believed, otherwise
not, whereas the fact is that the Truth is as self-sufficient of them as they
are of the Truth."
4The allusion is to the Qur'an.
5"Purified" :
free from all kinds of mixtures of false ideas and thoughts, and presenting
nothing but the pure Truth. There is no tinge whatever in these scrolls of the
impurities with which the other religious boors of the world have been polluted.
They have been kept pure and secure from all kinds of human speculation and evil
suggestions.
6This refers to the angels who were writing the scrolls of
the Qur'an under the direct guidance of Allah, were guarding them and conveying
them intact to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace). Two words have been used
to qualify them: karim, i.e. noble, and barr, i.e. virtuous. The first word is
meant to say that they are . so honored and noble that it is not possible that
such exalted beings would commit even the slightest dishonesty in the trust
reposed in them. The second word has been used to tell that they carry out the
responsibility entrusted to them of writing down the scrolls, guarding them and
conveying them to the Messenger with perfect honesty and integrity.
7If
the context in which these verses occur, is considered deeply, it becomes
obvious that here the. Qur'an has not been praised for the sake of its greatness
and glory but to tell the arrogant people, who were repudiating its message with
contempt, plainly: "The glorious Qur'an is too holy and exalted a Book to be
presented before you humbly with the request that you may kindly accept it if
you so please. For it does not stand in need of you as you stand in need of it.
If you really seek your well-being, you should clear your head of the evil
thoughts and submit to its message humbly; otherwise you are not so
self-sufficient of this Book as this Book is self-sufficient of you. Your
treating it with scorn and contempt will not affect its glory and greatness at
all, rather your own pride and arrogance will be ruined on account of it.
8From here the rebuke turns directly against the disbelievers, who were
treating the message of the Truth with scant attention. Before this, from the
beginning of the Surah to verse 16, the address though apparently directed to
the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace), was actually meant to reprimand the
disbelievers, as if to say: "O Prophet, why are you ignoring a seeker after
truth and paying all your attention to those who are worthless from your
mission's point of view? they do not deserve that a great Prophet like you
should present a sublime thing like the Qur'an before them."
9At all
such places in the Qur'an, "man" does not imply every individual of the human
race but the people whose evil traits of character are intended to be censured.
At some places the word "man" is used because the evil traits are found in most
of human beings, and at others for the reason that if the particular people are
pin-pointed for censure, it engenders stubbornness. Therefore, admonition is
given in general terms so as to be more effective. (For further explanation, see
E.N. 65 of Ha Mim As-Sajdah, E.N. 75 of Ash-Shura).
10Another meaning
also can be: "What caused him to be inclined to kufr?" Or, in other words: "On
what strength does he commit kufr?' Kufr?" then means denial of the Truth as
well as ingratitude for the favors of one's benefactor and also rebellious
attitude against one's Creator, Providence and Master.
11That is, let
him first consider out of what he was created, where he was nourished and
developed, by what way he came into the world, and from what helpless state he
began his life in the world. Why does he forget his such beginning and becomes
involved in conceit and haughtiness and why does he feel so puffed up as to
resist his Creator and stand before Him as an adversary? (The same theme has
been expressed in Ya Sin 77-78 above).
12That is, he was yet developing
and taking shape in his mother's womb when his destiny was set for him. It was
determined what would be his sex, his color, his size; the extent and volume of
his body, the extent to which his limbs would be sound or unsound, his
appearance and voice, the degree of Physical strength and mental endowments,
what would be the land, the family, the conditions and environments in which he
would take birth, develop and be molded into a specific person, what would be
the hereditary influences and effects of the surroundings and the role and
impact of his own self in the make-up of his personality, the part he would play
in his life of the world, and how long he would be allowed to function on the
earth. He cannot swerve even a hair-breadth from his destiny, nor can effect the
slightest alteration in it. Then, how strange is his daring and stubbornness! He
commits disbelief of the Creator before Whose destiny he is so helpless and
powerless!
13That is, He created all those means and provisions in the
world, which he could utilize, otherwise all the capabilities of his body and
mind would have remained useless, had not the Creator provided the. means and
created the possibilities on the earth to employ them. Furthermore, the Creator
also gave him the opportunity to choose and adopt for himself whichever of the
ways, good or evil, of gratitude or ingratitude, of obedience or disobedience,
that he pleased. He opened up both the ways before him and made each way smooth
and easy so that he could follow any way that he liked.
