Question on Surah Abas (Ch. 80)

Society Religion & Philosophy
1

Brothers/sisters;

If any of you are familiar with this ayat, I would appreciate your insight as to who the Almight is referring to in this chapter.

Chapter 80 (Abas)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

80:1
He frowned and turned away
80:2
Because there came to him the blind man
80:3
And what would make you know, but that, per chance, he might grow in purity,
80:4
Or become reminded so that the reminder should profit him?
80:5
As for him who considers himself free from need,
80:6
To him do you address yourself?
80:7
And it is not necessary for you if he does not purify himself.
80:8
And as to him who comes to you striving hard,
80:9
And he fears (Allah),
80:10
To him you did not pay attention?
80:11
Nay! surely this is (this chapter) a reminder.

Wa Salam.

[This message has been edited by a1shah (edited January 12, 2001).]

2

Prophet SAW is the one who frowned and turned away, and the blind man that came to him was a blind sahabi named Abdullah RA. At the time, Prophet SAW was engaged in tableegh with some affluent kuffaar from the Quraish tribe. The blind sahabi interrupted, and Prophet SAW did not pay any attention to him, in essence, ignoring him and continuing with the Quraishis, since Prophet SAW was hopeful that those affluent Quraishis would come into the fold of Islam, and because of their influence over their tribes, more people would be tempted to learn about Islam too.
After the incident, Allah SWT revealed these verses to Prophet SAW, telling him SAW that a blind Muslim in search of more knowledge is more precious compared to affluent non-muslims, who may or may not accept Islam.

3

Eastern;

Thanks for yr insight.

However, the fact is that Quran does NOT give any evidence that the person who frowned at the blind was the Prophet (PBUH&HF), and does not state who is being addressed.

In the above verses of Quran Allah (SWT) did NOT address the Prophet either by name or title (i.e. O Muhammad, or O Prophet, or O Messenger). Moreover, there exists switching in the pronoun from "he" in the first two verses to "you" in the later verses of the chapter. Allah did NOT state: "You frowned and turned away". Rather, Almighty stated:

80:1
He frowned and turned away (while he was with the Prophet),
80:2
Because there came to him the blind man.
80:3
And what would make you know, but that, per chance, he (the blind man) might grow in purity,

Even if we assume that "you" in the third verse addresses the Prophet (PBUH&HF), then it is clear from the above three verses that the words "he" (the one who frowned) and "you" address two different individuals. The following two verses support this as well:

80:5
As for him who considers himself free from need (rich),
80:6
To him do you address yourself?

Thus the one who frowned was other than the Prophet himself due to distinction between "him" and "you".

In Verses 80:6 Allah addresses his Prophet (PBUH&HF) saying that preaching arrogant members of Quraish who frown at a blind is not worthy and is not necessary to be preferred over preaching a blind, even though the blind came later. The reason is that preaching anyone who does not intend to purify himself (to the extend that he frowns at a believer) is not fruitful.

Please let me in on yr thoughts.

Wa Salam.

4

salaam a1shah,

The first ayat of surat-e-abas says “Abbusa wa tawaallah”, which you translated as “He frawned and turned away”. Eastern Analog, the version of tafseer you presented is accepted by very few and sad group of people.

a1shah these ayats were revealed once Hazoor (pbuh) was sitting with few sahaba (ra), then came Abdullah bin Maktoom (ra), who was blind and was Muazinn, he came to ask Hazoor (pbuh) some Masaeel. Hazrat Usman was sitting there too. Hazoor (pbuh) asked Abdullah bin Maktoom (ra) to sit very close to him, which Hazrat Osman did not like since he was there before Abdullah bin Maktoom (ra). Hazrat Usman then turned his back towards Abdullah and then came this ayat “Abbaasa wa tawaallah”.

Some tafseer writer deny that it was hazrat Osman and they write that it was someone else from banni ummaya.

Some muffasereen write what eastern analog has said above.

Hazoor was khalq-e-azeem. This blame is ridiculous. Even hazoor’s ghulam will never do that to anyone let alone hazoor(pbuh) him self.

**Shaan-e-nabowat aaur koojaya budd-khulqee wa tarushroee **

salaam
ramesha

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif

5

salaam a1shah,

The first ayat of surat-e-abas says “Abbusa wa tawaallah”, which you translated as “He frawned and turned away”. Eastern Analog, the version of tafseer you presented is accepted by very few and sad group of people.

a1shah these ayats were revealed once Hazoor (pbuh) was sitting with few sahaba (ra), then came Abdullah bin Maktoom (ra), who was blind and was Muazinn, he came to ask Hazoor (pbuh) some Masaeel. Hazrat Usman was sitting there too. Hazoor (pbuh) asked Abdullah bin Maktoom (ra) to sit very close to him, which Hazrat Osman did not like since he was there before Abdullah bin Maktoom (ra). Hazrat Usman then turned his back towards Abdullah and then came this ayat “Abbaasa wa tawaallah”.

Some tafseer writer deny that it was hazrat Osman and they write that it was someone else from banni ummaya.

Some muffasereen write what eastern analog has said above.

Hazoor was khalq-e-azeem. This blame is ridiculous. Even hazoor’s ghulam will never do that to anyone let alone hazoor(pbuh) him self.

**Shaan-e-nabowat aaur koojaya budd-khulqee wa tarushroee **

salaam
ramesha

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6

In addition Eastern;

Don't you think that frowning at a believer is against the character of our holy, sinless prophet (pbuh). The Qur'an describes our beloved apostle as:

"And most certainly you are on sublime morality (exalted standard of character)." (Quran, al-Qalam 68:4).

Frowning is not from the manners/descriptions of the Prophet (pbuh) even with his obvious enemies, let alone believers seeking guidance!

One may question how can a Prophet (pbuh) who was sent as a mercy to mankind be cruel when an AVERAGE believer does not in such behavior.

7

I would tend to agree with Ramesha here. Thanks sister.

Others, pls feel free to add in yr opinion.

8

80:1
He frowned and turned away
80:2
Because there came to him the blind man

In the first ayah, according to what i read, you said that it was the 'arrogant member of Quraish", and ramesha said it was Hazrat Usman RA who was being mentioned.
If that is to be believed, then what about the second ayah? Did the blind man come to Hazrat Usman RA? No..He came to Prophet SAW. So even if we try to decipher the grammar here, which in my mind is not the right thing to do, it is clear that the same person is being talked about in the first two ayahs.

So in the second ayah Allah SWT is saying, a blind man came to "him". Obviously people didnt go to anyone other than Prophet SAW for religious guidance, did they? So the 'him' refers to Prophet SAW.

The debate here is not whether Prophet SAW was sinless or not. There is no doubt about his masoomiat. And frowning is not a sin. This was merely a natural reaction that Allah SWT pointed out, since Prophet SAW, like you guys mentioned, had the best of Ikhlaaq and there is no muslim who will oppose that

9

ramesha it is truly sad that you make this statement which is obviously false.The tafseer posted by EA is accepted by the vast majority of mufassireen and only the shia ones may have disagreed.
And for quite obvious reasons too.

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/rolleyes.gif

So please don’t make factualy wrong statements.You can make your point without that.
As to the version of tafseer posted by yourself it has been decisively refuted by EA(as quoted below).Given the words of the ayats no muffassir worth his mettle will present the version that you posted.
That’s my opinion.

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Ahmed (edited January 12, 2001).]

10

Brothers/sisters;

Let's look at the ayat again:

80:1
He frowned and turned away
80:2
Because there came to him the blind man
80:3
And what would make you know, but that, per chance, he might grow in purity,

In 80:3, the pronoun changes to "you". In 80:1 and 80:2, it is "he".

This is obvious that the 2 people here are different. Otherwise, it could have said "And you frowned.." and "Because there came to you .."

The blind, though he was coming to the holy apostle (pbuh) got near to the Umayad Chieftain. Therefore he frowned. He does not have to go to him directly to ask a question. This incident occurred when the blindman approached the holy messenger and sat next to or in between the prophet and the Umayad.

In line with the holy apostle's sublime manners, as stated in the holy qur'an, the frowning should be attributed to the Umayad.

11

Salaam Ahmad and Analog,

Ahmad I still stick to my comments i made earlier that MOST MUFFASEREEN do not dare say that it was hazoor who turned his back away. Anyways, you belief what you think is right and i have no right to convince you otherwise. Had 99% of muffasirs written that hazoor turned his back towards the sael, i would not have believed it. NEVER WOULD I BELEVE SUCH THING ABOUT MY NABBI. Kher, yeh sub kay apnay apnay emaan ki baat hay.

By the way Analog the point you made about "HIM" thing is not correct. You know and I know and everyoneelse knows that you can not translate one laguage into another without having any effects on the meaning.
this "HIM" thoery of yours is not right. You may want to ask someone who understands arabic.

anyways, no more arguments from me. I better shut up.

salaam
ramesha

12

Eastern;

Frowning or looking down upon a believer is not a sin ?

Any average believer would not do it let alone the Master of prophets.

Give it some thought.

13

[quote]
Originally posted by ramesha:
**Salaam Ahmad and Analog,

** Had 99% of muffasirs written that hazoor turned his back towards the sael, i would not have believed it. NEVER WOULD I BELEVE SUCH THING ABOUT MY NABBI.**
**
[/quote]

Assalam ALaikum Ramesha. You are absolutely amazing. How old are you?
May allah give you more tofeeq and always keep you happy. ameen

14

W’salam Ramesha..

By the way Analog the point you made about “HIM” thing is not correct. You know and I know and everyoneelse knows that you can not translate one laguage into another without having any effects on the meaning.
this “HIM” thoery of yours is not right. You may want to ask someone who understands arabic<<

Ramesha, I do understand and speak arabic, but the only reason i indulged in deciphering this english grammar, which i myself previously pointed out not to be right, is because a1shah posted it in english, and most of the members here would not understand it if it were written in arabic.

Im not going to get into a debate of how many ‘mufasireen’ believe it one way, and how many the other. The ayah in arabic, to me is clear enough.

In 80:3, the pronoun changes to “you”. In 80:1 and 80:2, it is “he”.

Refer to rameshas point about not playing around with the grammar

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif

I agree with her on that, since grammar, depending on who the translator is, can be different, and can lead you to different meanings.

About frowning, I believe this might be an out of place word here, even though I am not in a position to contest any of the scholars who have written this translation. However, the use of the word ‘frown’ here in no way describes something evil.
Frown, here, is used as in non-challance, since the blind sahabi was ignored, and anyone who is ignored would feel frowned upon, whether or not the person actully frowned.
The Prophet SAW did not commit any sin. He committed an act that, while is normal for a person like me, is not normal for a Prophet SAW, which is why Allah SWT interjected him at the point. Keep in mind that everything Prophet SAW had, all the knowledge that he had, every move that he made, was with Allahs SWT consent and approval, since he was/is Rehmat-ullil-aalameen.

However, before any mention of shias or non shias enters this thread, I’ll take my leave

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15

Wasalaam Analog,
I admire the way you replied. Thank you so much for that. Your approach and positive behaviour is muchly appreciated. Talking to people like you makes my day.

salaam and may allah guide you.
ramesha

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16

Wassalaam surdar Asif, Dua denay ka shukriya. I can not tell you my age but I am not that old

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/rolleyes.gif

And i am not amazing or anything, amazing tou allah, oskay nabbi aaur ahl-e-bayt ki zaat hay.
salaam and shukriya.
ramesha

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17

[quote]
Originally posted by ramesha:
** And i am not amazing or anything, amazing tou allah, oskay nabbi aaur ahl-e-bayt ki zaat hay.

**
[/quote]

Bayshukk and Ahsant.

18

asalamoalaikum

Please allow me to unveil the treasure hidden in these beautiful words. I hope that this may give the readers a different way to see the insight.

*CHAPTER 80 - SURA 'ABASA * (Revealed before Hijra)

::::: Date of Revelation and Context
. This Sura, like the two preceding it, with whose subject-matter it has a close association, is among those Suras which were revealed at Mecca in the early years of the Call. Noldeke and Muir, besides Muslim scholars, subscribe to this view. The Sura takes its title from the opening verse and deals with an incident in the Holy Prophet's life, which though of not much historical importance, contains a lesson of abiding moral significance.
. Towards the end of the preceding Chapter, the Holy Prophet was told that his duty was confined to conveying the Divine Message to his people. In the present Sura he is enjoined to be more careful of and pay greater attention to the poor, God-fearing believers who were likely to profit from his preaching more than the conceited and arrogant dis-believers.

::::: Subject-Matter
. The Sura begins to deal with the incident of 'Abdullah bin Umm Maktum, a poor blind man, and proceeds to teach the lesson viz., that it is not worldly riches and social status which determine the real worth of a person but the goodness of heart and willingness on his part to listen to Truth and accept it. The Sura also constitutes an eloquent commentary on the Holy Prophet's regard for the susceptibilities of the poor and oppressed people, and proceeds to say that the Qur'an will raise them to great eminence. It further says that being the last Divine Message for mankind it will be respected and read all over the world and will continue to be protected and preserved. The dis-believers are then warned that they are rejecting this great and glorious Divine Message -the Qur'an- to their own spiritual detriment, and are so foolish as not to understand that God who created man from an insignificant fluid and then endowed him with great natural powers and faculties and made excellent provision for his physical sustenance, could not have ignored to make similar provision for his moral and spiritual development. He has made this provision by the revelation of His Word for their guidance. The Sura ends on a note of warning to disbelievers that if they rejected the Quranic Message and persisted in opposition to the Prophet they will have to face a day of reckoning when misery, shame and ignominy will be their lot. The righteous believers, however, will reside in "Gardens of Bliss," their faces beaming with Divine joy and happiness.

::::: English Translation with Commentary of the first 11 verses

**1. In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful,
2. He frowned and turned aside,
3. Because there came to him the blind man,
4. And what makes thee know that he might be seeking to purify himself,* *

. The verse refers to a well-known historical incident. As the Holy Prophet was engaged one day in a talk with some of the Quraish Chiefs about some matters of belief, there came up 'Abdullah ibn Umm Makturn and, thinking that the Holy Prophet's precious time and energy were being wasted on the confirmed leaders of disbelief, he sought to divert his attention and asked to be enlightened on some religious questions. The Holy Prophet disliked the intrusion, and showed his displeasure by turning aside from 'Abdullah *(Tabri and Bayan). *

. The incident, while it showed the Holy Prophet's solicitude for the spiritual well-being of the Quraish leaders, in that he continued his discourse with them and paid no heed to Abdullah's interruption was evidence of his great regard for the tender susceptibilities of the poor blind man, inasmuch as the Prophet merely turned his face from 'Abdullah, an act which the latter could not see, not saying even a word of reproach or disapprobation to him for his inopportune and rash interruption. The verse thus throws a flood of light on the moral stature of the Holy Prophet; and instead of implying a reproach or rebuke, (as some Commentators seem to think), enjoins him and, through him, his followers, to have due regard for the tender susceptibilities of the poor, the humble, and the down-trodden.

. 2> The words "he frowned and turned aside," according to most Commentators of the Qur'an refer to the Holy Prophet, but more correctly they seem to refer to the arrogant attitude of the conceited Quraish leader with whom the Holy Prophet was engaged in conversation and who turned away his face disdainfully, thinking how a humble and lowly person could dare interfere in the talk he was having with the Prophet.

. 4> The pronoun "thee" has been taken as applying to the Holy Prophet and the pronoun "he" to the Quraish leader with whom the Holy Prophet was holding conversation. But "thee" may more appropriately be applied to those carping critics who, being hyper-sensitive, would not relish the attitude of the Holy Prophet on that occasion which was the only right and correct attitude for him to adopt.

5. Or he may take heed and the reminder may benefit him?
6. As for him who is disdainfully indifferent.
7. Unto him thou dost pay attention
8. Though thou art not responsible if he does not become purified.
9. But he who comes to thee hastening,
10. And he fears God,
11. Him dost thou neglect.

. The verse-8 seems to constitute an effective justification of the Holy Prophet's attitude towards 'Abdullah bin Umm Maktam. It purports to say that it would have brought no good to the Holy Prophet if 'Abdullah or, for that matter, the Quraish leader did or did not benefit by his talk. Thus the attitude of fancied indifference towards 'Abdullah or of deference towards the Quraish leader shown by the Holy Prophet proceeded from no consideration of any personal - interest. The Holy Prophet's reaction was solely due to compliance with the commandments of the Shari'at about behaving kindly and courteously towards one's guests and visitors.

. If vv. 6-11 are taken to apply to the Holy Prophet, then the particle "amma" in the 6th verse would signify "how could it be that" i.e., it cannot be; and these verses would be interpreted as: "How could it be possible that thou shouldst pay attention to him who is disdainfully indifferent and should neglect him who fears God and comes to thee hastening." These verses again constitute an eloquent commentary on the Holy Prophet's regard for the humble and the suppressed. But the verse under comment may be applied more fittingly to those critics who would find fault with the Holy Prophet's attitude towards 'Abdullah bin Umm Maktum on that particular occasion but who themselves, in their conceit and pride, would behave arrogantly towards the poor and the lowly.

Thus these verses have been used ironically, they bring home to the critics their own state of mind; and do not refer to any weakness of the Holy Prophet. It is indeed a very fallacious reproach towards that “spotless” Personality.

REFERENCE:
The Holy Quran with English Translation and Commentary
ISBN 1-85372-045-3
Islam International Publications
Volume-5, Pages 2763-2766

wa'salam

[This message has been edited by Zalim (edited January 14, 2001).]

19

Zalim, EA and Ahmad did you see me post on Infallability of the prophets and Watcher asked me when a Person said that prophets made mistakes? Remember This is an example of People thinking that prophets made mistakes.

And as A1shah said "Allah said (he) not (Oh! messenger or just you)" that means this can't possibally be the prophet as Allah would not call the prophet as "he"!!

Conclusion THESE AYATS ARE NOT FOR THE PROPHET

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Persist in jihad in the cause of Allah, with your money, your souls, and your tongue.
(Imam Ali)
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The Ayahs are definitely for the prophet(pbuh).Your "conclusion" that Allah wouldn't call the prophet(pbuh) as 'he',I don't know what that is based upon.Becuase Allah does call the prophet(pbuh) as 'he' in many places in the Quran.