Overview - Surah 80: `Abasa (He Frowned)
The Surah begins with the incident of a blind man (Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum) who came to the Prophet to seek knowledge, while the chiefs of Makkah were denying the message. It talks about the greatness of Allah's message. Those who will accept this message they will benefit from it. But those who deny this message they are bringing harm to their own selves.
The Surah takes its name from the first Ayat, عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ "He frowned and turned away." [80:1]
There are 42 Ayat in this Surah.
Overview
| Total Ayat | 42 |
| Total Words * | 133 |
| Root Words * | 74 |
| Unique Root Words * | 3 |
| Makki / Madani | Makki |
| Chronological Order* | 24th (according to Ibn Abbas) |
| Year of Revelation* | 5th year of Prophethood |
| Events during/before this Surah*
Physical beating and torture of some Muslims - 1st Migration of Muslims to Abyssinia, Public Invitation to Islam - Persecution of Muslims; antagonism - ridicule - derision - accusation - abuse and false propaganda., Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam , Revelation begins - Private Invitation to Islam
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| Events during/after still to occur*
2nd Migration to Abyssinia,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 1,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 2,Boycott of Banu Hashim Yr 3,Death of Abu Talib - Death of Khadijah - Stoning at Ta'if - al-Isra wal Mi'raj - Night Journey,1st Pledge of Aqabah,2nd Pledge of Aqabah,,Migration from Makkah to Madinah - Building of Masjid Nabi in Madinah - Treaty with Jews of Madinah - Marriage of Prophet to Aishah,Change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah - Battle of Badr,Battle of Uhud,,Battle of Ahzab - Expedition of Banu Quraydhah,Treaty of Hudaiybiyah - Letters to Kings and Rulers,,Conquest of Makkah - Battle of Hunain,Hajj led by Abu Bakr - Expedition of Tabuk,Farewell Hajj by Prophet - Death of Prophet - End of Divine Revelation
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| Names of Prophets Mentioned
No Prophets names are mentioned in this Surah
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| Surah Index
Children, Date palms, Earth, Food, Grave, Humankind (creation of) (from a drop of sperm), Judgement (Day) , Knowledge (obligation upon man to obtain and impart) , Life (path toward contentment made easy) , Muhammad (admonished) , Olive trees, Resurrection (Day) , Resurrection (of humans) , Revelation, Weather (rain)
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In view of the apparent style with which the discourse opens, one feels that in this Surah, God has expressed His displeasure against the Prophet for his treatment of the blind man with indifference and attending to the big chiefs exclusively. But when the whole Surah is considered objectively, one finds that the displeasure, in fact, has been expressed against the disbelieving Quraysh, who because of their arrogant attitude and indifference to the truth, were rejecting with contempt the message of truth being conveyed by the Prophet. Then, besides teaching him the correct method of preaching, the error of the method that he was adopting at the start of his mission has also been pointed out. His treatment of the blind man with neglect and disregard and devoting all his attention to the Quraysh chiefs was not for the reason that he regarded the rich as noble and a poor blind man as contemptible, and God forbid, there was some rudeness in his manner for which God reproved him. But, as a matter of fact, when a caller to Truth embarks on his mission of conveying his message to the people, he naturally wants the most influential people of society to accept his message so that his task becomes easy, for even if his invitation spreads among the poor and weak people, it cannot make much difference. Almost the same attitude had the Prophet also adopted in the beginning, his motive being only sincerity and a desire to promote his mission and not any idea of respect for the big people and hatred for the small people. But God made him realise that that was not the correct method of extending invitation to Islam, but from his mission’s point of view, every man, who was a seeker for the truth was important, even if he was weak, or poor, and every man, who was heedless to the truth, was unimportant, even if he occupied a high position in society. Therefore, he should openly proclaim and convey the teachings of Islam to all and sundry, but the people who were really worthy of his attention, were those who were inclined to accept the Truth and his sublime and noble message was too high to be presented before those arrogant people who in their arrogance and vanity thought that they did not stand in need of him but rather he stood in need of them.