14That is, not
only in the matter of birth and destiny but in the matter of death also he is
absolutely helpless before his Creator. Neither he can take birth by his choice
nor die by his choice, nor can defer his death even by a moment. He dies
precisely at the appointed time, in the appointed place, under the appointed
circumstances that have been decreed for his death, and he is deposited in the
type of grave destined for him whether it is the belly of the earth, the depths
of the sea, a bonfire. or the stomach of a beast. Nothing to say of the man,
even the whole world together cannot change the Creator's decree in respect of
any person.
15That is, he does not either have the power to refuse to
rise up when the Creator may will to resurrect him after death. When he was
first created, he was not consulted: he was not asked whether he wanted to be
created or not. Even if he had refused, he would have been created. Likewise,
his resurrection also is not dependent upon his will and assent that he may rise
from death if he so likes, or refuse to rise if he does not like. In this matter
also he is absolutely helpless before the Creator's will. Whenever He wills He
will resurrect him, and he will have to rise whether he likes it or not.
16"Duty" implies the duty that Allah has enjoined on every man in the form
of natural guidance as well as the duty to which man's own existence and every
particle of the universe, from the earth to the heavens, and every manifestation
of Divine power are pointing, and that duty also which Allah has conveyed in
every age through His Prophets and Books and disseminated through the righteous
people of every period. (For explanation, see E.N. 5 of Surah Ad- Dahr). In the
present context the object is to express the meaning that on the basis of the
truths stated in the above verses, it was man's duty to have obeyed his Creator,
but, contrary to this, he adopted the way of disobedience and did not fulfill
the demand of his being His creature.
17That is, let him consider the
food, which he regards as an ordinary thing, how it is created. Had God not
provided the means for it, it was not in the power of man himself to have
created the food on the earth in any way.
18This refers to rainwater:
water vapors are raised in vast quantities from the oceans by the heat of the
sun: then they are turned into thick clouds; then the winds blow and spread them
over different parts of the earth; then because of the coolness in the upper
atmosphere the vapors turn back to water and fall as rain in every area in a
particular measure. The water not only falls as rain directly on the earth but
also collects underground in the shape of wells and fountains, flows in the form
of rivers and streams, freezes on the mountains as snow and melts and flows into
rivers in other seasons as well than the rainy season. Has man himself made all
these arrangements? Had his Creator not arranged this for his sustenance, could
man survive on the earth?
19"Cleaving the earth asunder" implies cleaving
it in a way that the seeds, or seed-stones, or vegetable seedlings that man sows
or plants in it, or which are deposited in it by winds or birds, or by some
other means, should sprout up. Man can do nothing more than to dig the soil, or
plough it, and bury in it the seeds that God has already created. Beyond this
everything is done by God. It is He Who has created the seeds of countless
species of vegetable; it is He Who has endowed these seeds with the quality that
when they are sown in the soil, they should sprout up and from every seed
vegetable of its own particular species should grow. Again it is He Who has
created in the earth the capability that in combination with water it should
break open the seeds and develop and nourish every species of vegetable with the
kind of food suitable for it. Had God not created the seeds with these qualities
and the upper layers of the earth with these capabilities, man could not by
himself have arranged any kind of food on the earth.
20That is, "A means
of sustenance not only for you but also for those animals from which you obtain
items of food like meat, fat, milk, butter, etc. and which perform countless
other services also for your living. You benefit by all this and yet you
disbelieve in God Whose provisions sustain you."
21The final terrible
sounding of the Trumpet at which all dead men shall be resurrected to life.
22A theme closely resembling this has already occurred in AI-Ma'arij: 10-14
above. "Fleeing" may also mean that when he sees those nearest and dearest to
him in the .world, involved in distress, instead of rushing forth to help them,
he will run away from them lest they should call out to him for help; and it may
also mean that when they see the evil consequences of committing sin for the
sake of one another and misleading one another, fearless of God and heedless of
the Hereafter, in the world, each one would flee from the other lest the other
should hold him responsible for his deviation and sin. Brother will fear
brother, children their parents, husband his wife, and parents their children
lest they should become witnesses in the case against them.
23A tradition
has been reported in the. Hadith by different methods and through different
channels, saying that the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said: "On the Day of
Resurrection all men will rise up naked." One of his wives (according to some
reporters, Hadrat `A'ishah, according to others, Hadrat Saudah, or a woman)
asked in bewilderment: "O Messenger of Allah, shall we (women) appear naked on
that Day before the people?” The Holy prophet recited this very verse and
explained that on that Day each one will have enough of his own troubles to
occupy him, and will be wholly unmindful of others. (Nasa'i, Tirmidhi, Ibn Abi
Hatim, Ibn Jarir, Tabarani Ibn Marduyah, Baihaqi, Hakim).