Verses 1–16
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.
Key Debate: “He Frowned and Turned Away” →
This sūrah was revealed in Mecca and consists of 42 verses. Traditions from Sunni sources state that the opening verses of this chapter were revealed about a blind man called Ibn Umm Maktūm, who came in the presence of the Prophet while the Prophet was having a private conversation about Islam with some leaders of the Quraysh tribe. The Prophet frowned because of his intrusion. As a result, God reproached him with these verses. There are also some Shia narrations which make reference to this narrative.
According to other Shia accounts, it was a man from the Umayyads who frowned and turned away when he was approached by Ibn Umm Maktūm while he was in the company of the Prophet. Subsequently these verses were revealed. We will present a comprehensive analysis of these accounts under our examination of narrations, by God’s will.
In any case, the aim of this chapter is to reprimand those who prefer the affluent and wealthy over the weak and humble believers; those who elevates the people of this world and degrades the people of the hereafter. The chapter then talks about the frailty of human creation, and their utmost dependence in the management of their affairs. Despite all this, they are ungrateful to their Lord’s blessings and His magnificent direction of their affairs. The sūrah sums up by discussing the resurrection and retribution as a word of admonition. This chapter is Meccan beyond any doubt.
Commentary
عَبَسَ وَ تَوَلَّى ١
(80:1) He frowned and turned away
That is, he scowled, contracted his face, and turned his back.
أَنْ جاءَهُ الْأَعْمى ٢
(80:2) because (an) the blind man approached him.
This verse explains the cause of the above frowning.
وَ ما يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُ يَزَّكَّى ٣ أَوْ يَذَّكَّرُ فَتَنْفَعَهُ الذِّكْرى ٤
(80:3-4) And how do you know, maybe he would purify himself (yazzakká, from tazakkī), or take admonition, and the admonition would benefit him!
Tazakkī here means self-purification through good deeds. This would be subsequent to “taking admonition,” which means heeding and paying attention to true beliefs. An admonition is “beneficial” if it leads the person to self-purification through belief and good deeds.
The effective meaning is: “He frowned and turned away from the blind who came near him, while he did not know that the blind man may purify himself by good action. His purification and good deeds would be subsequent to his belief, which itself would be a result of his coming and seeking knowledge. Perhaps he has already taken admonition, or will take admonition due to coming and learning. Thus the admonition will benefit him, and he will purify himself.”
The first four verses in this chapter bear a severe tone of reproval, which is highlighted by a shift in the person. The first two verses [] are in the third person since they are about the person turning away. They reprimand the person by not talking to him directly. The next two verses [], which convey a message of blame, are in the second person in order to confront and rebuke the person directly. This shift of address shows the intensity of the Speaker’s dissatisfaction, and consolidate His binding argument against the subject.
The descriptions given for the person who came in also underline the verses’ reproof. That is because:
- The person who came in with a need was a blind man () who lacked eyesight.
- His need was religious.
- He came for help striving ().
- He came in while he fears [Allah] ().
In such circumstances, there is no excuse for resenting the person’s arrival, frowning, and turning away. Rather, there is every reason to welcome him with special care, attention and kindness.
Assuming that the verses are about the Prophet, some have said that he is initially mentioned in the third person to venerate him, because the expression suggests that the one who frowned and turned away cannot be the Prophet. That is, such an act can never issue from the like of his personality. Then the verses shift to the second person, again for veneration, since they show kindness and proximity after the initial inattention and distance.
However, this view is not compatible with the next verses: But for the one who is self-sufficient, you attend him (), because the reproval there is more severe than in the verse: He frowned and turned away (). Moreover, there is certainly no sense of kindness or proximity in verses [despite being in the second person].
أَمَّا مَنِ اسْتَغْنى ٥
(80:5) But as for someone who is self-sufficient (istaghná, from istighnāʾ),
Someone who is self-sufficient means one who is given to affluence and has donned wealth as a garment. An implication of this quality is enjoying priority, superiority and prominence in the eyes of the people. This naturally makes one feel too proud to submit to the truth. The Qur’an says: Indeed man becomes rebellious, when he considers himself without need ().
This verse and the next five [up to verse ] present a detailed account explaining why the person frowned and turned away, and why that is blameworthy. In short, the verses are saying: “You show concern and attend to those who are too affluent and arrogant to accept the truth, while you are not responsible if they do not purify themselves. At the same time, you disregard and turn away from those who strive to purify themselves while they are fearful [of their Lord].”
فَأَنْتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّى ٦
(80:6) you attend (taṣaddá, from taṣaddī) to him,
Taṣaddī means “taking up something by turning to it with attention and care.”
وَ ما عَلَيْكَ أَلاَّ يَزَّكَّى ٧
(80:7) though you are not (mā) liable if he does not purify himself.
Here are some suggested interpretations for the verse:
- The word mā is a negative particle (not). The meaning is: “There is no harm on you if he does not purify himself. Therefore, there is no reason why you should strive so hard to attract him to Islam—to the point that you turn away from a Muslim, leave him on his own, and not welcome him.”
- The word mā is inquisitive (what), introducing a rhetorical question which implies a negation. The meaning is: “What will happen to you if he does not purify himself from disbelief and sin?! For verily you are only a messenger whose only obligation is to convey the message.”
- The meaning is: “You do not care that he has not purified himself from the taints of disbelief and sin.”
Comment: The last interpretation is more compatible with the previous and subsequent tone of reproval.
وَ أَمَّا مَنْ جاءَكَ يَسْعى ٨
(80:8) But he who comes to you striving (yasʿá, from saʿy),
Saʿy means “walking quickly.” Given the context, the meaning is: “As for the one who hastens to take admonition and purify himself through what he learns of religious teachings…”
وَ هُوَ يَخْشى ٩
(80:9) while he fears (yakhshá, from khashyah) [Allah],
What is meant here is fearing God. Khashyah (fear, awe, concern) is a sign and result of taking admonition from the Qur’an. God says: We did not send down to you the Qur’an that you should be miserable, but only as an admonition to him who fears [his Lord] (); he who fears [God] will take admonition ().
فَأَنْتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّى ١٠
(80:10) you are neglectful (talahhá) of him.
Talahhá is an elided form of tatalahhá, which means “you engage yourself with someone or something else.” The second and third person pronouns in this verse and verse —you attend to him—are mentioned before the verb [in the original Arabic]. This shift of order reinforces and confirms the sense of rebuke in the verses.
كَلاَّ إِنَّها تَذْكِرَةٌ ١١
(80:11) Nay (kallā)! These are indeed (innahā) a reminder
The exclamation kallā (nay, never, no way) serves to reject the reprimanded acts of frowning, turning away, paying attention to the affluent, and disregarding the one who fears God. The pronoun “these” (the ending hā in innahā) is feminine. There are two possible explanations for its usage here: (1) It refers to the verses (āyāt) of the Qur’an. (2) It refers to the Qur’an, but it is feminine in accordance to the predicate of the sentence.
The meaning is: “Indeed the verses of Qur’an—or the Qur’an—are a reminder. That is, they are an admonition for whoever would take heed. They are a remembrance which reminds one about true belief and righteous action.”
فَمَنْ شاءَ ذَكَرَهُ ١٢
(80:12)—so let anyone who wills remember it—
This verse is a parenthetical remark. The pronoun “it” refers either to the Qur’an, or that which the Qur'an reminds, meaning its divine teachings. The meaning is: “Whosoever wishes would remember the Qur’an—or that which the Qur’an reminds.” What is meant by “remembrance” here is taking recourse to the directions of one’s fiṭrah (primordial nature, innate disposition, pristine conscience), which is a tablet inscribed with true beliefs and righteous deeds.
The expression in this verse—so let anyone who wills remember it—alludes to the fact that there is no compulsion in the religious call to take admonition. There is no benefit for the caller in this, but all the benefit accrues to the one who takes admonition. Hence, let the person choose as they wish.
فِي صُحُفٍ مُكَرَّمَةٍ ١٣
(80:13) in honored (mukarramah) scriptures (ṣuḥuf),
Mukarramah is synonymous with muʿaẓẓamah (ennobled, glorified, magnificent). Majmaʿ al-bayān says:
Ṣuḥuf is the plural of ṣaḥīfah, which is used for anything with a writing on it, whether it is of paper or something else. It is synonymous with kitāb (book, letter, epistle).
This verse is a second predicate for: These are indeed (). Apparently what is meant is that the Qur’an is written in a number of scriptures in the hands of the angels of revelation. Here are two other suggested interpretations for ṣuḥuf (writings, records, sheets):
- It means the Guarded Tablet (al-lawḥ al-maḥfūẓ).
Comment: The Qur’an has never referred to the Guarded Tablet with a plural noun, such as ṣuḥuf (scriptures, sheets), kutub (books, letters) or alwāḥ (tablets).
- It means the scriptures of the previous prophets.
Comment: This is discordant with the verse, in the hands of envoys (), which apparently is an attribute of the scriptures.
مَرْفُوعَةٍ مُطَهَّرَةٍ ١٤
(80:14) exalted and purified,
It is exalted and elevated in terms of its rank in the sight of God. It is purified from the defilements of falsehood, vain talk, uncertainty and contradictory speech. God says: falsehood has no access to it from before it, nor from behind it (); it is indeed a decisive word, and it is not a jest (); This is the Book, there is no doubt in it (); Had it been from [someone] other than Allah, they would have surely found much discrepancy in it ().
بِأَيْدِي سَفَرَةٍ ١٥ كِرامٍ بَرَرَةٍ ١٦
(80:15-16) in the hands of envoys (safarah), noble and pious.
These verses continue counting the qualities of scriptures (). Safarah is synonymous with sufarāʾ, which is the plural of safīr, meaning “messenger, emissary, envoy.” They are described as noble in terms of their inherent worth, and as pious in terms of their virtuous acts.
The meaning of the above verses [] is: “The Qur’an is a reminder that is written in a number of scriptures which are grand and elevated in status, and pure from every taint and defilement. These scriptures are carried by the hands of angels who are noble before their Lord due to the purity of their essence, and are virtuous to Him due to their excellent deeds.”
These verses show that there are several angels of revelation whose job is to carry the scriptures and convey the message of the Qur’an. Therefore, they are the Gabriel’s assistants, and operate under his command. There is no inconsistency in ascribing the process of revelation both to them and to Gabriel, as the Qur’an says: brought down by the Trustworthy Spirit upon your heart (). God says about Gabriel: it is indeed the speech of a noble messenger, powerful and eminent with the Lord of the Throne, one who is obeyed and is trustworthy as well (). Gabriel is obeyed by other angels who follow his directive and execute what he commands. The act of revelation by his assistants is also Gabriel’s act, just as the act of all of them is God’s act. This can be compared to the seizing of the souls, which is done by angels operating under the Angel of Death. Their act is attributable to the Angel of Death, and at the same time it is an act of God. We have discussed this in several places.
Here are two other suggested interpretations of safarah:
- It means the scribes among the angels.
Comment: Our interpretation above is more apparent.
- It means the reciters of Qur’an, who would write down and read the verses.
Comment: The problem with this view should be clear.
Examining Narrations
- These verses were revealed about ʿAbd-Allāh b. Umm Maktūm, whose full name was ʿAbd-Allāh b. Shurayḥ b. Mālik b. Rabīʿah al-Fihrī, from the tribe Banū ʿĀmir b. Luʾayy.
The story is that once the Messenger of God was having a private conversation with ʿUtbat b. Rabīʿah, Abū Jahl b. Hishām, ʿAbbās b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, and the two sons of Khalaf: Ubayyah and Umayyah. He was calling them to God, and was hoping that they would embrace Islam. That is when Ibn Umm Maktūm came in and called out, “O Messenger of God! Recite for me, and teach me what God has taught you.” He continued calling and repeating his demand, oblivious of the fact that the Prophet was busy and engaged with others.
Finally, an expression of displeasure appeared on the face of God’s Messenger due to the interruption of his conversation. “These chiefs [of Quraysh],” the Prophet said to himself, “will now say that ‘his followers are only the blind and the slaves.’” So he turned away from Ibn Umm Maktūm, toward the people whom he was speaking to. That is when these verses were revealed.
After that incident, the Messenger of God would always honor Ibn Umm Maktūm. Whenever he saw him, he would say, “Welcome to one for whom my Lord reprimanded me!” And he would inquire, “Do you need anything?” The Prophet also left Ibn Umm Maktūm as his successor in Medina on two occasions that he left for battle.
Author’s comment: There is no apparent indication in the verses that they were revealed about the Prophet. They only present a narrative, without identifying the person involved. On the contrary, there are indications in the verses that they are about someone else. It was not one of the traits of the Prophet to frown at his archenemies, let alone at believers who would come in seeking guidance. Furthermore catering for the affluent and neglecting the poor does not resemble his noble manners in any manner, as pointed out by al-Sayyid al-Murtaḍá (may God’s mercy be upon him).
