Surah Al-Balad

لَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ

I swear by this city [i.e., Makkah] –

وَأَنتَ حِلُّۢ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ

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

وَوَالِدٖ وَمَا وَلَدَ

And [by] the father[1924] and that which was born [of him],

[1924] Said to be Adam (upon him be peace) .

لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِي كَبَدٍ

We have certainly created man into hardship.

أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّن يَقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ أَحَدٞ

Does he think that never will anyone overcome him?

يَقُولُ أَهۡلَكۡتُ مَالٗا لُّبَدًا

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

أَيَحۡسَبُ أَن لَّمۡ يَرَهُۥٓ أَحَدٌ

Does he think that no one has seen him?

أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ

Have We not made for him two eyes?

وَلِسَانٗا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ

And a tongue and two lips?

وَهَدَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلنَّجۡدَيۡنِ

And have shown him the two ways?[1925]

[1925] Of good and evil.

فَلَا ٱقۡتَحَمَ ٱلۡعَقَبَةَ

But he has not broken through the difficult pass.[1926]

[1926] i.e., the steep incline or obstacle. In other words, he has not spent in the cause of Allāh but only boasts of spending in front of others.

وَمَآ أَدۡرَىٰكَ مَا ٱلۡعَقَبَةُ

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

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

It is the freeing of a slave

أَوۡ إِطۡعَٰمٞ فِي يَوۡمٖ ذِي مَسۡغَبَةٖ

Or feeding on a day of severe hunger

يَتِيمٗا ذَا مَقۡرَبَةٍ

An orphan of near relationship

أَوۡ مِسۡكِينٗا ذَا مَتۡرَبَةٖ

Or a needy person in misery

ثُمَّ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡمَرۡحَمَةِ

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

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَيۡمَنَةِ

Those are the companions of the right.[1927]

[1927] Or "the companions of good fortune," i.e., those who receive their records in their right hands and proceed to Paradise.

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا هُمۡ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡمَشۡـَٔمَةِ

But they who disbelieved in Our signs - those are the companions of the left.[1928]

[1928] Or "the companions of ill fortune," i.e., those who receive their records in their left hands and proceed to Hell.

عَلَيۡهِمۡ نَارٞ مُّؤۡصَدَةُۢ

Over them will be fire closed in.[1929]

[1929] The cover over Hell will be sealed and locked, containing its fire and its inhabitants.