This is the theme of v. 1-16. From verse 17 onward the rebuke directly turns to the disbelievers, who were repudiating the invitation of the Messenger of God. In this, first they have been reproved for their attitude which they had adopted against their Creator, Provider and Sustainer. In the end, they have been warned of the dreadful fate that they would meet in consequence of their conduct on the Day of Resurrection.
Manuscripts / Inscriptions
7th/13th Century
7th/13th Century
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
1st Century Hijrah (7th Century CE)
Total Word Count per Ayat (shows how many words per Ayat) = 3* | ||
| # | Root Word | Frequency in Surah | Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | ذ ك ر | 4 | 292 |
| 2. | ج ي أ | 3 | 278 |
| 3. | ش ي أ | 3 | 519 |
| 4. | ز ك و | 2 | 59 |
| 5. | أَمَّا | 2 | 55 |
| 6. | غ ن ي | 2 | 73 |
| 7. | ك ر م | 2 | 47 |
| 8. | س ف ر | 2 | 12 |
| 9. | أ ن س | 2 | 97 |
| 10. | ك ف ر | 2 | 525 |
| Root Word | Frequency in Surah |
Frequency in Qur'an |
|---|---|---|
| ذ ك ر | 4 | 292 |
| ج ي أ | 3 | 278 |
| ش ي أ | 3 | 519 |
| ز ك و | 2 | 59 |
| أَمَّا | 2 | 55 |
| غ ن ي | 2 | 73 |
| ك ر م | 2 | 47 |
| س ف ر | 2 | 12 |
| أ ن س | 2 | 97 |
| ك ف ر | 2 | 525 |
The commentators and traditionists are unanimous about the occasion of the revelation of this Surah. According to them, once some big chiefs of Makkah were sitting in the Prophet’s assembly and he was earnestly engaged in trying to persuade them to accept Islam. At that very point, a blind man, named Ibn Umm Maktum, approached him to seek explanation of some point concerning Islam. The Prophet disliked his interruption and ignored him. Thereupon God sent down this Surah. From this historical incident the period of the revelation of this Surah can be precisely determined.
In the first place, it is confirmed that Ibn Umm Maktum was one of the earliest reverts to Islam. Ibn Hajar and Ibn Kathir have stated that he was one of those who had accepted Islam at a very early stage at Makkah.
Secondly, some of the hadith which relate this incident show that he had already accepted Islam and some others show that be was inclined to accept it and had approached the Prophet in search of the truth. The Prophets wife (A’isha) states that, coming to the Prophet he had said: “O Messenger of God, guide me to the straight path.” (Tirmidhi, Hakim, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Jarir, Abu Ya’la. According to Abdullah bin Abbas, he had asked the meaning of a verse of the Qur’an and said to the Prophet: “O Messenger of God, teach me the knowledge that God has taught you.” Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abu Hatim). These statements show that he had acknowledged the Prophet as a Messenger of God and the Qur’an as a Book of God.
Thirdly, the names of the people who were sitting in the Prophet’s assembly at that time, have been given in different hadith. In this list we find the names of `Utbah, Shaibah, Abu Jahl, Umayyah bin Khalaf, Ubayy bin Khalaf, who were the bitterest enemies of Islam. This shows that the incident took place in the period when these chiefs were still on meeting terms with the Prophet and their antagonism to Islam had not yet grown so strong as to have stopped their paying visits to him and having dialogues with him off and on. All these arguments indicate that this is one of the very earliest Surahs to be revealed at Makkah.
- The commandment that the seekers of guidance should be given preference in conveying Allah's message.
- Man is reminded to recognize his Creator.
- On the Day of Judgement man will be so concerned about himself that he will not even care about his own mother, father, brother or children.
