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Surah 80

Surah 'Abasa (He Frowned)

عبس

Surah 'Abasa (عبس) is surah 80 of the 114 surahs of the Quran. It has 42 ayahs, was revealed in Mecca (Meccan), and its name means “He Frowned”.

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Number
80
Ayahs
42
Revelation
Meccan
Meaning
He Frowned

Names, meaning and Meccan/Medinan classification as listed in the quran-json dataset.

About Surah 'Abasa

’Abasa, “He Frowned”, is a Meccan surah that opens with a gentle reproach to the Prophet himself. While he was earnestly inviting powerful leaders of the Quraysh, a blind man came seeking to learn, and the Prophet frowned and turned away. From this moment the surah draws lasting lessons about whom to prioritise, then reflects on human ingratitude, food as a sign, and the Day when everyone flees from their own family.

The blind man

A hadith in at-Tirmidhi, narrated by Aisha, identifies the blind man as Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum, a companion who came asking for guidance. 80:1–10 point out that he might have been purified or benefited from the reminder, while attention was being given to one who felt no need of it. Commentators note that the Quran preserved this reproach of the Prophet, and that Ibn Umm Maktum later served as a caller to prayer in Medina; the Prophet is reported to have honoured him greatly.

Main themes

  • The honoured pages (80:11–16): the Quran is a reminder in exalted, purified pages, carried by noble and virtuous scribes.
  • Human ingratitude (80:17–23): from what was man created? From a drop, then shaped, then the way made easy, then death and the grave, then resurrection when God wills — yet he has not done what he was commanded.
  • Look at your food (80:24–32): rain poured down, the earth split open, grain, grapes, herbs, olives, date palms, lush gardens, fruit and pasture — provision for people and their livestock.
  • The Deafening Blast (80:33–42): a Day when a person flees from brother, mother, father, spouse and children, each preoccupied with his own affair; some faces bright and laughing, others covered in dust and darkness.

The opening episode is widely cited as a lesson that sincerity and readiness to learn matter more than status.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the blind man in Surah 'Abasa?
Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum, according to a hadith in at-Tirmidhi narrated by Aisha.
What is the lesson of Surah 'Abasa?
That a sincere seeker of guidance deserves attention regardless of status, alongside reflections on creation, provision and the Day of Judgement.
How many verses are in Surah 'Abasa?
42.
How many ayahs are in Surah 'Abasa?
Surah 'Abasa has 42 ayahs. It is surah number 80 in the Quran and is Meccan.
Can I read Surah 'Abasa in English or save it as a PDF?
Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of every ayah with the Saheeh International English meaning under it. Use “Print / Save as PDF” for a clean printable copy that you can save as a PDF file from your browser.

Summaries describe the surah’s content and commonly cited reports for general readers; they are not a tafsir or a religious ruling.

Making a video of Surah 'Abasa

Surah 'Abasa has 42 ayahs, so most videos use a passage from it rather than the whole surah. Choose the ayahs you want on the new-project page; one to five ayahs suit a Reel or Short, while longer passages work better in 16:9 for YouTube.

In the editor, the Online Recitations tab lists the reciters Quran Foundation provides for this surah. See how to create a Quran video for the full steps.

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Surah 'Abasa in Arabic with English meaning

Arabic: Uthmani script from The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia (quranenc.com), Uthmani script, via quran-json (CC-BY-SA 4.0), shown as in the verified dataset; open-tanween marks use the equivalent codepoints this font draws, as in the editor. English meaning: Saheeh International (tanzil.net). A translation conveys the meaning; it is not the Quran itself.

  1. عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ ۝١

    80:1The Prophet frowned and turned away

  2. أَن جَآءَهُ ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ ۝٢

    80:2Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting]

  3. وَمَا يُدۡرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُۥ يَزَّكَّىٰٓ ۝٣

    80:3But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified

  4. أَوۡ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰٓ ۝٤

    80:4Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him

  5. أَمَّا مَنِ ٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰ ۝٥

    80:5As for he who thinks himself without need

  6. فَأَنتَ لَهُۥ تَصَدَّىٰ ۝٦

    80:6To him you give attention

  7. وَمَا عَلَيۡكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ ۝٧

    80:7And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified

  8. وَأَمَّا مَن جَآءَكَ يَسۡعَىٰ ۝٨

    80:8But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]

