Surah 80. Abasa

HE FROWNED and turned away

  - Mohammad Asad

Section 1 He (the Prophet) frowned and turned away

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He frowned and turned 'his attention' away,

  - Mustafa Khattab

He frowned and turned away

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The (Prophet) frowned and turned away. ⁵⁹⁵⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See the Introduction to this Sura for the incident to which this refers. The lesson is that neither spiritual worth nor the prospect of effective spiritual guidance is to be measured by a man's position in life. The poor, or the blind, the halt, or the maimed, may be more susceptible to the teaching of Allah's Word than men who are apparently gifted, but who suffer from arrogance and self-sufficiency.

because the blind man approached him!¹

  - Mohammad Asad

One day, as recorded in many well-authenticated Traditions, the Prophet was engrossed in a conversation with some of the most influential chieftains of pagan Mecca, hoping to convince them - and, through them, the Meccan community at large - of the truth of his message. At that point, he was approached by one of his followers, the blind 'Abd Allah ibn Shurayh. - known after his grandmother's name as Ibn Umm Maktum - with the request for a repetition or elucidation of certain earlier passages of the Qur'an. Annoyed by this interruption of what he momentarily regarded as a more important endeavour, Muhammad "frowned and turned away" from the blind man - and was immediately, there and then, reproved by the revelation of the first ten verses of this surah. In later years he often greeted Ibn Umm Maktum with these words of humility: "Welcome unto him on whose account my Sustainer has rebuked me ('atabani)!" Indirectly, the sharp Qur'anic rebuke (stressed, in particular, by the use of the third-person form in verses {1-2}) implies, firstly, that what would have been a minor act of discourtesy on the part of an ordinary human being, assumed the aspect of a major sin, deserving a divine rebuke, when committed by a prophet; and, secondly, it illustrates the objective nature of the Qur'anic revelation: for, obviously, in conveying God's reproof of him to the world at large, the Prophet "does not speak out of his own desire" (cf. 53:3 ).

when there came to him the blind man (Ibn Umme Maktum, who came to the Prophet and interrupted his conversation with the chiefs of Makkah).

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'simply' because the blind man came to him 'interrupting'.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 In a ḥadîth collected by At-Tirmiⱬi, a blind man by the name of ’Abdullâh ibn Um Maktûm, an early Muslim, came to the Prophet (ﷺ) seeking to learn more about the faith, while the Prophet (ﷺ) was in the middle of a discussion with an elite Meccan pagan, trying to convince him to abandon his idols and believe in the One True God. ’Abdullâh was so impatient that he interrupted the discussion several times. The Prophet (ﷺ) frowned and turned all his attention to the man he was already talking to. This Meccan sûrah was later revealed, telling the Prophet (ﷺ) that he should have tended to the faithful man who was eager to learn. After this sûrah was revealed, the Prophet (ﷺ) would honour ’Abdullâh, calling him ‘the man for whom my Lord rebuked me.’ He (ﷺ) even appointed him several times as his deputy over Medina.

Because the blind man came unto him.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Because there came to him the blind man (interrupting).

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Yet for all thou didst know, [O Muhammad,] he might perhaps have grown in purity,

  - Mohammad Asad

How could you tell? He might have sought to purify himself

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

You never know 'O Prophet', perhaps he may be purified,

  - Mustafa Khattab

What could inform thee but that he might grow (in grace)

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But what could tell thee but that perchance he might Grow (in spiritual understanding)?

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

or have been reminded [of the truth], and helped by this reminder.

  - Mohammad Asad

or become reminded and might have benefited from Our reminder.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

or he may be mindful, benefitting from the reminder.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Or take heed and so the reminder might avail him?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Or that he might receive admonition and the teaching might profit him? ⁵⁹⁵¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It may be that the poor blind man might, on account of his will to learn, be more likely to grow in his own spiritual development or to profit by any lessons taught to him even in report than a self-sufficient leader. In fact it was so. For the blind man became a true and sincere Muslim and lived to become a governor of Madinah.

Now as for him who believes himself to be self-sufficient² -

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., who does not feel the need of divine guidance: a reference to the arrogant pagan chieftains with whom the Prophet was conversing.