Tafsir Zone
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Sayyid Qutb Overview (Verses 5 - 16) The reproof then takes a stronger tone. It wonders at the action in question: “But to the one who considered himself self-sufficient you were all attention. Yet the fault would not be yours if he remained uncleansed. As to him who comes to you with zeal and with a feeling of fear in his heart, him you ignore.” (Verses 5-10) The one who pretends that he can do without you and your religion, light, goodness and purity is the one who receives your attention! You go to him yourself when he turns away, and you are at pains to try to persuade him to accept the faith. “Yet the fault would not be yours if he remained uncleansed.” (Verse 7) What is it to you if he chooses to remain in filth? You are not answerable for his sins. He will not secure your victory. “As to him who comes to you with zeal,” out of his own free will, “and with a feeling of fear in his heart,” groping his way with outstretched hands, fearful of pitfalls, “him you ignore.” What a strong description of not paying due attention to the man who came to seek right guidance. The tone becomes even stronger and the reproof then takes the form of outright censure: kalla or “no indeed”, this must never be the case. Then follows a statement affirming that Islam is an honourable and noble call. It has no need for anybody’s support. It cares only for the one who accepts it on its merits, regardless of his position in human society! “This is an admonition. Let him who will, bear it in mind. It is written on honoured pages, exalted, purified, by the hands of noble and devout scribes.” (Verses 11-16) It is a noble and honoured message in every respect. Its pages are purified and exalted, entrusted to ‘noble and devout’ angel ambassadors who convey it to those human beings selected to convey it to their people. It is also dignified. No one who pretends that he is self-sufficient need be approached about accepting this message of Islam. It is only for those who know its value and seek to be purified by it. So this is the divine standard by which all values and considerations should be evaluated, and all people should be judged. This is also God’s word, which is the final judgement in all situations. But where and when was this laid down? The answer is in Makkah when the Muslims were few in number, and Islam was the weaker side in an unequal battle. The attempt to win a group of powerful and influential men was not motivated by any personal interest. Ignoring the poor blind man was not occasioned by any personal consideration. All was for the sake of the new message. But the message itself calls for the adoption and application of this very standard and these very values. For Islam can never acquire any real power or achieve any true victory except through the establishment of these values and standards. As stated earlier, the essential principle involved is far greater and wider in scope than this single incident. It is that humanity should derive its values and standards from God, not from any worldly source. “The noblest of you in God’s sight is he who fears Him most.” (49: 13) Indeed, the one whom God considers noble is the one who deserves to be attended to and looked after, even if he is completely lacking in family relations, power and wealth, assets highly valued by worldly standards. These and all other worldly values are worthless when they part ways with faith and fear of God. This is the great issue which divine instruction in this surah seeks to settle. A Reproach and a Principle The Prophet was deeply touched by these divine instructions and by God’s reproof. Throughout his life, he worked tirelessly for the establishment of this great principle in Islamic society. The first action he took was to announce these instructions and the reproof in public. This in itself is something very great. Taken from any point of view, no person other than a messenger from God would have announced in public that he had been censured so strongly for his slip. It would have been enough for any other great man to recognize his mistake and to avoid any repetition in the future. With God’s Messenger however, things acquire different proportions. No person other than God’s Messenger could have had the courage, in such circumstances as Islam was facing, to make this declaration, challenging with it the masters of the Quraysh, who were very proud of their lineage, power and wealth. These were, at the time, the only considerations of any importance in Makkan society, where people wondered: “Why was this Qur’an not revealed to some great man from the two towns?” (43: 31) They were, of course, aware of Muhammad’s lineage, and that he was a descendant of the noblest family in Arabia. His