Elsewhere in the Qur’an, God glorifies the Prophet’s character by saying: and indeed you possess a great character (). This verse was revealed before the current chapter of discussion. The verse is in Sūrah Nūn, which was the second chapter of the Qur’an to be revealed, after Chapter 96 (iqraʾ bism rabbika), as all narrations on the chronological order of the sūrahs agree. How is it conceivable that God would venerates the Prophet’s morality in such an unqualified way at the outset of his mission, but would later reteat and reprimand him for immoral behavior such as attending to the affluent despite their disbelief, and disregarding the poor despite their belief and quest for guidance?
Another Qur’anic evidence is: Warn the nearest of your kinsfolk, and lower your wing to the believers who follow you (). The second verse orders the Prophet to humble himself before the believers. This verse is in a Meccan chapter, and it was one of the earliest verses to be revealed to the Prophet at the outset of his mission. We can deduce this from the verse before it: Warn the nearest of your kinsfolk ().
A further Qur’anic evidence is the verse: Do not extend your glance toward what We have provided to certain groups of them, and do not grieve for them, and lower your wing to the believers (). This verse was also revealed early on, when the Prophet made his mission public, because it is in the same context as the verse, So proclaim what you have been commanded, and turn away from the polytheists (). How would it make sense that the Prophet would possibly frown at a believer and turn away from him when he was ordered to honor them for their faith, be gentle to them, and not extend his glance toward the material riches of the owners of this world?
Besides, there is no need of verbal or legislative prohibition against such behavior. It is a basic of human decency that one should not prefer an affluence person because of their opulence over a poor person despite their merit and righteousness. It is rather common sense that frowning and turning away from the poor and attending to the rich is inhumane. It is self-evident that wealth is no criterion for merit.
Some have said: This was not a sin by the Prophet because God had not yet prohibited him from this act. It would only be a sin if he did it after the revelation of the verses.
Our discussion above should clarify why this view is unacceptable. There are several problems with it: (1) It is not true that God had not prohibited the Prophet from such an act prior to the event [given the verses quoted above]. (2) Regardless of that, such an act is against the rule of reason. (3) Irrespective of that, such an act is incompatible with the noble character of the Prophet, which God glorified before the incident through an unconditional statement: and indeed you possess a great character (khuluq) (). It should be noted that khuluq (character, manners, disposition) is “a second nature that is firmly established in someone,” such that one’s behavior would not contravene that quality.
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: These verses were revealed about a man from the Umayyads. He was with the Prophet when Ibn Umm Maktūm came in. Seeing the appearance of Ibn Umm Maktūm, the man was disgusted, gathered himself, frowned and turned his face away from him. God narrated this and rebuked the man for his behavior.
- Whenever the Messenger of God saw Abd-Allāh b. Umm Maktūm, he would say: “Welcome, welcome! By God, may God never reprimand me regarding you.” The Prophet would show him so much kindness that he would avoid meeting the Prophet because of that.
Author’s comment: The problem with this account is the same as what we said under the first narration. The last part of the account means that Ibn Umm Maktūm would refrain from coming into the presence of the Prophet since he felt embarrassed and ashamed due to the Prophet’s abundant compassion.
There is an implied letter lām (because) before the particle an (lit. that). (Auth.) ↩︎
These two verses serve as a ḥāl (circumstantial qualifier, participial phrase), describing the condition of “he” in He frowned (). (Auth.) ↩︎
According to al-Rāghib, the words ghiná, istighnāʾ, taghannī and taghānī are synonymous (independence, opulence). (Auth.) ↩︎
Here again the word mā is a negative particle. (Ed.) ↩︎
Āyāt is the plural of āyah, which is feminine. The Qur’an is masculine. The sentence’s predicate is tadhkirah, which is feminine. The feminine pronoun hā is used both for the singular and the plural. (Ed.) ↩︎
See the author’s exegesis of verse , and the section titled “Discussion on the Angels’ Intermediation in the Direction of Affairs,” after verse . (Ed.) ↩︎
The problem is that the adjectives mentioned in the verses are apparently for the angels. (Ed.) ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. This is the gist of several accounts. Al-Suyūṭī has reported this story with slight variations in al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of ʿĀʾishah, Anas and Ibn ʿAbbās. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān, from Imam al-Ṣādiq. ↩︎