  9. وَهُوَ يَخۡشَىٰ ۝٩

    80:9While he fears [Allah]

  10. فَأَنتَ عَنۡهُ تَلَهَّىٰ ۝١٠

    80:10From him you are distracted

  11. كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا تَذۡكِرَةࣱ ۝١١

    80:11No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder

  12. فَمَن شَآءَ ذَكَرَهُۥ ۝١٢

    80:12So whoever wills may remember it

  13. فِي صُحُفࣲ مُّكَرَّمَةࣲ ۝١٣

    80:13[It is recorded] in honored sheets

  14. مَّرۡفُوعَةࣲ مُّطَهَّرَةِۭ ۝١٤

    80:14Exalted and purified

  15. بِأَيۡدِي سَفَرَةࣲ ۝١٥

    80:15[Carried] by the hands of messenger-angels

  16. كِرَامِۭ بَرَرَةࣲ ۝١٦

    80:16Noble and dutiful

  17. قُتِلَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ مَآ أَكۡفَرَهُۥ ۝١٧

    80:17Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he

  18. مِنۡ أَيِّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقَهُۥ ۝١٨

    80:18From what substance did He create him

  19. مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ خَلَقَهُۥ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ ۝١٩

    80:19From a sperm-drop He created him and destined for him

  20. ثُمَّ ٱلسَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُۥ ۝٢٠

    80:20Then He eased the way for him

  21. ثُمَّ أَمَاتَهُۥ فَأَقۡبَرَهُۥ ۝٢١

    80:21Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him

  22. ثُمَّ إِذَا شَآءَ أَنشَرَهُۥ ۝٢٢

    80:22Then when He wills, He will resurrect him

  23. كَلَّا لَمَّا يَقۡضِ مَآ أَمَرَهُۥ ۝٢٣

    80:23No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him

  24. فَلۡيَنظُرِ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِۦٓ ۝٢٤

    80:24Then let mankind look at his food

  25. أَنَّا صَبَبۡنَا ٱلۡمَآءَ صَبࣰّا ۝٢٥

    80:25How We poured down water in torrents

  26. ثُمَّ شَقَقۡنَا ٱلۡأَرۡضَ شَقࣰّا ۝٢٦

    80:26Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts]

  27. فَأَنۢبَتۡنَا فِيهَا حَبࣰّا ۝٢٧

    80:27And caused to grow within it grain

  28. وَعِنَبࣰا وَقَضۡبࣰا ۝٢٨

    80:28And grapes and herbage

  29. وَزَيۡتُونࣰا وَنَخۡلࣰا ۝٢٩

    80:29And olive and palm trees

  30. وَحَدَآئِقَ غُلۡبࣰا ۝٣٠

    80:30And gardens of dense shrubbery

  31. وَفَٰكِهَةࣰ وَأَبࣰّا ۝٣١

    80:31And fruit and grass

  32. مَّتَٰعࣰا لَّكُمۡ وَلِأَنۡعَٰمِكُمۡ ۝٣٢

    80:32[As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock

  33. فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلصَّآخَّةُ ۝٣٣

    80:33But when there comes the Deafening Blast

  34. يَوۡمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلۡمَرۡءُ مِنۡ أَخِيهِ ۝٣٤

    80:34On the Day a man will flee from his brother

  35. وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِ ۝٣٥

    80:35And his mother and his father

  36. وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ ۝٣٦

    80:36And his wife and his children

  37. لِكُلِّ ٱمۡرِيࣲٕ مِّنۡهُمۡ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ شَأۡنࣱ يُغۡنِيهِ ۝٣٧

    80:37For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him

  38. وُجُوهࣱ يَوۡمَئِذࣲ مُّسۡفِرَةࣱ ۝٣٨

    80:38[Some] faces, that Day, will be bright

  39. ضَاحِكَةࣱ مُّسۡتَبۡشِرَةࣱ ۝٣٩

    80:39Laughing, rejoicing at good news

  40. وَوُجُوهࣱ يَوۡمَئِذٍ عَلَيۡهَا غَبَرَةࣱ ۝٤٠

    80:40And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust

  41. تَرۡهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ ۝٤١

    80:41Blackness will cover them

  42. أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡكَفَرَةُ ٱلۡفَجَرَةُ ۝٤٢

    80:42Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones