Abasa
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ʻAbasa ( ar, عبس, "He Frowned") is the 80th chapter ('' sura'') of the
Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
, with 42 verses ('' ayat''). It is a
Meccan sura The Meccan surat are, according to the timing and contextual background of supposed revelation (''asbāb al-nuzūl''), the chronologically earlier chapters (''suwar'', singular ''sūrah'') of the Qur'an. The traditional chronological order attribu ...
. The Surah is so designated after the word `abasa with which it opens.


Summary

*1-11 Muhammad rebuked for frowning on a poor blind Muslim *12-15 The Quran written in honourable, exalted, and pure volumes *16-23 Man cursed for turning aside from his Creator *24-32 It is God who provides man with food *33-37 On the judgment-day men will desert their nearest relatives and friends *38-42 The bright and sad faces of the resurrection-day


Period of revelation


Sunni view

According to traditionalists of the Sunni origin, at one time Mohammad was earnestly engaged in persuading the chiefs of Makkah to accept Islam. A blind man approached him to seek explanation of some point concerning Islam. Muhammad 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 was claimed by Ibn Hajar (d.1449) and Ibn Kathir that the blind man, Ibn Umm Maktūm, was one of the earliest converts to Islam. Secondly, some of the traditions of the
Hadith Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approva ...
which relate this incident show that he had already accepted Islam, and some others show that he was inclined to accept it and had approached Muhammad in search of the truth. Aishah states that coming to Muhammad he had said: "O Messenger of God, guide me to the straight path." (
Tirmidhi Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā as-Sulamī aḍ-Ḍarīr al-Būghī at-Tirmidhī ( ar, أبو عيسى محمد بن عيسى السلمي الضرير البوغي الترمذي; fa, , ''Termezī''; 824 – 9 October 892 CE / 209 - 2 ...
(d.892), Hakim (d.871),
Ibn Hibban Muḥammad ibn Hibbān al-Bustī () (c. 270–354/884–965) was a Muslim Arab scholar, Muhaddith, historian and author of well-known works, “Sheikh of Khorasan”. Biography Ibn Hibban was born in 270 AH (884 CE) in Bust or Bost in present-da ...
, Al-Tabari, Abu Ya'la). According to Abdullah bin Abbas, he had asked the meaning of a verse of the
Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
and said to Muhammad: "O Messenger of God, teach me the knowledge that God has taught you" (Al-Tabari, Ibn Abu Hatim). These statements show that he had acknowledged Muhammad. Contrary to this, Ibn Zaid has interpreted the words "la'allahu yazzakka" of verse 3 to mean: , "that perhaps he might become Muslim." (Al-Tabari) And God's own words: "What would make you know that he might reform, or heed the admonition, and admonishing might profit him?" and "The one who comes to you running, of his own will, and fears, from him you turn away", point out that by that time he had developed in himself a deep desire to learn the truth: he had come to Muhammad with the belief that he was the only source of guidance, and his desire would be satisfied only through him; his apparent state also reflected that if he was given instruction, he would benefit by it. Thirdly, the names of the people who were sitting in Muhammad's assembly at that time, have been given in different traditions. In this list we find the names of
Utba ibn Rabi'ah ʿUtbah ibn Rabīʿah () (), also known as Abū al-Walīd () was one of the prominent pagan leaders of the Quraysh during the era of Muhammad. He is the father of Abu Hudhayfa ibn 'Utba, Walid ibn Utbah, Hind bint Utbah and father-in-law of ...
,
Shaibah Shaibah ( ar, الشعيبة) is the name of a small village and a site of a military airfield near Az Zubayr, south west of Basrah in Iraq. The area was the site of a battle with Turkish Forces during the Mesopotamian campaign of the First World ...
,
Abu Jahl ʿAmr ibn Hishām al-Makhzūmī ( ar, عمرو بن هشام المخزومي), (570 – 13 March 624), also known as Abu Jahl (lit. 'Father of Ignorance'), was one of the Meccan polytheist pagan leaders from the Quraysh known for his opposition ...
,
Umayyah ibn Khalaf Umayya ibn Khalaf () (died 13 March 624) was an Arab slave master and the chieftain of the Banu Jumah of the Quraysh in the seventh century. He was one of the chief opponents against the Muslims led by Muhammad. Umayya is best known as the master ...
, Ubay ibn Khalaf, who were the bitterest enemies of
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
. This shows that the incident took place in the period when these chiefs were still on meeting terms with the Muhammad 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 Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...
.


Shia perspective

The Shia interpretations are unanimous on the view that the person that frowned away was not
Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
, but an elite from
Banu Umayya Umayyad dynasty ( ar, بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ, Banū Umayya, Sons of Umayya) or Umayyads ( ar, الأمويون, al-Umawiyyūn) were the ruling family of the Caliphate between 661 and 750 and later of Al-Andalus between 756 and 1031. In the ...
. According to them, these verses were descended about the man from
Banu Umayya Umayyad dynasty ( ar, بَنُو أُمَيَّةَ, Banū Umayya, Sons of Umayya) or Umayyads ( ar, الأمويون, al-Umawiyyūn) were the ruling family of the Caliphate between 661 and 750 and later of Al-Andalus between 756 and 1031. In the ...
who was sitting with Muhammad. At the same time, Abdullah bin Umm Maktum entered, when the rich man saw the poverty stricken Abdullah he drew himself aside, not to get his dress dirty and contracted his facial expressions which got uneasy. In those verses God stated his acts and criticized and condemned them.http://www.imamreza.net/eng/imamreza.php?id=9045


The tenses of grammar used

The word used was Abasa, which refers to 'He'. The Quran does not directly impose the frowning on Muhammad, instead it says "He frowned away", making it widely open for interpretation.


References


External links


Q80:1
50+ translations, islamawakened.com * {{Authority control Chapters in the Quran Afterlife Biographies of Muhammad Life of Muhammad