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
Before you begin
Start with sincerity — ask Allah to make this easy for you and to let what you learn benefit you. A short dua to begin with:
رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
Rabbi zidni ‘ilma — “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” (Qur'an 20:114)
0/5 sections learned
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
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
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
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
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'.