Al-Balad — English Translation

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ لَآ أُقْسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ﴿1﴾

I do swear by this city [of Makkah] –

وَأَنتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ﴿2﴾

and you are free of restriction [for a while] in this city[1] –

وَوَالِدٍۢ وَمَا وَلَدَ ﴿3﴾

and by every parent[2] and his offspring,

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ فِى كَبَدٍ ﴿4﴾

We have created man in hardship.

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌۭ ﴿5﴾

Does he think that none can ever have power over him?

يَقُولُ أَهْلَكْتُ مَالًۭا لُّبَدًا ﴿6﴾

He says, “I have squandered enormous wealth!”

أَيَحْسَبُ أَن لَّمْ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ ﴿7﴾

Does he think that no one sees him?

أَلَمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عَيْنَيْنِ ﴿8﴾

Have We not given him two eyes,

وَلِسَانًۭا وَشَفَتَيْنِ ﴿9﴾

and a tongue and two lips,

وَهَدَيْنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ ﴿10﴾

and shown him the two ways [of right and wrong]?

فَلَا ٱقْتَحَمَ ٱلْعَقَبَةَ ﴿11﴾

Yet he did not make his way through the steep path[3],

وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلْعَقَبَةُ ﴿12﴾

and how do you know what the steep path is?

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ ﴿13﴾

It is freeing a slave,

أَوْ إِطْعَٰمٌۭ فِى يَوْمٍۢ ذِى مَسْغَبَةٍۢ ﴿14﴾

or giving food on a day of hunger,

يَتِيمًۭا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍ ﴿15﴾

to an orphan relative,

أَوْ مِسْكِينًۭا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۢ ﴿16﴾

or to a needy person in misery,

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ ﴿17﴾

then [most importantly] to be one of those who believe and exhort one another to patience and exhort one another to compassion.

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ ﴿18﴾

Such are the people of the Right[4].

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمْ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ ﴿19﴾

As for those who reject Our signs, they are the people of the Left[5],

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌۭ مُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ ﴿20﴾

who will be locked up in the Fire.