ancestors were masters of Makkah. They nonetheless asked the question because Muhammad himself did not occupy a position of power in Makkah before his prophethood. In such a society, at that particular time, such a great principle could never have been the product of any earthly factor, or factors. It could only have had one source: God. No power could have ensured it other than divine will. Islamic society received it directly from the Prophet. Thereafter it became well established acquiring depth and momentum, which helped it to continue its operation in the Islamic community over the centuries. The establishment of this principle was, indeed, a rebirth of humanity. It was greater in importance than the birth of the first man. Man was able to free himself from all worldly bonds and standards, and substitute for them a set of heavenly values independent of all earthly considerations. These new values were soon understood and accepted by everybody. Soon the grave matter which had required a special directive to be issued to Muhammad, God’s Messenger, and an order to him to deliver it in detail, became the operative principle of the Islamic conscience and the basic code of Islamic society. It remained so for a very long time. Perhaps we cannot fully appreciate the true nature of this rebirth of humanity, because we cannot conceive the practical significance of our release from the pressures of social environment, values, standards, traditions and practices. In order to appreciate the magnitude of these pressures we have only to remember that advocates of a materialistic view of history consider that the economic condition of a certain society determines its beliefs, arts, literature, laws and customs, as well as its view of life and its destiny. What a narrow and mistaken view of man’s true nature! It was with this basic principle that Islam accomplished the miracle of the rebirth of man. |
Ibn Kathir (English)
Sayyid Qutb
Sha'rawi
Al Jalalain
Mawdudi
الطبري - جامع البيان
ابن كثير - تفسير القرآن العظيم
القرطبي - الجامع لأحكام
البغوي - معالم التنزيل
ابن أبي حاتم الرازي - تفسير القرآن
ابن عاشور - التحرير والتنوير
ابن القيم - تفسير ابن قيّم
السيوطي - الدر المنثور
الشنقيطي - أضواء البيان
ابن الجوزي - زاد المسير
الآلوسي - روح المعاني
ابن عطية - المحرر الوجيز
الرازي - مفاتيح الغيب
أبو السعود - إرشاد العقل السليم
الزمخشري - الكشاف
البقاعي - نظم الدرر
الهداية إلى بلوغ النهاية — مكي ابن أبي طالب
القاسمي - محاسن التأويل
الماوردي - النكت والعيون
السعدي - تيسير الكريم الرحمن
عبد الرحمن الثعالبي - الجواهر الحسان
السمرقندي - بحر العلوم
أبو إسحاق الثعلبي - الكشف والبيان
الشوكاني - فتح القدير
النيسابوري - التفسير البسيط
أبو حيان - البحر المحيط
البيضاوي - أنوار التنزيل
النسفي - مدارك التنزيل
ابن جُزَيّ - التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل
علي الواحدي النيسابوري - الوجيز
السيوطي - تفسير الجلالين
المختصر في التفسير — مركز تفسير
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Scientific References
The Role of Genes
مِنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ خَلَقَهُ فَقَدَّرَهُ "From what substance did He create him? From a sperm-drop [nutfah] He created him and destined [qadr] for him." (80:18-19)
In a single male Nutfah [sperm cell], which measures 60 microns [1 micron = 1/1000 mm], there are 23 chromosomes – long spiral double strand helices. They contain the genes which determine every type of characteristic the body has, like hair colour, skin type, etc.
Hence, it is within this Nutfah that God has determined and destined all the physical characteristics that an individual has. It is amazing that the description of these realities are so accurately stated by God in the Qur’ān.
The Prophet said, ‘God has ordained an angel that accompanies the different stages of development of the Nutfah. The ‘Alaqah, the Mudgha and in every stage he asks God, ‘O God, what to do next?’ If God determines its full development, the angel asks, ‘Is it a boy or a girl? Happy or unhappy, his livelihood and his life span. All is written [determined] while he is in the mother’s womb.’ [Bukhari]
- Surah 80. Abasa - Saad al Ghamidi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ3ae5B1m08&list=PLhM2xiAUdw2cAqW_o3zZkbhJNw0bnaBZN&index=80
- Surah 80. Abasa Mahmoud Khalil Al Hussary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TOvBU9s3dw&index=80&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfMFWX22VZWOKpzjr-vH_BM
- Surah 80. Abasa Muhammad Al Luhaydan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQEYcnWm48E&index=80&list=PLxpAkjlGauHfKAYuQLRNAZomoezhfhRZe
- Surah 80. Abasa Idris Akbar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cky0EChSNd0
- Surah 80. Abasa Muhammad Minshawi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XcgaAO4RhQ&index=80&list=PLxpAkjlGauHdUcO_uc-8F8J2NUQRDZjPG
