He Frowned (Abasa)

In the name of Allah, Gracious, Merciful.

¹He frowned and turned away.¹

²Because there came to him the blind man.

³But what could tell you but that perchance he might grow?

⁴Or that he might receive admonition and the teaching might profit him?

⁵As to one who regards himself as self sufficient.

⁶To him do you attend;

⁷Though it is no blame to you if he grow not.²

⁸But as to him who came to you striving earnestly;

⁹And with fear;

¹⁰Of him were you unmindful.

¹¹By no means! For it is indeed a message of instruction:

¹²Therefore, let who will keep it in remembrance.

¹³In books held in honor.

¹⁴Exalted, kept pure, and holy;

¹⁵By the hands of scribes;

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

¹Abasa wa tawalla

²An ja ahul ama

³Wa ma yudrika laal lahu yazaka

⁴Au yazakaru fatanfahuzikra

⁵Ama manis tagna

⁶Fa anta lahu tashada

⁷Wa ma alaika alla yazaka

⁸Wa amma man ja aka yasa

⁹Wahuwa yakhsyaya

¹⁰Fa anta anhu talaha

¹¹Kala innaha tazkirah

¹²Faman sya a zakarah

¹³Fi shuhufim mukaramah

¹⁴Marfu atim mutah harah

¹⁵Bi aidi safarah

1. All commentators agree that this is about when a blind man, Abdallah ibn Umm Mactum, accosted him and interrupted his conversation with some wealthy members of his tribe whom he had had hopes of converting to Islam. The blind man not knowing that Muhammad was busily engaged in discussion, raised his voice at Muhammad, which was not acceptable to Muhammad and so he ignored the blind man.

Compare this with Jesus who always had compassion on blind people and healing them of their blindness. Matthew 9:27-30 reads:

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.”

Matthew 20:30-33 reads:

And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”

Jesus gave an example of how to treat those in need of our service as children of God. We are to stop and pay attention to them. Muhammad’s sort of negligence is equivalent to sin. The poor and needy are to receive priority treatment all the time, no ifs and buts about it. Muhammad sinned and I am sure it is one of the reasons why he was told to confess his sins, contrary to the claim that prophets are sinless (Qur’an 40:55). According to George Sale, Muhammad repented and later made the blind man governor of Medina twice. The fact still remains that Muhammad had sinned.

2. Muhammad was rebuked by Allah for this breach of conduct. Indeed man sees what is on the outside but God sees the heart.

¹⁶Honorable and pious and just.

¹⁷Woe to man! what has made him reject Allah?

¹⁸From what stuff has He created him?

¹⁹From a sperm-drop He has created him and then molds him in due proportions.

²⁰Then does He make His path smooth for him;

²¹Then He causes him to die and put him in his grave;

²²Then when it is His will, He will raise him up.

²³By no means has he fulfilled what Allah has commanded him.

²⁴Then let man look at his food:

²⁵For that We pour forth water in abundance.

²⁶And We split the earth in fragments.

²⁷And produce therein corn.

²⁸And grapes and nutritious plants.

²⁹And olives and dates.

³⁰And enclosed gardens, dense with lofty trees.

³¹And fruits and fodder.

¹⁶Kiramim bararah

¹⁷Qutila linsanu ma akfarah

¹⁸Min ayyi syai inkhalaqah

¹⁹Min nuthfah khalaqahu faqad darah

²⁰Suma sabila ya sarah

²¹Summa amatahu fa aqbarah

²²Summa iza sya ansyarah

²³Kala lama yaqdi ma amarah

²⁴Falyanzuril insanu ila ta amih

²⁵Anna sababnal ma a saba

²⁶Summa saqaqnal arda saqa

²⁷Fa ambatna fiha haba

²⁸Wa inabaw wa qadhba

²⁹Wa zaituna wa nakhala

³⁰Wa hada iqa gulba

³¹Wa fakihataw wa abba

³²For use and convenience to you and your cattle.

³³At length when there comes the deafening noise.

³⁴That day shall a man flee from his own brother.

³⁵And from his mother and his father.

³⁶And from his wife and his children.

³⁷Each one of them that day will have enough concern to make him indifferent to the others.

³⁸Some faces that day will be beaming.

³⁹Laughing and rejoicing.

⁴⁰And other faces that day will be dust stained;

⁴¹Blackness will cover them:

⁴²Such will be the rejecters of Allah, the doers of Iniquity.

³²Mataal lakum wa liamikum

³³Fa idza jaati shakhah

³⁴Yauma yafirul maru minakhih

³⁵Wa ummihi wa abih

³⁶Wa shahibatihi wa banih

³⁷Likul limri imminhum yauma idzin syanuy yughnih

³⁸Wujuhu yauma izim musfirah

³⁹Dhahikatum mustabsyirah

⁴⁰Wa wujuhuy yauma izinalaiha ghabarah

⁴¹Tarhaquha qatarah

⁴²Ulaika humul kafaratul fajarah