Surah Abasa explained for children, in pictures

The lessons

1. 
   1 · Verses 1–4

   He frowned and turned away

   The Prophet, peace be upon him, frowned and turned away, because the blind man, Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum, came to him seeking knowledge while the Prophet was busy calling the leaders of Quraysh. And how would you know? Perhaps he would be purified by his question, or be reminded and benefit from the reminder.

2. 
   2 · Verses 5–7

   As for the one who thinks he needs no one

   As for the one who thinks he needs no guidance, you turn to him and listen to him, yet it is not on you if he will not be purified.

3. 
   3 · Verses 8–10

   While he fears Allah

   But the one who came to you eagerly, while he fears Allah, from him you were distracted.

4. 
   4 · Verses 11–16

   In honoured pages

   No! These verses are a reminder, so whoever wills may remember. The Quran is in honoured pages, exalted and purified, carried by angels who write it down, noble and righteous.

5. 
   5 · Verses 17–20

   Then He eased the way

   How ungrateful man is to his Lord! Does he not see what Allah created him from? From a small drop He created him, shaped him stage by stage, then made the way of good and evil clear for him.

6. 
   6 · Verses 21–23

   He has not yet done what he was told

   Then Allah causes him to die and gives him a grave, then when He wills He brings him back to life for the reckoning. No! Man has not yet done what Allah commanded him.

7. 
   7 · Verses 24–27

   Let man look at his food

   Let man look at his food: We poured down water in torrents, then split the earth open with plants, and made grain grow in it.

8. 
   8 · Verses 28–32

   Provision for you and your animals

   And grapes and fodder, olives and palm trees, gardens thick with trees, fruit and grass, as provision for you and your livestock.

9. 
   9 · Verses 33–37

   The Day a man flees his brother

   When the deafening blast of the Last Day comes, the Day a man will flee from his brother, his mother and father, his wife and children, each of them that Day will have enough to worry about.

10. 
    10 · Verses 38–39

    Bright faces

    Some faces that Day will be bright, laughing, rejoicing at good news.

11. 
    11 · Verses 40–42

    Covered with dust

    And other faces that Day will be covered with dust, darkness over them. Those are the disbelievers, the wicked.

Surah Abasa at a glance

Surah Abasa is a Makki surah with 42 verses; it is number 80 in the mushaf, in juz 30 (Juz Amma), and starts on page 585.

Order in the mushaf

80

Number of verses

42 verses

Makki or Madani

Makki (revealed in Makkah)

Juz

30 (Juz Amma)

Starts on page

585

What its name means

Abasa means he frowned and turned away: the surah opens with a moment when a blind man came to learn, and carries a gentle reproach.

Classification, verse count and page numbers follow the Madinah Mushaf (Hafs from Asim, Kufi count).

Why verses 1–10 of Surah Abasa were revealed

The story as it comes in the sound hadith, in simple words for children.

Word meanings in Surah Abasa for kids

Meanings from Tafsir Al-Muyassar, in simple words.

عَبَسَ

he frowned (Verse 1)

وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ

and turned away (Verse 1)

ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ

the blind man, Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum (Verse 2)

يَزَّكَّىٰٓ

be purified (Verse 3)

يَذَّكَّرُ

take heed (Verse 4)

ٱسْتَغْنَىٰ

thought himself in no need (Verse 5)

تَصَدَّىٰ

you give your attention (Verse 6)

يَسْعَىٰ

hurrying (Verse 8)

تَلَهَّىٰ

you are distracted (Verse 10)

تَذْكِرَةٌۭ

a reminder (Verse 11)

صُحُفٍۢ مُّكَرَّمَةٍۢ

honoured pages (Verse 13)

مَّرْفُوعَةٍۢ

exalted (Verse 14)

مُّطَهَّرَةٍۭ

purified (Verse 14)

سَفَرَةٍۢ

angel scribes (Verse 15)

بَرَرَةٍۢ

righteous (Verse 16)

فَقَدَّرَهُۥ

and shaped him in stages (Verse 19)

ٱلسَّبِيلَ يَسَّرَهُۥ

made the way easy for him (Verse 20)

فَأَقْبَرَهُۥ

gave him a grave (Verse 21)

أَنشَرَهُۥ

raises him up (Verse 22)

صَبَبْنَا ٱلْمَآءَ صَبًّۭا

poured down water in plenty (Verse 25)

شَقَقْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ شَقًّۭا

split the earth open (Verse 26)

حَبًّۭا

grain (Verse 27)

وَقَضْبًۭا

fodder (Verse 28)

غُلْبًۭا

dense (Verse 30)

وَأَبًّۭا

grass (Verse 31)

مَّتَٰعًۭا

provision (Verse 32)

ٱلصَّآخَّةُ

the deafening blast (Verse 33)

يَفِرُّ

flees (Verse 34)

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ

and his wife (Verse 36)

شَأْنٌۭ يُغْنِيهِ

enough to keep him busy (Verse 37)

مُّسْفِرَةٌۭ

shining (Verse 38)

مُّسْتَبْشِرَةٌۭ

joyful (Verse 39)

غَبَرَةٌۭ

dust (Verse 40)

تَرْهَقُهَا

covers them (Verse 41)

قَتَرَةٌ

darkness (Verse 41)

Check your understanding of Surah Abasa: questions for kids

Read the question, think, then tap the answer you choose.

1. 1. Who was the blind man who came to the Prophet ﷺ?

   • AAbu Lahab
   • BPharaoh
   • CAbdullah ibn Umm Maktum

2. 2. Why did the blind man come to the Prophet ﷺ?

   • ASeeking knowledge
   • BAsking for money
   • CTo play

3. 3. What are the pages of the Quran like, as the surah says?

   • AOld and torn
   • BHonoured, exalted and pure
   • COrdinary

4. 4. How did Allah create our food?

   • AWe found it ourselves
   • BFrom stones
   • CPoured down water, then split the earth with plants

5. 5. Name plants the surah mentions:

   • AOlives and date palms
   • BCactus
   • COnly roses

6. 6. What will a person do on the Day of Resurrection?

   • ASleep
   • BFlee from his brother, mother and father
   • CLook for his friends

7. 7. What are the faces of the people of Paradise like that Day?

   • AFrowning
   • BSad
   • CLaughing and joyful

Questions parents ask

Surahs close to Surah Abasa

Surahs with a close idea, to carry the journey on.

• 

  Surah Al-Alaq

  Read and learn; Allah sees everything we do

• 

  Surah Ad-Duha

  Allah never leaves His servants; we thank Him and care for the orphan

• 

  Surah Al-Ma'un

  We pray on time and help the orphan, the poor and our neighbours