Surah Al-Balad (The City)

لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

90:1 No, I swear by this city [Makkah],

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ

90:2 while you [Muhammad] are free in this city,

وَوَالِدٍ وَمَا وَلَدَ

90:3 and by a father and what he fathered:

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ

90:4 We have certainly created the human being in hardship.

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ

90:5 Does he think no one has power over him?

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًا

90:6 He says, “I have used up piles of wealth.”

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

90:7 Does he think no one saw him?

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ

90:8 Did We not make for him two eyes,

وَلِسَانًا وَشَفَتَيْنِ

90:9 a tongue, and two lips,

وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ

90:10 and show him the two paths [of right and wrong]?

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ

90:11 Yet he has not attempted the steep climb.

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ

90:12 And what can make you know what the steep climb is?

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

90:13 freeing a person from bondage,

أَوْ إِطْعَـٰمٌ فِى يَوْمٍ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍ

90:14 or feeding people on a day of severe hunger:

يَتِيمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ

90:15 an orphan who is a relative,

أَوْ مِسْكِينًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍ

90:16 or a needy person in desperate poverty.

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ

90:17 Then he is one of those who believe, and urge one another to patience, and urge one another to compassion.

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ

90:18 Those are the people of the right.

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ

90:19 But those who reject Our signs are the people of the left.

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ

90:20 Over them is a Fire sealed shut.