البلد
Al-Balad
The City
1 - Al-Balad (The City) - 001
لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
I do swear by this city [of Makkah] –
2 - Al-Balad (The City) - 002
وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ
and you are free of restriction [for a while] in this city[1] –
[1] To punish the enemies of Islam on the Conquest Day.
3 - Al-Balad (The City) - 003
وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ
and by every parent[2] and his offspring,
[2] i.e., Adam.
4 - Al-Balad (The City) - 004
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ
We have created man in hardship.
5 - Al-Balad (The City) - 005
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ
Does he think that none can ever have power over him?
6 - Al-Balad (The City) - 006
يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا
He says, “I have squandered enormous wealth!”
7 - Al-Balad (The City) - 007
أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ
Does he think that no one sees him?
8 - Al-Balad (The City) - 008
أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ
Have We not given him two eyes,
9 - Al-Balad (The City) - 009
وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ
and a tongue and two lips,
10 - Al-Balad (The City) - 010
وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ
and shown him the two ways [of right and wrong]?
11 - Al-Balad (The City) - 011
فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ
Yet he did not make his way through the steep path[3],
[3] He did not spend for the sake of Allah but to show off.
12 - Al-Balad (The City) - 012
وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ
and how do you know what the steep path is?
13 - Al-Balad (The City) - 013
فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ
It is freeing a slave,
14 - Al-Balad (The City) - 014
أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ
or giving food on a day of hunger,
15 - Al-Balad (The City) - 015
يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ
to an orphan relative,
16 - Al-Balad (The City) - 016
أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ
or to a needy person in misery,
17 - Al-Balad (The City) - 017
ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ
then [most importantly] to be one of those who believe and exhort one another to patience and exhort one another to compassion.
18 - Al-Balad (The City) - 018
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ
Such are the people of the Right[4].
[4] i.e., those who receive the records of their deeds in the right hand and proceed to Paradise.
19 - Al-Balad (The City) - 019
وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ
As for those who reject Our signs, they are the people of the Left[5],
[5] i.e., those who receive the records of their deeds in the left hand and proceed to Hellfire.
20 - Al-Balad (The City) - 020
