Surah Al-Balad

لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ۝١

I swear by this city --

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ۝٢

and you are dwelling in this city --

وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ ۝٣

and by parent and offspring,

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ۝٤

that We have created man into a life of toil and trial.

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ ۝٥

Does he think then that no one has power over him?

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا ۝٦

He says, "I have spent enormous wealth."

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ ۝٧

Does he then think that no one sees him?

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ ۝٨

Have We not given him two eyes,

وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ ۝٩

and a tongue, and a pair of lips,

وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ ۝١٠

and shown him the two paths?

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ ۝١١

But he has not attempted the ascent.

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ ۝١٢

What will explain to you what the ascent is?

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ۝١٣

It is the freeing of a slave;

أَوْ إِطْعَٰمٌ فِى يَوْمٍ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍ ۝١٤

or the feeding in times of famine

يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ ۝١٥

of an orphaned relative

أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ ۝١٦

or some needy person in distress,

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ ۝١٧

and to be one of those who believe and urge one another to steadfastness and compassion.

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ ۝١٨

Those who do so are the people of the right hand,

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ۝١٩

and [as for] those who are bent on denying the truth of Our revelations, they are the people of the left hand,

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ ۝٢٠

and the Fire will close in on them.