Abasa — He frowned
سُورَةُ عَبَسَ
Verses
42
Revealed
24th
Period
Makkan
Juz
30
Abasa is among the most remarkable surahs in the Qur'an for what it discloses: a gentle correction of the Prophet himself. It is widely related that while the Prophet was deep in conversation with leading men of Quraysh — hoping to win them to Islam — a blind Companion came seeking knowledge and interrupted. The Prophet frowned and turned slightly away. The surah opens by recording exactly that: 'abasa wa tawalla — “He frowned and turned away.” That the Qur'an preserves this moment, correcting its own bearer, is itself one of the proofs of its honesty.
From this single incident the surah draws a sweeping lesson about whose attention truly matters: not the self-sufficient who turn away, but the sincere seeker who comes striving and in awe. It then widens out into the Qur'an's recurring arguments — the ingratitude of man despite his humble origin, the food that grows from the split earth as a sign, and finally the Deafening Blast of the Day when a person flees even from mother, father, spouse and children, and faces are split into two: bright and laughing, or dust-covered and dark.
Who deserves your attentionThe sincere seekerMan's ingratitudeFood as a signThe Deafening Blast
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Core message
The surah opens by recounting the moment: he frowned and turned away because the blind man came to him. The correction follows gently — how could you know? Perhaps he would purify himself, or be reminded and benefit from the reminder. As for the one who considers himself self-sufficient, you attend to him — though no blame is on you if he never purifies himself. But the one who came to you striving, in awe of Allah — from him you turn away. The priority is being reset.
1–2
عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ•أَن جَآءَهُ ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ
ʿAbasa watawallā•An jāʾahu-l-ʾaʿmā
The Prophet frowned and turned away Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
3–4
وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُۥ يَزَّكَّىٰٓ•أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنفَعَهُ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰٓ
Wamā yudrīka laʿallahu yazzakkā•Aw yadhdhakkaru fatanfaʿahu-dh-dhikrā
But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
5–7
أَمَّا مَنِ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰ•فَأَنتَ لَهُۥ تَصَدَّىٰ•وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّىٰ
Ammā mani-staghnā•Faʾanta lahu taṣaddā•Wamā ʿalayka allā yazzakkā
As for he who thinks himself without need, To him you give attention. And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.
8–10
وَأَمَّا مَن جَآءَكَ يَسْعَىٰ•وَهُوَ يَخْشَىٰ•فَأَنتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّىٰ
Waʾammā man jāʾaka yasʿā•Wahuwa yakhshā•Faʾanta ʿanhu talahhā
But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge] While he fears [Allah], From him you are distracted.
Memory hook — the two contrasting men
This section is built on a sharp contrast. The self-sufficient man (man istaghna, v.5) gets your attention (tasadda, v.6); the striving seeker (man ja'aka yas'a, v.8) gets your distraction (talahha, v.10). Two men, two responses, deliberately reversed. Note the shift from third-person opening (“he frowned”) to direct address (“you attend… you turn away”) — the lens moves onto the reader.
Why open in the third person?
The first two verses describe the Prophet in the third person — “he frowned and turned away” — softening the rebuke before shifting to direct address. Scholars note this as part of the gentleness of the correction: the lesson is firm, but the wording shields and honours the Prophet even while teaching him.
Section 1 — He frowned (vv. 1–10)
عَبَسَ
'abasa
He frowned
v.1 — the surah's title; the moment recorded
تَوَلَّىٰٓ
tawalla
He turned away
v.1 — turning from the blind seeker
ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ
al-a'ma
The blind man
v.2 — the Companion who came seeking knowledge
يَزَّكَّىٰٓ
yazzakka
He purifies himself
v.3 — the hoped-for benefit to the seeker
ٱسْتَغْنَىٰ
istaghna
Considered himself self-sufficient
v.5 — the proud man given attention
تَصَدَّىٰ
tasadda
You give attention
v.6 — attending to the self-sufficient one
يَسْعَىٰ
yas'a
Striving / eagerly
v.8 — the seeker who came striving
تَلَهَّىٰ
talahha
You are distracted
v.10 — turning from the sincere seeker
Section 2 — The honoured pages (vv. 11–16)
تَذْكِرَةٌ
tadhkira
A reminder
v.11 — what the revelation is
صُحُفٍ
suhuf
Pages / scrolls
v.13 — where the reminder is recorded
مُّكَرَّمَةٍ
mukarrama
Honoured
v.13 — the high status of the pages
مَّرْفُوعَةٍ مُّطَهَّرَةٍ
marfu'a mutahhara
Exalted and purified
v.14 — raised high and kept pure
سَفَرَةٍ
safara
Messenger-angels / scribes
v.15 — those who carry the revelation
كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ
kiramin barara
Noble and dutiful
v.16 — the character of the angel-scribes
Section 3 — Man's ingratitude (vv. 17–23)
قُتِلَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ
qutila al-insan
Cursed is man
v.17 — a strong rebuke of ingratitude
مَآ أَكْفَرَهُ
ma akfarah
How disbelieving / ungrateful he is
v.17 — the depth of his ingratitude
نُّطْفَةٍ
nutfa
A drop (of fluid)
v.19 — the humble origin of man
فَقَدَّرَهُ
fa-qaddarah
Then proportioned him
v.19 — shaping him in due measure
ٱلسَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُ
as-sabila yassarah
Eased the way for him
v.20 — making his path through life easy
فَأَقْبَرَهُ
fa-aqbarah
And gave him a grave
v.21 — burial framed as a favour
أَنشَرَهُ
ansharah
He will resurrect him
v.22 — the raising, when Allah wills
لَمَّا يَقْضِ
lamma yaqdi
He has not yet fulfilled
v.23 — man falling short of the command
Section 4 — Look at your food (vv. 24–32)
طَعَامِهِ
ta'amih
His food
v.24 — the sign man is told to look at
صَبَبْنَا ٱلْمَآءَ
sababna al-ma'
We poured down water
v.25 — rain sent in abundance
شَقَقْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ
shaqaqna al-ard
We split the earth
v.26 — the ground opened for growth
حَبًّا
habba
Grain
v.27 — the first of the crops
زَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا
zaytunan wa nakhla
Olives and palm trees
v.29 — among the produce
حَدَآئِقَ غُلْبًا
hada'iqa ghulba
Dense, lush gardens
v.30 — thick gardens of growth
فَٰكِهَةً وَأَبًّا
fakihatan wa abba
Fruit and pasture
v.31 — food for people and animals
مَّتَٰعًا
mata'a
Provision / enjoyment
v.32 — for you and your livestock
Section 5 — The Deafening Blast (vv. 33–42)
ٱلصَّآخَّةُ
as-sakhkha
The Deafening Blast
v.33 — a name for the Day of Resurrection
يَفِرُّ
yafirr
He flees
v.34 — fleeing even from family
صَٰحِبَتِهِ وَبَنِيهِ
sahibatih wa banih
His wife and his children
v.36 — the closest bonds abandoned
شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ
sha'nun yughnih
A matter to occupy him
v.37 — each soul absorbed by its own account
مُّسْفِرَةٌ
musfira
Bright / shining
v.38 — the faces of the saved
ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ
dahikatun mustabshira
Laughing, rejoicing
v.39 — joy at the good news
غَبَرَةٌ
ghabara
Dust
v.40 — covering the faces of the wretched
ٱلْكَفَرَةُ ٱلْفَجَرَةُ
al-kafara al-fajara
The disbelievers, the wicked
v.42 — the surah's closing verdict
Note on length and pairing
At 42 verses, Abasa is one of the longer surahs of Juz Amma, with short, fast verses and a strong rolling rhyme. It is reported that the Prophet paired Abasa with Al-Mutaffifin (83) in a single rak'ah of the night prayer. The surah's two creation arguments — the human body and the growing food — make it a natural companion to its neighbour An-Naazi'aat (79).
Full surah — single rak'ah
Verses 1–42 · following the Prophetic pairing with Al-Mutaffifin
It is reported that the Prophet recited Abasa together with Al-Mutaffifin (83) in one rak'ah of qiyam al-layl. If following this, recite Abasa first, then Al-Mutaffifin in the same rak'ah.
Reciting Abasa alone in one rak'ah keeps its full arc intact: the correction → the honoured reminder → man's ingratitude → the sign in food → the Deafening Blast. Roughly 2.5 minutes at a measured pace, ending on the verdict over the two kinds of faces.
Two-part split — common division
Split at v.16 or v.32
Option 1 — split at v.16: Rak'ah 1 covers vv.1–16 — the correction and the description of the honoured pages, ending on kiramin barara. Rak'ah 2 covers vv.17–42 — man's ingratitude, the food argument, and the Blast.
Option 2 — split at v.32: Rak'ah 1 covers vv.1–32 — through the correction, the reminder, the life-cycle, and the food, ending on mata'an lakum wa-li-an'amikum. Rak'ah 2 covers vv.33–42 — the Deafening Blast and the two kinds of faces.
Three-part split — extended qiyam
Breaks at v.16 and v.32
Rak'ah 1 — vv.1–16: The correction over the blind seeker and the honour of the reminder. A complete teaching on whose attention truly matters.
Rak'ah 2 — vv.17–32: Man's ingratitude from drop to grave, then the food that grows from split earth. Two arguments from creation back to back.
Rak'ah 3 — vv.33–42: The Deafening Blast, fleeing the family, and the two kinds of faces. A vivid, decisive ending.
Natural stopping points used by reciters
v.10
fa-anta 'anhu talahha — end of the correction passage. The reset of priorities — turning from the sincere seeker — is a complete, pointed thought.
v.16
kiramin barara — end of the description of the honoured pages. The noble, dutiful scribes close the passage on the worth of the reminder.
v.23
kalla lamma yaqdi ma amarah — end of the ingratitude passage. “He has not yet fulfilled what He commanded” lands as a sober verdict on man.
v.32
mata'an lakum wa-li-an'amikum — end of the food argument. Provision for people and livestock is a calm, complete close before the Blast.
v.37
li-kulli imri'in minhum yawma'idhin sha'nun yughnih — the loneliest verse, where each soul is absorbed by its own account. A heavy pause before the two faces.
v.42
ula'ika humu al-kafara al-fajara — the final verse. The verdict over the dust-covered faces closes the surah with no need for more. Powerful before ruku'.
How well do you know this surah?