Surah `Abasa - سورة عبس

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Ibn Kathir explanation) for verse 34-41 of Surah

 `Abasa - تفسير بن كثير للآية 34-41 من سورة عبس

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ - وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ - وَصَـاحِبَتِهُ وَبَنِيهِ - لِكُلِّ امْرِىءٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ - وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ - ضَـاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ - وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ - تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ

That Day shall a man flee from his brother. And from his mother and his father. And from his wife and his children. Every man that Day will have enough to make him careless of others. Some faces that Day will be bright. Laughing, rejoicing at good news. And other faces that Day will be dust-stained. Darkness will cover them.

Ibn `Abbas said, "As-Sakhkhah is one of the names of the Day of Judgement that Allah has magnified and warned His servants of.'' Ibn Jarir said, "Perhaps it is a name for the blowing into Trumpet.'' Al-Baghawi said, "As-Sakhkhah means the thunderous shout of the Day of Judgement. It has been called this because it will deafen the ears. This means that it pierces the hearing to such an extent that it almost deafens the ears.''

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ - وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ - وَصَـحِبَتِهُ وَبَنِيهِ

(That Day shall a man flee from his brother. And from his mother and his father. And from his wife and his children.) meaning, he will see them and then flee from them, and seek to get away from them because horror will be so great and the matter will be so weighty. There is an authentic Hadith related concerning the intercession that states that every one of the great Messengers of firm resolve will be requested to intercede with Allah on behalf of the creation, but each of them will say, "O myself! O myself! Today I will not ask You (O Allah) concerning anyone but myself.'' Even `Isa bin Maryam will say, "I will not ask Him (Allah) concerning anyone but myself today. I will not even ask Maryam, the woman who gave birth to me.'' Thus, Allah says,

يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ - وَأُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ - وَصَـحِبَتِهُ وَبَنِيهِ

(That Day shall a man flee from his brother, and from his mother and his father, and from his wife and his children.) Qatadah said, "The most beloved and then the next most beloved, and the closest of kin and then the next closest of kin -- due to the terror of that Day.'' Allah said,

لِكُلِّ امْرِىءٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ

(Every man that Day will have enough to make him careless of others.) meaning, he will be preoccupied in his business and distracted from the affairs of others. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn `Abbas that the Messenger of Allah said,

تُحْشَرُونَ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً مُشَاةً غُرْلًا

(You will all be gathered barefoot, naked, walking and uncircumcised.) So his wife said, "O Messenger of Allah! Will we look at or see each other's nakedness'' The Prophet replied,

لِكُلِّ امْرِىءٍ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ أو قال: مَا أَشْغَلَهُ عَنِ النَّظَر

(Every man among them on that Day will have enough (worries) to make him careless of others) -- or he said: (he will be too busy to look.) Ibn `Abbas narrated that the Prophet said,

تُحْشَرُونَ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْلًا

(You will all be gathered barefoot, naked and uncircumcised.) So a woman said, "Will we see or look at each others nakedness'' He replied,

يَا فُلَانَةُ، لِكُلِّ امْرِىءٍ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيه

(O so-and-so woman! Every man among them on that Day will have enough (worries) to make him careless of others.) At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan Sahih.''

Allah says;

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَةٌ - ضَـحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ

(Some faces that Day will be bright (Musfirah), laughing, rejoicing at good news.) meaning, the people will be divided into two parties. There will be faces that are Musfirah, which means bright.

ضَـحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌ

(Laughing, rejoicing at good news.) meaning, happy and pleased due to the joy that will be in their hearts. The good news will be apparent on their faces. These will be the people of Paradise.

وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَةٌ - تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ

(And other faces that Day will be dust-stained. Darkness (Qatarah) will cover them.) meaning, they will be overcome and covered with Qatarah, which is darkness. Ibn `Abbas said,

تَرْهَقُهَا قَتَرَةٌ

(Darkness (Qatarah) will cover them.) "This means that they (the faces) will be overcome with darkness.''

Surah Abasa - سورة عبس

Muhammad Muhsin Khan - Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali Translation

1. (The Prophet (Peace be upon him)) frowned and turned away,
2. Because there came to him the blind man (i.e. 'Abdullah bin Umm-Maktum, who came to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) while he was preaching to one or some of the Quraish chiefs).
3. But what could tell you that per chance he might become pure (from sins)?
4. Or that he might receive admonition, and that the admonition might profit him?
5. As for him who thinks himself self-sufficient,
6. To him you attend;
7. What does it matter to you if he will not become pure (from disbelief, you are only a Messenger, your duty is to convey the Message of Allah).
8. But as to him who came to you running.
9. And is afraid (of Allah and His Punishment),
10. Of him you are neglectful and divert your attention to another,
11. Nay, (do not do like this), indeed it (these Verses of this Quran) are an admonition,
12. So whoever wills, let him pay attention to it.
13. (It is) in Records held (greatly) in honour (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz).
14. Exalted (in dignity), purified,
15. In the hands of scribes (angels).
16. Honourable and obedient.
17. Be cursed (the disbelieving) man! How ungrateful he is!
18. From what thing did He create him?
19. From Nutfah (male and female semen drops) He created him, and then set him in due proportion;
20. Then He makes the Path easy for him;
21. Then He causes him to die, and puts him in his grave;
22. Then, when it is His Will, He will resurrect him (again).
23. Nay, but (man) has not done what He commanded him.
24. Then let man look at his food,
25. That We pour forth water in abundance,
26. And We split the earth in clefts,
27. And We cause therein the grain to grow,
28. And grapes and clover plants (i.e. green fodder for the cattle),
29. And olives and date-palms,
30. And gardens, dense with many trees,
31. And fruits and Abba (herbage, etc.),
32. (To be) a provision and benefit for you and your cattle.
33. Then, when there comes As-Sakhkhah (the Day of Resurrection's second blowing of Trumpet),
34. That Day shall a man flee from his brother,
35. And from his mother and his father,
36. And from his wife and his children.
37. Everyman, that Day, will have enough to make him careless of others.
38. Some faces that Day, will be bright (true believers of Islamic Monotheism).
39. Laughing, rejoicing at good news (of Paradise).
40. And other faces, that Day, will be dust-stained;
41. Darkness will cover them,
42. Such will be the Kafarah (disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, and in His Messenger Muhammad (Peace be upon him), etc.), the Fajarah (wicked evil doers).