Surah Al-Balad — The City

لَآ اُقْسِمُ بِهٰذَا الْبَلَدِۙ

Lā uqsimu bihāżal-balad(i).

I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah]

وَاَنْتَ حِلٌّۢ بِهٰذَا الْبَلَدِۙ

Wa anta ḥillum bihāżal-balad(i).

And you, [O Muḥammad], are free of restriction in this city

وَوَالِدٍ وَّمَا وَلَدَۙ

Wa wālidiw wa mā walad(a).

And [by] the father and that which was born [of him],

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْاِنْسَانَ فِيْ كَبَدٍۗ

Laqad khalaqnal-insāna fī kabad(in).

We have certainly created man into hardship.

اَيَحْسَبُ اَنْ لَّنْ يَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ اَحَدٌ ۘ

Ayaḥsabu allay yaqdira ‘alaihi aḥad(un).

Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

يَقُوْلُ اَهْلَكْتُ مَالًا لُّبَدًاۗ

Yaqūlu ahlaktu mālal lubadā(n).

He says, "I have spent wealth in abundance."

اَيَحْسَبُ اَنْ لَّمْ يَرَهٗٓ اَحَدٌۗ

Ayaḥsabu allam yarahū aḥad(un).

Does he think that no one has seen him?

اَلَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَّهٗ عَيْنَيْنِۙ

Alam naj‘al lahū ‘ainain(i).

Have We not made for him two eyes?

وَلِسَانًا وَّشَفَتَيْنِۙ

Wa lisānaw wa syafatain(i).

And a tongue and two lips?

وَهَدَيْنٰهُ النَّجْدَيْنِۙ

Wa hadaināhun-najdain(i).

And have shown him the two ways?

فَلَا اقْتَحَمَ الْعَقَبَةَ ۖ

Falaqtaḥamal-‘aqabah(ta).

But he has not broken through the difficult pass.

وَمَآ اَدْرٰىكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ ۗ

Wa mā adrāka mal-‘aqabah(tu).

And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass?

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍۙ

Fakku raqabah(tin).

It is the freeing of a slave

اَوْ اِطْعَامٌ فِيْ يَوْمٍ ذِيْ مَسْغَبَةٍۙ

Au iṭ‘āmun fī yaumin żī masgabah(tin).

Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

يَّتِيْمًا ذَا مَقْرَبَةٍۙ

Yatīman żā maqrabah(tin).

An orphan of near relationship

اَوْ مِسْكِيْنًا ذَا مَتْرَبَةٍۗ

Au miskīnan żā matrabah(tin).

Or a needy person in misery

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْمَرْحَمَةِۗ

Ṡumma kāna minal-lażīna āmanū wa tawāṣau biṣ-ṣabri wa tawāṣau bil-marḥamah(ti).

And then being among those who believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion.

اُولٰۤىِٕكَ اَصْحٰبُ الْمَيْمَنَةِۗ

Ulā'ika aṣḥābul-maimanah(ti).

Those are the companions of the right.

وَالَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا بِاٰيٰتِنَا هُمْ اَصْحٰبُ الْمَشْـَٔمَةِۗ

Wal-lażīna kafarū bi'āyātinā hum aṣḥābul-masy'amah(ti).

But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.

عَلَيْهِمْ نَارٌ مُّؤْصَدَةٌ ࣖ

‘Alaihim nārum mu'ṣadah(tun).

Over them will be fire closed in.