Surah Abasa (عبس) is a Meccan surah of the Quran with 42 verses. Read, listen and memorize this surah with our interactive tools.
Updated on 07 March 2026 at 4:16 PM
📖 1 min readEverything is alive, and the earth is like a female in relation to the sky. He said: {ثم}, meaning after a delay in sending down water, and We apportioned the earth with various lands and plants. We split {شققنا} the earth, by virtue of Our greatness, with the plant, which is extremely weak compared to splitting the hardest of things, so how about the dry and hardened earth when it comes into contact with water? He then explained the splitting, as if interpreting it, and clarified the need for plants by saying: {فأنبتنا}, meaning We brought forth, through the means of connection that allows for nourishment and growth, {فيها}, due to the splitting, {حباً}, which is the sustenance for humans and other animals, such as wheat, barley, rice, and others.
And when He mentioned these things, such as provisions and fruits, due to their numerous benefits, and the gardens that gather them and other things, along with the joy they bring to the eye, the delight of the soul, the comfort of the mind, and the expansion of the heart, He said: {and gardens}, which is the plural of 'hadīqah', referring to a garden with palm trees and other trees, or anything that is enclosed by a building, gathering all of these things. {Ābā}, with a fatḥah on the ġ and a madd, refers to a garden with many large, thick, tall trees with intertwined branches, derived from the description of necks, where it is said: 'fulān ghalba' - like 'farḥa', meaning his neck became thick. Al-ghalbā' also refers to powerful, fortified tribes and elevated plateaus. And when He mentioned what people enjoy and store, He said: {and fruit}, meaning wet fruit that can be enjoyed, such as peaches, grapes, figs, apples, pears, and plums, some of which can be stored and some of which cannot. And when He mentioned the fruit of humans, He mentioned the fruit of the rest of the animals, saying: {and abba}, meaning pasture, plants, grass, and all types of wet herbage that are sought after, derived from 'abba', which means to make something wet. And when He gathered what people eat and what they enjoy, He clearly indicated complete power, mentioning the blessing in it, addressing in a style that generalizes to all individuals after the previous context.
The complexion changes due to joy and is found to be so, and it is radiant white due to the glad tidings from the angels, and that is because of what it was like in the world, with frowning faces and changes, and pale due to the fear of Allah, the Exalted, and what appears of His majesty in the Hour, like Ibn Umm Maktum, may Allah be pleased with him, who was overcome with fear of the Hour to the point of carrying the banner in the most intense battles, like the day of al-Qadisiyah, and standing firm with it, to the point of being like a pillar, not moving from his position at all, in order to please the Worshiped One. And when He mentioned the people of happiness, who are those who are bestowed with good and afflicted in themselves with what will expiate their evil deeds and elevate their ranks, He mentioned their opposites, so He said, the Exalted: {and faces} and emphasized by repeating the circumstance to remove doubt, so He said: {on that day}, meaning when what was mentioned is found {upon them}, meaning adhering to them with dominance and superiority {ghabr}, meaning darkness, and as if it has become so that it is as if dust has settled upon it, and it is gloomy, cautious, and fearful, since it is warned, and that is due to what befalls it of hardships and the multitude of crowds, along with the terror of the heart, and it remembers what it is heading towards of severe hardships {will be covered}, meaning will be overshadowed and dominated and surpassed {with qatara}, meaning darkness and blackness and gloom, the opposite of brightness, so it is weeping and gloomy due to what it was in in the world.
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عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ ﴿١﴾
The Prophet frowned and turned away
أَن جَآءَهُ ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ ﴿٢﴾
Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُۥ يَزَّكَّىٰٓ ﴿٣﴾
But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified
أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰٓ ﴿٤﴾
Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
أَمَّا مَنِ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰ ﴿٥﴾
As for he who thinks himself without need,
فَأَنتَ لَهُۥ تَصَدَّىٰ ﴿٦﴾
To him you give attention.
وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ ﴿٧﴾
And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.
وَأَمَّا مَن جَآءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ ﴿٨﴾
But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]
وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ ﴿٩﴾
While he fears [Allah],
فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ ﴿١٠﴾
From him you are distracted.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا تَذْكِرَةٌۭ ﴿١١﴾
No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder;
فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ ﴿١٢﴾
So whoever wills may remember it.
فِى صُحُفٍۢ مُّكَرَّمَةٍۢ ﴿١٣﴾
[It is recorded] in honored sheets,
مَّرْفُوعَةٍۢ مُّطَهَّرَةٍۭ ﴿١٤﴾
Exalted and purified,
بِأَيْدِى سَفَرَةٍۢ ﴿١٥﴾
[Carried] by the hands of messenger-angels,
كِرَامٍۭ بَرَرَةٍۢ ﴿١٦﴾
Noble and dutiful.
قُتِلَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ مَآ أَكْفَرَهُۥ ﴿١٧﴾
Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he.
مِنْ أَىِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ ﴿١٨﴾
From what substance did He create him?
مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُۥ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ ﴿١٩﴾
From a sperm-drop He created him and destined for him;
ثُمَّ ٱلسَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُۥ ﴿٢٠﴾
Then He eased the way for him;
ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُۥ فَأَقْبَرَهُۥ ﴿٢١﴾
Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.
ثُمَّ إِذَا شَآءَ أَنشَرَهُۥ ﴿٢٢﴾
Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.
كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقْضِ مَآ أَمَرَهُۥ ﴿٢٣﴾
No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.
فَلْيَنظُرِ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِۦٓ ﴿٢٤﴾
Then let mankind look at his food -
أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا ٱلْمَآءَ صَبًّۭا ﴿٢٥﴾
How We poured down water in torrents,
ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ شَقًّۭا ﴿٢٦﴾
Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],
فَأَنۢبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّۭا ﴿٢٧﴾
And caused to grow within it grain
وَعِنَبًۭا وَقَضْبًۭا ﴿٢٨﴾
And grapes and herbage
وَزَيْتُونًۭا وَنَخْلًۭا ﴿٢٩﴾
And olive and palm trees
وَحَدَآئِقَ غُلْبًۭا ﴿٣٠﴾
And gardens of dense shrubbery
وَفَـٰكِهَةًۭ وَأَبًّۭا ﴿٣١﴾
And fruit and grass -
مَّتَـٰعًۭا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَـٰمِكُمْ ﴿٣٢﴾
[As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.
فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلصَّآخَّةُ ﴿٣٣﴾
But when there comes the Deafening Blast
يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ ﴿٣٤﴾
On the Day a man will flee from his brother
وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِ ﴿٣٥﴾
And his mother and his father
وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ ﴿٣٦﴾
And his wife and his children,
لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ شَأْنٌۭ يُغْنِيهِ ﴿٣٧﴾
For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.
وُجُوهٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ مُّسْفِرَةٌۭ ﴿٣٨﴾
[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright -
ضَاحِكَةٌۭ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌۭ ﴿٣٩﴾
Laughing, rejoicing at good news.
وَوُجُوهٌۭ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌۭ ﴿٤٠﴾
And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust.
تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ ﴿٤١﴾
Blackness will cover them.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْكَفَرَةُ ٱلْفَجَرَةُ ﴿٤٢﴾
Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.