The Qur'ân, ed. Palmer (SBE9): LXXX. The Chapter 'He Frowned.'

THE CHAPTER 'HE FROWNED.'

(LXXX. Mecca.)

IN the name of the merciful and compassionate God.

He frowned and turned his back, for that there came to him a blind man 1!

But what should make thee know whether haply he may be purified? or may be mindful and the reminder profit him?

[5] But as for him who is wealthy, thou dost attend to him; and thou dost not care that he is not purified; but as for him who comes to thee earnestly fearing the while, [10] from him thou art diverted!

Nay! verily, it is a memorial; and whoso pleases will remember it.

In honoured pages exalted, purified, [15] in the hands of noble, righteous scribes!

May man be killed! how ungrateful he is!

Of what did He create him? Of a clot. He created him and fated him; [20] then the path He did make easy for him; then He killed him, and laid him in the tomb; then when He pleases will He raise him up again.

Nay, he has not fulfilled his bidding!

But let man look unto his foods. [25] Verily, we have poured the water out in torrents: then we have cleft the earth asunder, and made to grow therefrom the grain, and the grape, and the hay, and the olive, and the palm, [30], and gardens closely planted, and fruits, and grass,--a provision for you and for your cattle!

But when the stunning noise shall come, on the day when man shall flee from his brother [35] and his mother and his father and his spouse and his sons! Every man among them on that day shall have a business to employ him.

Faces on that day shall be bright,--laughing, joyous! [40] and faces shall have dust upon them,--darkness shall cover them! those are the wicked misbelievers!

Footnotes

320:1 One Abdallah ibn Umm Maktûm, a poor blind man, once interrupted Mohammed while the latter was in conversation with Walîd ibn Mughâirah and some others of the Qurâis chiefs. The prophet taking no notice of him, the blind man raised his voice and earnestly begged for religious instruction, but Mohammed, annoyed at the interruption, frowned and turned away. This passage is a reprimand to the prophet for his conduct on the occasion. Afterwards, whenever he saw the blind Abdallah, Mohammed used to say, 'Welcome to him on whose account my Lord reproved me!' and subsequently made him governor of Medînah.