Surah Al-Balad

لَآأُقْسِمُبِهَٰذَاٱلْبَلَدِ

NAY! I call to witness this land –

وَأَنتَحِلٌّۢبِهَٰذَاٱلْبَلَدِ

this land in which thou art free to dwell -

وَوَالِدٍۢوَمَاوَلَدَ

and [I call to witness] parent and offspring:

لَقَدْخَلَقْنَاٱلْإِنسَٰنَفِىكَبَدٍ

Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial.

أَيَحْسَبُأَنلَّنيَقْدِرَعَلَيْهِأَحَدٌۭ

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

يَقُولُأَهْلَكْتُمَالًۭالُّبَدًا

He boasts, "I have spent wealth abundant!"

أَيَحْسَبُأَنلَّمْيَرَهُۥٓأَحَدٌ

Does he, then, think that no one sees him?

أَلَمْنَجْعَللَّهُۥعَيْنَيْنِ

Have We not given him two eyes,

وَلِسَانًۭاوَشَفَتَيْنِ

and a tongue, and a pair of lips,

وَهَدَيْنَٰهُٱلنَّجْدَيْنِ

and shown him the two highways [of good and evil]?

فَلَاٱقْتَحَمَٱلْعَقَبَةَ

But he would not try to ascend the steep uphill road...

وَمَآأَدْرَىٰكَمَاٱلْعَقَبَةُ

And what could make thee conceive what it is, that steep uphill road?

فَكُّرَقَبَةٍ

[It is] the freeing of one's neck [from the burden of sin],

أَوْإِطْعَٰمٌۭفِىيَوْمٍۢذِىمَسْغَبَةٍۢ

or the feeding, upon a day of [one's own] hunger,

يَتِيمًۭاذَامَقْرَبَةٍ

of an orphan near of kin,

أَوْمِسْكِينًۭاذَامَتْرَبَةٍۢ

or of a needy [stranger] lying in the dust –

ثُمَّكَانَمِنَٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟وَتَوَاصَوْا۟بِٱلصَّبْرِوَتَوَاصَوْا۟بِٱلْمَرْحَمَةِ

and being, withal, of those who have attained to faith, and who enjoin upon one another patience in adversity, and enjoin upon one another compassion.

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَأَصْحَٰبُٱلْمَيْمَنَةِ

Such are they that have attained to righteousness;

وَٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوا۟بِـَٔايَٰتِنَاهُمْأَصْحَٰبُٱلْمَشْـَٔمَةِ

whereas those who are bent on denying the truth of Our messages – they are such as have lost themselves in evil,

عَلَيْهِمْنَارٌۭمُّؤْصَدَةٌۢ

[with] fire closing in upon them.