As for him who is indifferent,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

As for the one who was indifferent,

  - Mustafa Khattab

As for him who thinketh himself independent,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

As to one who regards himself as self-sufficient ⁵⁹⁵²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Such a one would be a Pagan Quraish leader, whom the holy Prophet was anxious to get into his fold, in order that the work of preaching Allah's Message might be facilitated. But such a Message works first amongst the simple and lowly, the poor and despised folk, and the mighty ones of the earth only come in when the stream rushes in with irresistible force.

to him didst thou give thy whole attention,

  - Mohammad Asad

to whom you were attending;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

you gave him your 'undivided' attention,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Unto him thou payest regard.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

To him dost thou attend;

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

although thou art not accountable for his failure to attain to purity;³

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "it is not upon thee ('alayka) that he does not attain to purity".

you will not be held responsible if he would not purify himself.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

even though you are not to blame if he would not be purified.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Yet it is not thy concern if he grow not (in grace).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Though it is no blame to thee if he grow not (in spiritual understanding). ⁵⁹⁵³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah's Message is for all, but if the great ones arrogantly keep back from it, it is no fault of the preacher, so long as he has proclaimed the Message. He should attend to all, and specially to the humble and lowly.

but as for him who came unto thee full of eagerness

  - Mohammad Asad

Yet to him who came to you with zeal on his own

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But as for the one who came to you, eager 'to learn',

  - Mustafa Khattab

But as for him who cometh unto thee with earnest purpose

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But as to him who came to thee striving earnestly

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

and in awe [of God]

  - Mohammad Asad

and with fear of Allah in his heart,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

being in awe 'of Allah',

  - Mustafa Khattab

And hath fear,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And with fear (in his heart) ⁵⁹⁵⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The fear in the blind man's heart may have been two-fold. (1) He was humble and God-fearing, not arrogant and self-sufficient; (2) being poor and blind, he feared to intrude; yet his earnest desire to learn the Qur-an made him bold, and he came, perhaps unseasonably, but was yet worthy of encouragement, because of the purity of his heart.

him didst thou disregard!

  - Mohammad Asad

you gave no heed.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

you were inattentive to him.

  - Mustafa Khattab

From him thou art distracted.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Of him wast thou unmindful.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

NAY, VERILY, these [messages] are but a reminder:⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Sc., of the existence and omnipotence of God. The Qur'an is described here, as in many other places, as "a reminder" because it is meant to bring man's instinctive - though sometimes hazy or unconscious - realization of God's existence into the full light of consciousness. (Cf. 7:172 and the corresponding note [139].)

It should not be so! Indeed, this is but an admonition;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But no! This 'revelation' is truly a reminder.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Nay, but verily it is an Admonishment,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

By no means (should it be so)! For it is indeed a Message of instruction: ⁵⁹⁵⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah's Message is a universal Message, from which no one is to be excluded, rich or poor, old or young, great or lowly, learned or ignorant. If anyone had the spiritual craving that needed satisfaction, he was to be given precedence if there was to be any question of precedence at all.

and so, whoever is willing may remember Him

  - Mohammad Asad

let him who wants, accept it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So let whoever wills be mindful of it.

  - Mustafa Khattab

So let whosoever will pay heed to it,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Therefore let who will keep it in remembrance.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

in [the light of His] revelations blest with dignity,

  - Mohammad Asad

It is written in scrolls, which are honored,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

It is 'written' on pages held in honour-

  - Mustafa Khattab

On honored leaves

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(It is) in Books held (greatly) in honor. ⁵⁹⁵⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

At the time this Sura was revealed, there were perhaps only about 42 or 45 Suras in the hands of the Muslims. But it was a sufficient body of Revelation of high spiritual value, to which the discription given here could be applied. It was held in the highest honor; its place in the hearts of Muslims was more exalted than that of anything else; as Allah's Word, it was pure and sacred; and those who transcribed it were men who were honorable, just and pious. The legend that the early Suras were not carefully written down and preserved in books is a pure invention. The recensions made later in the time of the first and the third Khalifas were merely to preserve the purity and safeguard the arrangement of the text at a time when the expansion of Islam among non-Arabic-speaking people made such precautions necessary.

lofty and pure,

  - Mohammad Asad

exalted, purified,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

highly esteemed, purified-

  - Mustafa Khattab

Exalted, purified,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Exalted (in dignity) kept pure and holy

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

[borne] by the hands of messengers

  - Mohammad Asad

and which remain in the hands of scribes,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

by the hands of angel-scribes,

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Set down) by scribes

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(Written) by the hands of scribes

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali